Sir Dudley Digges aims for Canadian Triple Crown after Queen's Plate win

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Sir Dudley Digges caught Amis Gizmo in the final strides to win the 157th running of the $1 million Queen’s Plate at Woodbine on Sunday and now looks set for a run at the Canadian Triple Crown.

Owner Ken Ramsey said after the race that Sir Dudley Digges would be pointed toward the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on July 26, the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown. The Prince of Wales will be run over 1 3/16 miles on dirt.

“You can quote me: We are going for the Triple Crown,” he said. “I think this horse can run on grass, Tapeta, dirt, you name it.”

Ramsey, trainer Mike Maker, and jockey Julien Leparoux all recorded their first Queen’s Plate victories with Sir Dudley Digges ($33.90). Leparoux said he got a perfect trip to win by half a length.

“He left the gate pretty good,” he said. “We got a good spot in the first turn, but they slowed down the pace a lot in the first turn, so I was a little bit wide. On the backside, they started to pick it up, and we got a clear run at the end. It was a good race.”

The final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown is the $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes on turf at Woodbine on Aug. 21. Maker said he doesn’t have any concerns about Sir Dudley Digges handling dirt and turf.

“He’s run [on dirt] before, although they were in maiden races,” he said. “I don’t have much concern about it. He broke his maiden on the turf, so he handles that well, too.”

Maker said Sir Dudley Digges regularly trains on dirt at the Churchill Downs Training Center.