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TORONTO -- Hes one of Canadas most successful trainers but one accomplishment missing from Mark Casses impressive resume is a Queens Plate victory. Alfredo Talavera Jersey . The six-time Sovereign award winner as the countrys top conditioner will send three horses -- including 4-1 early second choice Lexie Lou and 8-1 third pick Matador -- postward Sunday in search of his first career win in North Americas oldest, continuously run stakes event at Woodbine Racetrack. Casses best finish in the $1-million, 1 1/4-mile race was second in 11 with Hippolytus. "When you travel around Canada and tell people youre a horse trainer, they want to know if youve won the Queens Plate," Casse said following the race draw Thursday. "So far, the answer is no but hopefully after Sunday Ill be able to say yes. "I would like to win the Kentucky Derby, that one is big too, but this (Plate win) would be No. 1." We Miss Artie is the 8-5 favourite despite running slower than Lexie Lou their last time out. We Miss Artie rallied to capture the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial in 1:50.78 on June 15 at Woodbine before Lexie Lous impressive 4 1/2-length Woodbine Oaks win in 1:49.77 over the same distance moments later. Lexie Lou will carry five pounds less than the others in the 15-horse field Sunday as the lone filly. "Going a mile and a quarter, five pounds is a big difference," Casse said. "In her last race, she ran a second faster than the favourite and that means something. "I think theres a good shot there will be a female winner this year." Lexie Lou will attempt to become the 35th filly to win the Plate but just the seventh since 56. And only five Oaks winners have also claimed Canadas most prestigious race, the last being Inglorious in 2011. We Miss Artie drew the No. 6 post while Lexie Lou will break from the No. 14 position. Matador starts from the No. 10 post while Majestic Sunset, Casses third horse and the second-place finisher in the Plate Trial, goes from the No. 7 post. "I think this is the strongest hand weve ever brought to the table," Casse said. "With any race you can have the best horses but you still need to have some luck. "Were ready. Sooner or later well get this thing." The field, with post position, horse, jockey and odds, includes: 1) Cap in Hand, Steven Bahen, 50-1; 2) Coltimus Prime, Jesse Campbell 20-1; 3) Athenian Guard, Omar Moreno, 50-1; 4) Asserting Bear, Chantal-Sutherland Kruse, 10-1; 5) Man o Bear, Emma-Jayne Wilson, 30-1; 6) We Miss Artie, Javier Castellano, 8-5; 7) Majestic Sunset, Gary Boulanger, 15-1; 8) Lions Bay, David Moran, 30-1; 9) Heart to Heart Eurico Rosa de Silva, 30-1; 10) Matador, Julien Leparoux, 8-1; 11) One Destiny, Justin Stein, 30-1; 12) Tower of Texas, John Velazquez, 20-1; 13) Niigon Express, Gerry Olguin, 30-1; 14) Lexie Lou, Patrick Husbands, 4-1; 15) Amis Holiday, Luis Contreras. Favourites have won 22-of-58 renewals (37 per cent) since 56 but only two -- Wando in 03 and Eye of the Leopard in 09 -- have been victorious in the last 19 editions. But Casse and Lexie Lou arent the only interesting storylines in this years race. Others include: -- Not only is a filly the No. 2 pick but two women will ride Sunday. Sutherland-Kruse, who came out of retirement to ride this year at Woodbine, will be aboard Asserting Bear while Man o Bear, will be ridden by Wilson, who became the only female jockey to win the Plate in 07 with Mike Fox. Also, trainer Josie Carroll chases a third Plate victory with Amis Holiday. -- Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield tries for a record ninth Plate win with Tower of Texas. Attfields last Plate victory was in 08 with Not Bourbon. -- For the first time ever, a father and two sons will saddle separate entries. Hall of Famer Sid Attard conditions Cap in Hand while Paul Attard sends out Niigon Express and Jamie Attard trains Lions Bay. The Plate is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. The other races are the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes (July 29 at Fort Erie) and $500,000 Breeders Stakes turf event (Aug. 17 at Woodbine). Thereve been seven Triple Crown winners, the last being Wando in 03. Paul and Jamie Attard have a round of golf riding on Sundays race, but their father hasnt become embroiled in family bragging rights. Sid Attard has never won the Queens Plate but was second in 92 with longshot Grand Hooley, his first Plate starter. "Ive been listening, being quiet," the senior Attard said with a chuckle. "Id like to win but if I cant win I want one of them to win. "Id like to see them do good." Sutherland-Kruse rode Asserting Bear to victory in the Marine Stakes on May 25 but the horse was relegated to third for obstructing Ami Holidays late run. Sutherland-Kruse has finished in the money 69 times this season -- 22 wins, 28 seconds, 19 thirds -- and amassed over $1-million in purse earnings through 189 starts. The 38-year-old Winnipeg native said shed cherish a Queens Plate victory. "Ive raced all over the world, Ive seen the lArc de Triomphe, Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup and theyre all huge races," she said. "But for me, the Queens Plate is as big. "I love Canada and am proud to be Canadian and to win it would be so gratifying." A win Sunday would further solidify Attfields status as Canadian racings most prolific trainer, having already amassed more Prince of Wales (five) and Breeders Stakes (eight) victories in the Triple Crown era than any other conditioner. But its an accomplishment that isnt keeping 74-year-old resident of Nobleton, Ont. -- who has conditioned three Triple Crown champions over his illustrious career -- up at night. "If it happens, it happens," he said matter of factly. "I feel blessed to have won it (Queens Plate) eight times. "Its a good-sized field, which it should be, and theres a lot of horses that it would be no surprise if they popped up and won, in my opinion. I think its going to be a tremendous race, to be honest." Jesus Manuel Corona Jersey . And former Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson certainly knows his pain. "Its pretty hard to coach there without allowing some of these things to kind of affect you," Wilson told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in his ESPN. Eduardo Herrera Mexico Jersey . In an interview with La Presse this week, the five-time Stanley Cup champion and three-time NHL scoring leader specifically took aim at wingers Thomas Vanek and Max Pacioretty, saying they cant show up in a 7-4 win over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final and come up empty in Game 6. As head coach of Canadas junior mens national team, Roy Rana has worked with the countrys brightest talent, and having coached the likes of Tristan Thompson and Andrew Wiggins among others, knows what separates the good from the elite. Coincidentally, it only took two summers for Tyler Ennis to prove he could make the jump, during which, Rana witnessed a maturation in the Brampton, Ont. native, that makes his standout play leading the undefeated Syracuse Orange (18-0) a logical progression rather than a surprise. During the 2012 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship, the 6-foot-2 point guard endured an arduous tournament, struggling in pressure situations. Matchups and defensive schemes posed challenges for Ennis as the Canadian squad had a strong showing, but lost to the host Brazilians 66-62 in the semifinal round. As a result, Rana and his staff talked with Ennis extensively regarding his leadership and need to carry the team. Ennis took the direction and loss to heart and came back a reinvented player the following summer at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship. “It was amazing to see his transformation within that year,” Rana said. “Just how much more confident he was in himself, how much more assertive, how much more of a leader he was. He really started to understand the subtleties of how to impact his teammates.” This time around Ennis was also asked to shoulder Canadas scoring load, something he did effortlessly. Ennis averaged a tournament leading 20.9 points, outscoring projected 2014 NBA lottery picks Marcus Smart, Dante Exum, Dario Saric and Aaron Gordon. By riding that performance into his freshman season at Syracuse he has been a steadying force, toning down his scoring to facilitate the team offence, but also making key baskets when needed. Ennis averages 11.9 points per game and shoots 40 percent from the three-point line and leads the Orange with 5.5 assists and 2.7 steals per (the latter, good for ninth in the nation). His numbers and Syracuses record make a very strong case that Ennis is the best point guard in college basketball right now - regardless of class. Despite his solid stats he maintains the individual numbers and accolades arent his ambition. “I dont really have any personal goals,” Ennis saaid. Candido Ramirez Jersey. “I just want us to win the ACC and I know its close to impossible to go undefeated in a college season, but to just get better as a team and lose the least amount of games.” Syracuse has yet to lose and Ennis wont concede a loss to anyone, not even his own family. His older brother Dylan, a sophomore guard for the number four ranked Villanova Wildcats squared off against his younger sibling when both teams met in late December. Tyler was all business in that game scoring 20 points in a 78-62 Syracuse win, but still values the advice his brother gave him on preparing for his first year at the collegiate level. “He always told me to get in the gym by myself and work on my own stuff,” Ennis said. “Just get in the gym as much as possible, while taking care of your body.” Ennis wasnt overlooked coming into the season, but not even the most optimistic experts pegged him as a one-and-done NBA prospect. Ennis had other plans however. “Thats pretty much what I worked for,” he confidently said. “Not to be one, but to just have the opportunity to get to the professional level. Not to leave, but just to have the opportunity.” Still, he hasnt given leaving after his first year any consideration and is only focused on winning games for Syracuse. But ?talent evaluators are starting to take notice that his play to date says first round pick far more than it says first-year student-athlete. “Absolutely, I think hes a one-and-done guy,” Rana said. “Its his choice, does he want to come back for a second year of college, or does he want to go to the NBA? If Im a GM and Im drafting, hes certainly a guy I would be going after pretty hard. Hes going to be a fantastic pro, a great NBA player and whatever organization he goes to, theyre going to be a better organization because of it.” Regardless of his future, Ennis is focused on the madness of March. His maturity, ability to score, pass and affect the game in a myriad of ways is no longer a surprise to anyone. The summer ahead could prove to be even more promising than the last, particularly if he chooses to forego his college eligibility for the NBA Draft, making another jump, this time to the highest level. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '

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By zgr123
Added Jul 14 '17

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