We Miss Artie back on Polytrack for Plate Trial

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Seven 3-year-olds will line up for Sunday’s $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, the final local prep for the $1 million Queen’s Plate here July 6.

Queen’s Plate winter-book favorite We Miss Artie exits the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, where he finished 10th behind California Chrome, and now shifts his focus to the Canadian Triple Crown.

“I had a beautiful trip [in the Kentucky Derby], and I didn’t have any trouble at all,” said jockey Javier Castellano, who travels to Woodbine to retain the mount in the Plate Trial. “Unfortunately, I just don’t think the horse is the real deal on the dirt.”

We Miss Artie will return to Polytrack for this start, his first on the Woodbine surface. In his most recent start on Polytrack, We Miss Artie won the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park, earning an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

We Miss Artie likely will face a stiff test from Tower of Texas, who most recently was fourth in the $140,000 Marine Stakes on May 25. Tower of Texas came from off the pace to be beaten a length in the Marine, his stakes debut.

Majestic Sunset was sixth behind Tower of Texas after a troubled trip in a maiden allowance on May 10. Majestic Sunset is one of two maidens in the Plate Trial field, but he did finish second and earned an 81 Beyer in last season’s Coronation Futurity, which was the last time he traveled 1 1/8 miles on Polytrack.

Ascot Martin is the other maiden in the field and will step up to stakes company for the first time.

Man o’ Bear will be making his first start of the year in the Plate Trial and finished third in the Coronation Futurity in his last race in November. He shows a steady work tab coming into this spot, including three consecutive six-furlong breezes on the dirt training track.

Man Cave likely will try to set a slow pace in the Plate Trial after setting slow early fractions in his previous start May 19. He won twice as a 2-year-old around two turns and worked five furlongs handily in 1:00.20 on June 7 to prepare for this start.

Rounding out the field is Rhythm Blues, who has hit the board in three straight first-level allowance races over 1 1/16 miles against open company.