Bodemeister colt fought to the wire and won a photo finish with Riptide Rock.
As the field thundered toward the finish in the CA$1,002,000 (US$781,479) Queen’s Plate at Woodbine Aug. 22, mutuel favorite, and Camden Training Center graduate, Safe Conduct had the lead but one that looked anything but safe.
With jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. asking the Bodemeister colt for all he had, Riptide Rock rallied from last with a wide move out toward the center of the track. Closing ground with each stride, Riptide Rock fell just a head short of Safe Conduct with another deep closer, H C Holiday , a length behind in third.
Safe Conduct finished the 1 1/4 miles over the Woodbine Tapeta surface in 2:02.85 with most of the other 12 bunched in traffic behind him.
“That was very close,” said a breathless Ortiz, returning for the winning ceremonies after his first win in the Queen’s Plate, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. “I just saw somebody flying outside and I didn’t know if I won the race under the wire.”
Safe Conduct was off to a good start from the inside post position, running second as Take a Chance took the early lead. Those two held their positions rounding the far turn but as Took a Chance faded, Safe Conduct inherited the advantage and held on.
Riptide Rock, a Point of Entry gelding, got going on the turn but had nowhere to go as the field spread out in front of him. Lacking any other option, jockey David Moran took the overland route to just miss.
“Thank God it worked out good,” Ortiz said. “I got the right horse. He was working good and everything came out perfect in the race. I was up close in a good spot and when I asked him to go, he responded really well.
“He was running nice and smooth. We didn’t ask him too much. Then I felt like somebody was coming outside of me so I go ahead at the top of the stretch and when I hit him, he responded really well. He kept moving forward.”
The race, restricted to 3-year-olds foaled in Canada and first contested in 1860, is billed as the oldest continuously run stakes race in North America. This year’s edition appeared wide open with Safe Conduct and Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser winner Munnyfor Ro , who was supplemented to the Plate, lukewarm favorites.
Munnyfor Ro, a Munnings filly trained by Kevin Attard, reported fourth in the Plate.
Safe Conduct ($8.00), bred by Mitchell Kursner and racing for WellSpring Stables, was purchased for $45,000 out of the Cara Bloodstock consignment at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. He came to the Plate the winner of two of his previous six starts. In his last two, he finished fourth, beaten 13 lengths in the off-the-turf Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3) and a fading eighth in the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1T).
Riptide Rock also entered with two wins from six starts, although he had been competing in less august company. The first victory came in his first start, a six-furlongs affair over the Woodbine turf last October. After four losses at Oaklawn Park and Monmouth Park under the care of Jerry Hollendorfer, he was returned to the Sid Attard barn and won an optional claimer July 16, again at six furlongs but on the Tapeta. He had never gone farther than 1 1/16 miles.
Safe Conduct is the second foal out of the Congrats mare Duchess Dancer, a half sister to Canadian Horse of the Year Fatal Bullet who has since produced a 2-year-old Exaggerator filly, a yearling Collected colt, and a Munnings filly foal. The mare’s first foal, Queen’splate Nolan (Carpe Diem ), is also a winner.
From seven starts, Safe Conduct has built a 3-1-0 record and earned $603,202.
