TORONTO - The girls are drawing much of the attention heading into the $1-million Queen's Plate.
Fillies Milwaukee Appeal and Tasty Temptation were installed as the first and third early picks, respectively, for the 150th running of North America's oldest continuously run stakes race Sunday (5:36 p.m. ET) at Woodbine Racetrack. Less than two weeks ago, they launched a terrific battle in the Woodbine Oaks.
Milwaukee Appeal finished ahead of Tasty Temptation by 3 3/4-lengths in the $500,000 Oaks on June 7. It was her third career stakes win and Milwaukee Appeal - the 3-1 early favourite and the 13-horse field's leading money winner at $649,538 - will attempt to become just the fifth horse to win both the Oaks and Plate.
Doing so within two weeks is indeed asking a lot. But that didn't deter the handlers for both horses from each paying a $25,000 supplemental fee to enter Sunday's race.
Milwaukee Appeal will break from the No. 4 post in the 13-horse field while Tasty Temptation goes from the No. 11 hole. Both will carry 121 pounds, five pounds less than the other starters.
"I made my decision (Wednesday afternoon) . . . and the biggest thing was how the filly was doing," said Scott Fairlie, the trainer for Milwaukee Appeal. "She was pretty relaxed (after Oaks win) and cooled out very good back at the barn.
"She ate up her dinner right away and that wasn't like her, she's usually a slow feeder. She seems like she's going in the right direction, the only thing is when you're coming back two weeks after a big race like that you always have concerns."
Hockey legend Gordie Howe was on hand Thursday to serve as the guest drawmaster at Woodbine Racetrack.
Two fillies last ran in a Queen's Plate in 2001 when Dancethruthedawn won the race and Asia finished fourth. And the last time two fillies ran 1-2 was 1991 when Dance Smartly finished ahead of Wilderness Song.
Milwaukee Appeal has won five of her nine career starts. Stewart Elliott, who rode '04 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones, will be aboard, as he was for the Oaks
Tasty Temptation, the 4-1 third choice, was a hard-luck second in the Oaks. She broke from the gate flat-footed and spotted the field several lengths before challenging the leaders around the far turn and moving a nose ahead of Milwaukee Appeal at the stretch before faltering.
"I was disappointed (about the Oaks)," said Mark Casse, Canada's top trainer the last three years. "They broke, I looked, then I sat down.
"But she proved a lot that day. I was quite proud of her. This (post 11) will give Patrick (jockey Patrick Husbands) an opportunity to place her wherever he wants. All she needs is a little luck. She's been a hard-luck filly."
Tasty Temptation will make her ninth career start Sunday with a win, three seconds and a third for $190,905 in earnings.
Milwaukee Appeal and Tasty Temptation will attempt to become the 34th filly to win the mile-and-a-quarter race, the first jewel of Canadian thoroughbred's Triple Crown.
Milwaukee Appeal and Tasty Temptation headline a 13-horse field that also includes Plate Trial winner Eye of the Leopard, the early 7-2 second choice. The Sam-Son Farm product overtook Southdale in the closing yards to win the Trial on May 31, but comes in having just three career starts.
But Eye of the Leopard's mother is none other than Eye of the Sphynx, who won the '04 Oaks and was named Canada's to three-year-old filly that year. He will start Sunday's race from the No. 7 spot.
"We didn't want to get too far out because he can get shuffled out," said Frostad, who has earned three of Sam-Son Farms' four Queen's Plate titles. "Most of the speed is on the inside so it should set up well for us.
"He's just a big, goofy kid right now. He'll get better as he goes along."
The field, with post position, horse, jockey and odds includes: 1. El Brujo, Emma-Jayne Wilson, 15-1; 2. Flip for the Coin, Emile Ramsammy, 30-1; 3. Active Duty, Corey Fraser, 20-1; 4. Milwaukee Appeal, Stewart Elliott, 3-1; 5. Mr. Foricos Two U, Mike Smith, 15-1; 6. Reservoir, Jim McAleney, 20-1; 7. Eye Of The Leopard, Eurico Rosa da Silva, 7-2; 8. 8. Rapid Release, Jono Jones, 8-1; 9. Bucephalus, Tyler Pizarro, 30-1; 10. Stardust Ziggy, Jerry Baird, 20-1; 11. Tasty Temptation, Patrick Husbands, 4-1; 12. Shut It Down/Russell Baze, 20-1; 13. Keino West, Tyler Pizarro, 15-1.
The winner's share for Sunday's race is $600,000.
Veteran horseman Roger Attfield will look to become the winningest trainer in Queen's Plate history. Attfield earned his record-tying eighth victory last year with Not Bourbon, and will send Rapid Release, the 8-1 fourth choice, to the No. 8 post.
Veteran jockey Jono Jones, who rode Not Bourbon last year, will be aboard Rapid Release.
"I feel very good (about Rapid Release's chances) actually," Attfield said. "The horse is coming along in leaps and bounds now."