Notorious Gangster gives trainer Josie Carroll another shot at King's Plate notoriety
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Josie Carroll has an excellent chance to win her fourth King’s Plate at Woodbine on Saturday.
Notorious Gangster has proven to be near the top of the three-year-old rankings and definitely could join Edenwold, Inglorious and Mighty Heart on the veteran trainer’s Plate honour roll.
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Notorious Gangster gives trainer Josie Carroll another shot at King's Plate notoriety Back to video
He showed his class with a win in the Queenston Stakes on June 8 and followed that up with a second-place finish in the Plate Trial despite having to overcome a really tough trip.
“He’s a very uncomplicated horse. He has a good mind,” Carroll said. “That’s a really important trait on Plate day when there’s a huge crowd.
“He’s going to have to get a good trip because he’s a closer.”
Listed as the 9-2 morning-line second choice in the $1-million race, Notorious Gangster also will be looking to end a curse that has been around since 1976: No winner of the Coronation Futurity as a two-year-old has won the Plate since Norcliffe that year.
Fraser Aebly, a B.C. native who is one of the rising stars of Woodbine’s jockey colony, will get the ride. He made his Plate debut last year with a 12th-place finish.
SEEKING FOUR
Carroll isn’t the only one looking for a fourth Plate. Rafael Hernandez will be looking to join Robin Platts, Sandy Hawley and the late Avelino Gomez as the only jockeys to win Canada’s signature race four times.
Hernandez will ride Tom’s Magic, a U.S. invader who has exclusively run on the turf in five career starts. A son of U.S. triple crown winner Justify, Tom’s Magic has minor stakes wins at both the Fair Grounds and Monmouth so far this year. He does have experience training over Tapeta surfaces at Turfway Park.
“I like the horse a lot,” trainer Michael Stidham said. “He’s done things the right way.”
“He’s has good preparation coming into this race. I think we’re in there with a really live chance.”
In 2021, Safe Conduct came north to win the Plate after starting his career in similar fashion.
FRIENDLY GHOST
The Plate Trial was the last stepping stone before the Plate, one that Sedbury’s Ghost handled to perfection.
“He did win pretty easily, I thought,” trainer Barb Minshall said about the July 20 win. “He’s a very nice horse and he’s done everything right from Day 1.”
Sedbury’s Ghost was coming off a fourth-place finish in the Marine Stakes one race prior but had two wins before that. Minshall said the son of 2015 Plate winner Shaman Ghost has matured nicely since last year.
“He was a high-strung horse,” Minshall said. “He has matured a whole lot. He was calm and professional in the paddock for the Plate Trial.”
Ryan Munger, who has ridden at Woodbine since 2023 and also races in his native South Africa during the winter, will once again get the assignment.
SPECTACULAR DEBUT
On July 13, trainer Sid Attard introduced Runaway Again to the public and the son of Hard Spun performed brilliantly with a 9 1/4-length score.
That was enough for Attard to take him to the big dance for only his second career race.
“I was kind of surprised,” the Canadian horse racing hall of famer said. “I never thought he was going to show that.
“He always trains very good. He’s not a very big horse but he’s strong.”
Javier Castellano, who has had success at Woodbine in the past, will be back north to ride.
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