Woodbine: Queen's Plate prospects River Rush, Macho Whiskey breeze for Baker

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Trainer Reade Baker sent out his Queen’s Plate candidates River Rush and Macho Whiskey to breeze five furlongs over the training track here at Woodbine on Sunday in preparation for the $1 million Queen’s Plate.

The Queen’s Plate, a 1 1/4-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, will be run Sunday, June 24.

River Rush, under his regular rider Jim McAleney, was clocked in 1:01.80 while working in company with older stakes-winning stablemate City Wolf.

Emma-Jayne Wilson was aboard City Wolf, who was clocked in 1:02.40.

Macho Whiskey had Wilson in the irons and was timed in 1:00.80.

“They went well,” said Baker, of his Queen’s Plate twosome. “Neither one is a very good work horse.”

River Rush was making his third career start when a runaway 5 1/4-length winner of the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial here June 3.

Macho Whiskey also has seen action just three times and finished last of five, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, in a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds in his last start May 27.

Colleen’s Sailor, the winner of that race, also is headed to the Queen’s Plate for trainer Roger Attfield.

Ultimate Destiny and Prince Raphael had their final major Queen’s Plate tune-ups on the Polytrack surface here Sunday.

Ultimate Destiny, with his regular rider Steven Bahen in the irons, worked six furlongs in 1:15.60 and galloped out seven furlongs in 1:27.60 for trainer Mike Keogh..

The clockers caught Ultimate Destiny going his first quarter in 26.40 seconds and his half-mile in 50.60.

Inclusa, a 3-year-old filly trained by Keogh, joined Ultimate Destiny midway through the work and was clocked in 50.80 for four furlongs under exercise rider Paul O’Sullivan.

“I didn’t want him to go too fast,” said Keogh. “I always like his gallop out. He seems to gallop out better than he works, which is all right.”

Ultimate Destiny is coming into the Queen’s Plate off a second-place finish behind the 4-year-old Head Honcho in a restricted second-level allowance race at 1 1/16 miles.

Prince Raphael breezed in 1:00.60 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.20 under his regular rider Richard Dos Ramos.

“Rick said it was the best he’s ever worked,” said trainer Debbie England.

Prince Raphael, a magnificent individual who stands some 17 hands, has run twice this year.

After finishing second behind leading Queen’s Plate candidate Strait of Dover in a seven-furlong first-level allowance, Prince Raphael ended a well-beaten sixth at the same level when facing older rivals at 1 1/16 miles.

John Velazquez, who had the mount on Colleen’s Sailor for trainer Roger Attfield, was injured in a spill at Churchill Downs late Saturday night.

Corey Nakatani, who piloted Colleen’s Sailor to his win here in the May 27 allowance, has regained the mount.