Two Plate prospects work five furlongs

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Deputiformer and Dylan's Choice both worked five furlongs here at Woodbine on Tuesday morning and are slated to be among 15 horses entered in Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate.

The draw for the Queen's Plate, a 1 1/4-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, will take place here Thursday in the trackside tent due to soggy conditions in the usual walking-ring location.

A double-draw method will be employed, with the connections first drawing for their order of post position and then choosing their posts in sequence.

Don Cherry, a Canadian icon best known for his colorful and controversial commentary on "Hockey Night in Canada," will be the guest drawmaster.

Deputiformer, with regular rider Jerry Baird in the irons, breezed in 59.40 seconds, the fastest of 15 workers at the distance.

"We jogged him around once the wrong way, and then let him work," said Mike DePaulo, who trains Deputiformer for David James. "Everything went smoothly."

Deputiformer came into his 3-year-old campaign as one of the leading candidates for the Queen's Plate after winning the Cup and Saucer at 1 1/16 miles on grass and finishing third in the 1 1/8-mile Coronation Futurity.

His three performances thus far this year have been disappointing, however, and Deputiformer is coming into the Queen's Plate off a fifth-place finish in a 1 1/16-mile first-level allowance here May 18,

"Hopefully, he'll get a nice trip," said DePaulo. "I'd love to see him covered up a bit, but we're not going to strangle him to keep him back."

Deputiformer would be the fifth Queen's Plate starter for DePaulo, who sent out Shillelagh Slew to finish fifth for James in 2006, and the second for Baird.

Dylan's Choice, with Queen's Plate pilot Chantal Sutherland aboard, went in 1:01.80 in his final tune-up.

Trained by Desmond Maynard, Dylan's Choice is heading into the Queen's Plate off a fourth-place finish in a first-level allowance at 1 1/8 miles here May 24.

Desmond purchased Dylan's Choice on behalf of the Winter Road Racing Corp. after the colt was a 10-length winner of an $8,000 maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 26.

Dylan's Choice would be the first Queen's Plate starter for Maynard and the third for Sutherland.

Heros Reward back to contest Highlander

Sunday's card also includes a pair of turf stakes, the Grade 2, $200,000 Highlander at six furlongs and the Grade 3, $150,000 Singspiel at 1 1/2 miles.

The leading candidates for the Highlander include Heros Reward, who finished second in last year's running and returned in the fall to capture the Grade 2, $500,000 Nearctic at six furlongs on grass.

Heros Reward, based in Maryland with trainer Dale Capuano, is scheduled to arrive on Thursday.