Woodbine notes: Casse may have four for Queen's Plate

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Casse could have as many as four horses in the July 7 Queen’s Plate, with both Dynamic Sky and Spring in the Air considered definite starters and Jagger M and Kaigun on the fence as of Monday.

Dynamic Sky won the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial on June 9 and Spring in the Air finished second behind Queen’s Plate-bound Nipissing in the same day’s Woodbine Oaks.

Joel Rosario rode both horses, and Casse will give him his choice of the two for the $1 million Queen’s Plate, with Gary Boulanger set to inherit the other mount.

Jagger M and Kaigun, the respective sixth- and seventh-place finishers in the Plate Trial, breezed five furlongs in company here Monday in 1:02.20.

Exercise rider Jason Hoyte was aboard Jagger M, while Boulanger did the honors on Kaigun.

“I thought it was a good work. The track seemed a little on the slower side,” said Casse, who has pegged Jagger M’s chances of contesting the Queen’s Plate at 75-25 and Kaigun’s at 50-50.

Rosario is one of two import riders currently scheduled to compete in the Queen’s Plate, as Malcolm Pierce has engaged John Velazquez to partner His Race to Win, who finished a solid second in the Plate Trial.

Rackman a possibility

Rackman, trained by Nick Nosowenko, and Niigon’s Glory, trained by Rachel Halden, also are on the fence for the Queen’s Plate.

Owned by the trainer in partnership with his father, Mike Nosowenko, Rackman would be heading into the Queen’s Plate after dead-heating for first in his ninth career start, an Ontario-sired maiden race at 1 1/16 miles here June 1.

“As of now, we’re still planning on it,” said Nick Nosowenko, who had sent out Rackman to work six furlongs in 1:17.40 under Boulanger on Sunday morning. “We’ll work him once more, in company, and then we’ll make a final decision.”

Niigon’s Glory is a homebred who races for Chiefswood Stable, and Halden already has Nipissing on target for a Queen’s Plate appearance.

“We don’t have to make up our minds yet,” said Halden, who has watched Niigon’s Glory finish second in his two starts here this year, both in Ontario-sired company at 1 1/16 miles. “We’ll work him later this week.”

The connections of two fringe candidates for the Queen’s Plate have taken their charges off the list.

Sweet Little Man, a homebred who races for a Don Amos and is trained by Danny Vella, had been on the bubble since finishing third in the 1 1/8-mile Victoria Park Stakes here June 16.

“As of right now, he’s not going in the Plate” Vella said. “His last race just wasn’t his top effort. I think he’s a little better horse than that, and we want to see a top effort.”

Silent Yet Deadly, who was purchased privately by Danny Dion’s Bear Stable after winning a 6 1/2-furlong restricted maiden race in his seasonal debut and second career start, finished fifth of six trying two turns for the first time here last Saturday.

“There just wasn’t enough time,” trainer Mike DePaulo said. “He needed a little more training.”