Woodbine: Queen's Plate hopefuls work out

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Irish Mission, Peyton, and Making Amends all worked at Woodbine on Saturday in preparation for next Sunday’s $1 million Queen’s Plate.

The field for the Queen’s Plate, a 1 1/4-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, remained at 14 as of Saturday morning.

Irish Mission, winner of the 1 1/8-mile Woodbine Oaks in her last start June 3, breezed five furlongs in 59.80 seconds on the training track under her regular rider, Alex Solis. The move was the quickest of 25 at the distance.

“It went great,” said Mark Frostad, who trains Irish Mission for Robert S. Evans and caught the filly galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.40.

Irish Mission, a large filly who measures 17 hands, also did her major prepping for the Woodbine Oaks on the dirt training track.

“It’s a good spot for her,” said Frostad. “It’s less jarring for her than the main track.”

Peyton, beaten 7 1/4 lengths last out as the fifth-place finisher in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial on June 3, worked six furlongs in 1:15.20 while going in company with stablemate Horseshoe Hill, who finished eighth in the Woodbine Oaks.

“He had her any time he wanted her,” said Michael Doyle, who trains the homebred Peyton for Bill Graham. “He kind of galloped out with her, and ran away from her afterwards.

Emma-Jayne Wilson was aboard Peyton for Saturday’s drill but Doyle has recruited Julien Leparoux for the Queen’s Plate.

Wilson is scheduled to ride Macho Whiskey in the Plate.

Making Amends breezed five furlongs on the main track in 1:02.20 in company with his regular rider Eurico Rosa da Silva in the irons.

“It was perfect, really nice,” said Mark Casse. “Eurico was really pleased with him; he said his arms were numb from pulling on him.

Making Amends finished sixth, beaten a total of 8 3/4 lengths in the Plate Trial, which was his first start around two turns.

* Todd Kabel has picked up the mount on Classic Bryce, who finished third in the Plate Trial.

Classic Bryce, a homebred colt who races for Bill Sorokolit and is trained by Darwin Banach, also finished second here in both the 1 1/16-mile Wando and the 1 1/16-mile Marine.