Queen's Plate Post Position Draw - Horse Racing

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The Queen's Plate Post Position Draw

Dateline: 06/21/01

Update: Results!

Entries were drawn and post positions selected this morning for the 142nd running of the Queen's Plate, the oldest continuously run stakes race in North America. A field of 10 horses was entered, including two fillies and a coupled entry from Sam-Son Farm.

Post time for the Queen's Plate is Sunday at 5:08pm ET as the ninth race on the card at Woodbine. It will be shown live on Sportsnet in Canada from 4:00 - 5:30pm ET, on TRN across North America and online from Woodbine's website. Free program and past performances are available from Equibase.

Here is the field in program number order. Distance is 1 1/4 miles. Colts and geldings carry 126 lbs. while fillies carry 121 lbs. The purse is $1,000,000 (Canadian) Guaranteed. Click on the horse's name to see full info on him or her.

# / PP	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	M/L Odds
1 / 2	Lucky Scarab	Kabel	Frostad	2-1
1A / 10	Dancethruthedawn (f)	Boulanger	Frostad	2-1
2 / 1	Asia (f)	Gryder	Cheadle	50-1
3 / 3	Millennium Allstar	Landry	Leslie	4-1
4 / 4	Sik	David	Passero	50-1
5 / 5	Dawn Watcher	Dos Ramos	Hopmans	20-1
6 / 6	Thatsthebottomline	Sabourin	Martin	8-1
7 / 7	Win City	Montpellier	Tiller	9-5
8 / 8	Highland Legacy	Husbands	Owens	20-1
9 / 9	Brushing Bully	Clark	Attard	6-1

Morris Peterson and Tim Hudak assisted with the draw.

On hand to open the ceremony and assist with the draw was Tim Hudak, Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. Hudak's hometown is Fort Erie, home of Ontario's other thoroughbred track, and is a lifelong racing fan. He announced that the Ministry of Tourism is investing $75,000 in a marketing sponsorship package for the Woodbine Festival of Racing.

Also on hand to assist was Toronto Raptors rookie sensation Morris Peterson. After being drafted 21st overall in the 2000 NBA draft following his NCAA championship with Michigan State, he had an excellent rookie season and was named to the NBA All Rookie Team. "We have a great coach, we have a great organization, and definitely a great city backing us."

Sandy Hawley presents the collages to Hudak and Willmot.

As in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, the selection order is drawn at random and then the connections of each horse have ninety seconds to announce their post position when called upon.

While the connections were given five minutes to confer on their post position selections, retired Hall of Fame jockey Sandy Hawley was called on to present Tim Hudak and Woodbine CEO David Willmot with a collage of photos depicting 45 years of Woodbine racing history. Ironically, Hawley noticed that no pictures of his rides were included in the collage.

The connections of Millennium Allstar discuss with post to choose. Left to right: Sue Leslie, Curtis Joseph, Robert Landry, and Don Meehan.

Co-owner and Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Curtis Joseph chose post position three for his entry, Millennium Allstar. He said, "Last year I was here doing the draw but this year it's fun to be at the table" with a horse entered in the race. "He's got a legitimate shot, ran real well in the Plate Trial, hopefully we'll have a good race."

Bob Tiller (center) contemplates the choice given to him by Dan Loiselle (right) while owner Frank DiGiulio Jr. gets a laugh out of it.

Morning line favorite Win City will break from the seven post. Joking with trainer Bob Tiller, master of ceremonies Dan Loiselle asked, "We've been friends for a long time, right? So I can ask you just about anything, right? Would you rather give up sex for the rest of your life or win the Queen's Plate?" Tiller was speechless for a minute then responded "Give me a minute please? ... Can I make one of those Clinton deals?" Asked what his biggest fear is, he compared his horse to Point Given, who won the Preakness and Belmont but didn't show up at the Derby. "That's any horse's biggest fear." Owner Frank DiGiulio Jr. said that Dancethruthedawn is the horse to beat.

Tammy Samuel-Balaz, trainer Mark Frostad, and Liza Samuel of Sam-Son Farm.

Second choice in the morning line is Sam-Son Farm's Labatt Woodbine Oaks winner Dancethruthedawn, who will break from post ten. Asked where he would like to see her with a half mile to go, trainer Mark Frostad said, "Third or fourth, hopefully." Was it a tough decision to run her in the Plate against the boys? "She ran a great race in the Oaks and distance doesn't appear to be a problem so this is where we'll run."

Queen's Plate info online: