Tower of Texas possible for Play the King Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Multiple graded stakes winner Tower of Texas is close to making his next start after most recently running sixth in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes on the June 30 Queen’s Plate undercard.

The 7-year-old gelding has returned to the work tab in recent weeks, with trainer Roger Attfield eyeing a couple of potential landing spots. Tower of Texas is nominated to Saturday’s Grade 2, $175,000 Play the King Stakes over seven furlongs on the Woodbine turf course, the final local prep for the Grade 1, $800,000 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 15. Tower of Texas has run in the Woodbine Mile in each of the last three years, finishing second to Tepin in 2016.

However, Attfield said he is also considering a start in the $750,000 Tourist Mile Stakes at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 1. Nominations for the Tourist Mile close Wednesday.

Tower of Texas has made five starts in 2018, but has raced just twice at Woodbine. He was second in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup Stakes here on June 2.

Attfield said the hot weather on Queen’s Plate Day had an impact on Tower of Texas in the King Edward.

“I shouldn’t have run him that day,” he said. He hates the hot weather.”

Tower of Texas has breezed twice in recent weeks, covering five furlongs on the turf training track in 59.60 seconds here Aug. 5. He recorded a four-furlong breeze in 48.60 seconds on Aug. 12.

◗ Registration is now open for the third on-site handicapping tournament of the season, the Woodbine Weekend Horseplayers Tournament, which will be held in the walking ring tent on Saturday-Sunday. The two-day tournament will award one seat to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge in November at Churchill Downs and four seats to the National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas in January. The tournament will be a live bankroll format and the registration fee is set at $350. For more details on how to register, players can visit woodbine.com