Saturday is the most important day of the 12 months at Woodbine. The King’s Plate, Canada’s closest facsimile to the Kentucky Derby, headlines a 13-race program simply exterior Toronto, and we’ll undergo the cardboard on the lookout for some worth.
We’ll deal with horses with odds of 6-1 or larger on the morning line, and this features a worth in the principle occasion. Let’s get to it …
Race #4, $130,000 Maiden Allowance Race, 6 ½ furlongs, turf, 2:03 p.m. ET
#4 Bounce Again (8-1 morning-line odds): The #5 Cattrall is a 2-1 morning-line favourite right here. Whereas she wouldn’t be an enormous shock, that hits me as a bit too wanting a worth. Sure, she confirmed pace final outing, however it is a important uptick in distance and if coach Kevin Attard is so bullish on her why does he additionally ship out #1 Loopy Busy?
My most well-liked different is Bounce Again, who’s bred up and down for the grass. She’s by Exhausting Spun and out of the Twirling Sweet mare Bouncy, who’s additionally produced a horse named Pounce. That one gained first outing and went on to annex a pair of graded stakes races on turf. Bounce Again has additionally been working very, very properly for coach Mark Casse, who all the time deserves respect on days like these.
Due to the pedigree, the connections, and the sharp drills main as much as her unveiling, I’m undecided we’ll get the juicy morning-line worth. Nevertheless, something at or close to these odds could be very, very enticing.
Race #7, $175,000 Daring Enterprise Stakes, 6 ½ furlongs, all-weather floor, 3:46 p.m. ET
#5 G T 5 Hundred (6-1 morning line): He sprang a 31-1 shocker within the Grade 2 bet365 Connaught Cup final outing. He gained’t be that sort of worth on Saturday, however I nonetheless assume he might present worth.
In contrast to a number of others in right here who’re stretching out, this gelding cuts again from 7 1/2 furlongs to run on this 6 1/2-furlong spot. That further sixteenth of a mile makes an enormous distinction, particularly to horses which will have some stamina issues. G T 5 Hundred, although, is 4-for-5 at this journey, together with a win within the Forego Stakes on the all-weather floor at Turfway Park in February. I additionally like his versatility. He will be on the lead or price a number of lengths off the highest flight.
This can be a stylish particular person with success at this stage, and it actually appears like the best spot for him. Once more, we gained’t get the value he was a number of weeks in the past, however there’s nonetheless an opportunity he’s an overlay … albeit much less of 1!
Race #10, $1 million King’s Plate, 1 ¼ miles, all-weather floor, 6:12 p.m. ET
#3 Baaeed Alynna (30-1 morning line): Let’s get one factor straight: #1 Luster is a formidable favourite. She’s carried out little or no mistaken, and John Velazquez takes the journey throughout the border to trip her in opposition to the boys. If she’s proper, she’s going to be robust.
Nevertheless, there’s a whole lot of pace signed on right here, so I’m going fishing for closers. With that, I’ve landed on Baaeed Alynna, who didn’t run properly final outing within the Plate Trial Stakes. Nevertheless, I believe which will have been a bounce off of a two-back win the place he overcame fairly a little bit of hassle. He’s solely run 3 times so far, however his lone begin final season got here in opposition to stakes firm, and he ran properly to be third that day after a tricky get away of the gate.
Baaeed Alynna is bred to need each little bit of this 1 ¼-mile distance, and I believe he’ll get the race form he needs. He actually wants to enhance however I believe that’s a risk. Given his possible worth, I’ll gladly take a swing.
