Husbands looking to turn back hands of time in Queen’s Plate race

TORONTO – Patrick Husbands is happy to take Luis Contreras’s leftovers.

Husbands will ride Gamble’s Ghost in the $1-million Queen’s Plate on Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack. Contreras is the filly’s regular rider but will be aboard early 3-1 favourite Amis Gizmo, who Contreras guided to victory in the $150,000 Plate Trial on June 12.

In 2003, Husbands gained the mount aboard Wando after jockey Todd Kabel chose to ride Mobil in the Queen’s Plate. The decision paid off for Husbands, who guided Wando to the Triple Crown, the last horse to accomplish the feat in Canada.

“Wando and Mobil were the best two horses going into the Plate,” Husbands said following the race draw Wednesday at Woodbine. “Fortunately I was lucky enough to end up winning all three for the Triple Crown.”

Husbands, eight times Canada’s top jockey and a two-time Plate winner, said he’ll have a good horse beneath him Sunday when he breaks from the extreme outside in the 13-horse field. It will be Husbands’ first career ride aboard Gamble’s Ghost.

“Being honest and not because I’m riding her but to me she looks like the best horse on paper,” Husbands said. “Every time she’s come out she has come out to play.

“I’m very happy with the draw because you have about a little over quarter-mile into the first turn and you can play it by ear. You’re not in the one-hole, you’re not in the middle . . . right now I love the draw.”

Fillies have fared well in this race recently.

Lexie Lou (2014) and Inglorious (2011) both won while Irish Mission (’12) and Ginger Brew (’08) were second. Dixie Strike (’12), Roan Inish (’10) and Milwaukee Appeal (’09) finished third.

Amis Gizmo drew the No. 10 post while 7-2 second pick Leavem in Malibu will break from the No. 4 post. Shakhimat, the Plate Trial runner-up and 5-1 third choice, starts from the third position looking to earn trainer Roger Attfield a record ninth Plate victory.

Gamble’s Ghost finished second to Neshama by a nose in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks earlier this month despite a challenging trip.

“I thought she showed a lot of talent in her last race,” said Carroll. “She got knocked around and cut up a bit from being stepped on, then it looked like she was going to get there in the stretch and another horse came up and bothered her.

“Despite all that she just kept trying. She’s a tenacious filly.”

Husbands agrees, saying he and other jockeys have noticed the filly’s determination when facing her in the past.

“We see her in the gate all the time and we know, ‘She could be coming for us,’” Husbands said. “With a little racing luck she can be difficult.

“Watching the Oaks, this horse shows you that you’d like to ride her. After watching that race, I told my agent to go and tell Josie I’d like to ride that horse in the Plate.”

Leavem in Malibu makes just his fourth career start and the Plate will be his first stakes race. But trainer Mark Casse, who earned his first Plate victory in ’14 with Lexie Lou, is unfazed.

“I don’t tend to worry about all the others,” he said. “I just try to hope our horse gets a good, clean trip.

“I think if he runs his race they’ll have him to contend with.”

Casse said while the No. 4 post isn’t ideal it’s not impossible for Gary Boulanger to ride him to victory from there.

“There’s some speed inside of him and right outside of him,” Casse said. “Hopefully we tuck in going into the first turn and save a little ground.

“Then it will be Gary’s job to get him in a good position down the backside. This horse comes with his run, he’s a big, strong horse and should really like the mile and a quarter.”

The field, with post, horse, jockey and odds, includes: 1) Mike, David Moran, 30-1; 2) Narrow Escape, Sheena Ryan, 30-1; 3) All On Red, Eurico Rosa da Silva, 12-1; 4) Leavem in Malibu, Gary Boulanger, 7-2; 5) Sir Dudley Digges, Julien Leparoux, 15-1; 6) Shakhimat, Emma-Jayne Wilson, 5-1; 7) My Name Is Jim, Jesse Campbell, 30-1; 8) Rocket Plan, Simon Husbands, 30-1; 9) Cheburashka, Rafael Hernandez, 30-1; 10) Amis Gizmo, Luis Contreras, 3-1; 11) Esposito, Alan Garcia, 8-1; 12) Scholar Athlete, Jose Ortiz, 12-1; 13) Gamble’s Ghost, Patrick Husbands, 6-1.