Wonder Gadot, Flameaway could meet in Queen's Plate

Kentucky Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot will target the Queen’s Plate, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, on June 30 at Woodbine, trainer Mark Casse said as he makes plans for his 3-year-olds.

Wonder Gadot dueled the length of the stretch with Monomoy Girl in the Kentucky Oaks before Monomoy Girl prevailed by a half-length, surviving a claim of foul. Casse said Wonder Gadot, who won the Mazarine Stakes at Woodbine and the Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct last year, emerged in good order.

“She is amazing. She’s bouncing around,” Casse said.

Wonder Gadot will soon join Casse’s string in Toronto and will prep for the Canadian classic in the Woodbine Oaks on June 9. Also possible for the Queen’s Plate is fellow Ontario-bred Flameaway, who faded to 13th in the Kentucky Derby after he was well placed in fourth with a quarter-mile remaining.

“He’s a Canadian-bred, so if all goes well, I would probably give him one start before the Queen’s Plate,” Casse said. “He’ll probably go to Woodbine. I don’t know. It’s still early, and I want to talk to [owner John Oxley] and hear his thoughts. If we are going to try and win the Queen’s Plate, I think him being at Woodbine would make the most sense.”

Casse also has Queen’s Plate winter-book favorite Telekinesis, who most recently finished a close second to My Boy Jack in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.

While Wonder Gadot won’t be getting a rematch with Monomoy Girl for the time being, Casse could take her on in the Acorn Stakes at Belmont next month with Road to Victory, the only filly to defeat the Oaks heroine. She has not started since that win over Monomoy Girl in the Golden Rod last November but has been breezing at Casse’s training center in Ocala, Fla. Casse said Road to Victory is “coming back really well” and could be ready for the Acorn.