The Queens Plate Stakes ($1,000.000 Purse)
WO- For Three Year Olds Foaled in Canada
One Mile and One Quarter on the Dirt
August 22, 2021
At a time of year when most talented three year olds are showing their talents in TC prep races, and potentially the TC themselves, Freddo Cappuccino sat idle in a barn. He raced once as a two year old, at GRP in September, and would not be seen again on the track until the beginning of June. Since then, he’s been able to race, and show what he is capable of doing, and what he is capable of is winning the Queens Plate. With the horse being auctioned unraced, then claimed, then sold in private sales once, and then twice, he’s only been able to make four starts. The talent had been seen, as after all Mo Mentum did pay $400.000 to acquire him from Wood Duck Stables, and that trainer was high on him as well. After this race, you can’t help but wonder, what might Freddo Cappuccino have done during the winter and the spring of this year? Mo Mentum Farm sees his investment pay an immediate dividend, and it becomes his second Queens Plate win. He also won in 2017 with the late Laffin Parrot. Jockey A Cedillo would become a first time winner of the race. Congratulations to them! The race was run in a time of 2:00.76, shattering the stake record by over three tenths of a second. Let’s take a look!
(½ Mile- :47.68)- Rockin Rodeo bursts out of the outside gate and takes the early lead for Nakamura Stables. He will have some company up front, with Crack Stone, out of Mb Stables, running right along his inside. After half a mile, however, Rockin Rodeo would have a new horse up front with him as Arindel’s Hint Of Sugar came charging through the field in the opening turn as if it were the final furlong of the race. This would be him just heads apart for the lead, and now Crack Stone in third. John Henry’s Turbocharged must have liked what he saw from Hint Of Sugar and began his own march to the front approaching the backstretch, placing him fourth. The initial group of three stalkers did not get thrown out of their game plans, and among this group was our eventual winner, Mo Mentum Farm’s Freddo Cappuccino. He was running in between stablemates from Mb Stables, Creepy Crawlies and Rotarian. Behind them, they were five wide. From inside to outside, this consists of Cleon Clone (Crocker Ggs), Charley Buzz (Patterson Stables), Crack Danz (John Henry), Sunset Killer (Mo Mentum Farm) and Cherokee Grey (Mo Mentum Farm). Trailing are Python King (Axeman) and Lightning (Riggins Racing).
(¾ Mile- 1:11.38)- Hint Of Sugar makes the pass for the lead in the backstretch, but only by a neck as Rockin Rodeo continues to stay with him. They pull away from the rest of the field by about a length and a half, as Crack Stone backs off just a little bit. Turbocharged remained in the fourth spot, holding a lane along the outside. Freddo Cappuccino was now starting to show a little more interest, leaving the Mb Stables pair and looking to split Crack Stone and Turbocharged. Creepy Crawlies and Rotarian would continue to race side by side, and there was not much change further back.
(Top Of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Approaching the final turn, Rockin Rodeo reclaims the top spot from Hint Of Sugar and now pulls away from him a little bit. As this was going on, Freddo Cappuccino was coming forward, and he would have no difficulty passing Crack Stone and Turbocharged. Towards the exit of the turn, he also had a quicker than expected closing rate on Rockin Rodeo, and completed the pass of Hint Of Sugar prior to entering the stretch. He’d now have to gain a length or so on Rockin Rodeo. Hint Of Sugar was still running fairly well in third, and had almost a two length lead on Creepy Crawlies and Rotarian. They had each passed Crack Stone and Turbocharged as those two began to get leg weary. Cleon Clone, Charley Buzz, and Crack Danz were next but needing to begin their move to the front now if they had it in them. The others were now well off the pace.
(Finish- 2:00.76)- Rockin Rodeo continues to be in full stride, and shows good heart once Freddo Cappuccino pulls up along his outside with a little less than a furlong to go. They have a good side by side battle for a while, with neither one wanting to give in. Freddo Cappuccino would be just a little bit better, winning by a head over Rockin Rodeo in this exciting battle. It was four lengths back to third place Creepy Crawlies and about another to Hint Of Sugar. Rotarian was fifth, beating Charley Buzz, who was the best of those looking to close. Everyone else was actually beaten pretty soundly here, as the final order will go in the books as Cleon Clone, Crack Danz, Crack Stone, Turbocharged, Lightning, Sunset Killer, Python King, and Cherokee Grey.
About The Winner- Freddo Cappuccino, trained by Mo Mentum Farm, and ridden to victory by A Cedillo, is a three year old colt by Chai Latte and is out of Aix En Provence. He was bred in Ontario as a third quarter two year old by Greeko Holdem, and was acquired by Mo Mentum Farm, via Wood Duck Stables, in private sales for $400.000 in July 2021. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his third in four starts, and his first stake win. His career earnings are now $659.280.
Track: Fast
Time: :473 1:111 1:353 2:003
$2 Mutuel Prices:
$1 Exacta: 8 – 14 Paid 859.00
$1 Trifecta: 8 – 14 – 6 Paid 1,202.80
Scratched: Grand Command
— NS
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
