Weyburn's Queen's Plate status still up in the air

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Chiefswood Stables general manager Robert Landry said a final decision has yet to be made regarding whether Weyburn will contest the $1 million Queen’s Plate here Aug. 22.

Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, Weyburn took the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct in March before ending up fourth there in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 3. Following a break, he was second to Mandaloun in the June 13 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth. The son of Pioneerof the Nile is coming off a fading fourth-place finish in last Saturday’s Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga.

“I’m going back to Saratoga, and I want to see him gallop before we make any decisions,” Landry said. “I want to see how he came back because [the Plate] is back in three weeks – 22 days. If we’re going to go in that direction, I want to make sure it’s the right decision for the horse.”

If Weyburn bypasses the Plate, Landry said they will look at some Grade 3 stakes for him in the United States and not the Grade 1 Travers, for which the homebred was previously under consideration. The goal is to make him an appealing stallion prospect to American breeders.

The Chiefswood homebred Collective Force was probably best when a troubled second in a 1 1/8-mile maiden special on the Tapeta in his third start on Saturday. Collective Force was not kept eligible to the Plate when an interim payment was due.

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“I didn’t keep him eligible because I thought he was a little behind,” Landry said. “I’m not ruling the race out. The one thing I do know is he will get the mile and a quarter.”

Landry said the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes here Oct. 3 is a long-term goal for Collective Force, a son of Tiznow trained by Rachel Halden.

Landry said Third Draft bypassed Sunday’s Woodbine Oaks in order to keep her on the grass. She won a one-mile turf allowance at Saratoga on July 17 for trainer Shug McGaughey.

“Shug and I talked a lot about it, and we decided to keep her on the grass because Shug said she was doing so well on it,” Landry explained.

Landry said Third Draft could make her next start in a stakes at Saratoga or Colonial before contesting the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes here Oct. 2. He said the 1 1/4-mile distance of the third leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara should be right up her alley.

“That’s a race we have on our radar,” Landry said.

◗ Friday’s entire eight-race card is made up of claimers, including a $25,000 sprint for fillies and mares that could belong to Dancing Doll, who has won her last two starts, both for trainer Bill Tharrenos.