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Canada * Final Plate Today At Old Woodbine By FRANK ARMSTRONG TORONTO, Ont., June 10.— Many a milestone in turf history has been passed since the day in 1876 when the Queens _ T11_i._ J J. jrictbt: was iciieweu uu Woodbine Park for the first time. It was the sixteenth running of budding classic of Canadian racing. On Saturday Woodbine Park will be the scene for the ninety - sixth running of the Queens Plate, now established as the oldest fixture r u n continuously in North America. This will be the seventy - fifth renewalon the tradition-steeped grounds of the Ontario Jockey Club. A year hence old Woodbine in its eighty-seventh year will have passed the final milestone to the end of existence. Only the name will live to adorn the Ontario Jockey Clubs ultra modern super l-ace track, where the Queens Plate will have its ninety-seventh running in 1956. We suppose there will be expressions of sentimentality when the last link is severed and memories of a glorious era in racing are momentarily revived. There will be thoughts of men who fostered Woodbine and the Queens Plate as integral parts in the structure of racing, and thoughts of great thoroughbreds and their contribution to turf history, and thoughts that racings march of progress would have been halted without these men, the race track and the great thoroughbreds, and thoughts that the new era will be richer than the old. Our own thoughts on the eve of the last running of the Queens Plate at Old Woodbine dwelt on the name of Seagram and its significance in the history of Canadian racing. It may be said that the Seagrams were never without recognition of the everpresent need for the improvement on quality in the thoroughbred. Joseph Seagram established the pattern when he founded the stable in the late 90s and the method of operation diligently observed by his successors was quite in keeping with the modern method. Large scale breeders of this present age scout the thoroughbred markets pf England and Ireland for proven producers with fashionable pedigrees. They import breeding stock with the intent of improving the quality of American and Canadian-foaled thoroughbreds. This is not a new practice. The Seagrams imported racing and breeding stock years ago and the first large scale turf operations in Canada followed. The Seagrams were among the first Canadians to race on the "big time" American tracks, and were no less successful than owners of the current period who seek laurels over the border. Indeed there is nothing new under the turf sun. We thought that it would be a fitting climax of the Woodbine Plate finale if the black and yellow sash, of Seagram graced the winners, ring after the 96th running. Two generations of the Seagram family have shared victory honors in 20 renewals of the Queens Plate at Woodbine. Frowde Seagram, of the third generation who has carried the stable tradition since 1937, has never won a Queens Plate. He became an owner when he bought three horses at the dispersal sale of the stable owned by his late father and made his bow to racing when Gay Sympathy raced in his own interest on June 2, 1937 at Thorncliffe. He remarked that he had won most of the important stakes in Ontario, but never a Queens Plate. Fair Shore his candidate this year is not a particularly strong representative. At best the homebred colt would be conceded only an outside chance and if he is equal to an upset score, it couldnt happen at a more opportune moment. There are other possible precedents which might be established with this Queens Plate. The classic has never been won by other than an Ontario -foaled horse, never by an owner other than a resident of the Province of Ontario. This year Montreals Mrs. Russell Graul, Jr. bids for the first victory for the Province of Quebec, and the first for a Quebec-bred horse, Baffin Bay, a filly by Porters Cap— North Starlet, foaled at Luxiana Farm, the Vercheres breeding establishment owned by R. Y. Graul. Baffin Bays galloping score in the Plate Trial established her rank with the leading contenders. The fillys name has been conspicuously missing from recent workout tabs, though it is rumored that she has shown encouraging speed in undercover trials. The Queens Plate has eluded owners from Western provinces and Western-bred horses. Owner-breed er R James Speers of Winnipeg had a threatening challenge in 1948, but his Lord Fairmond with Johnny Lorigdeh in the saddle could finish no better than second behind Last Mark. % James Charlesworth of Winnipeg was represented by Virginia Fair, a Reed Mace filly who had made a clean sweep of the western Juvenile Stakes in 1952. She was unplaced in the Plate of the following year. Dr. L. H. Appleby had to accept defeat with Cum Laude, a colt he shipped from British Columbia to start in the Plate. He was the best horse ever sent from the West and perhaps the best horse ever to finish among the also rans. This year, Mrs. D. J. Kennedy of Winnipeg has a reasonably strong threat with her homebred Great West. Jack Began of Calgary bids for victory with his costly Count Fleet filly, Fleet Brenda. Andrew Adams of Winnipeg strengthens the western threat with the Western-bred Silver Spat. Birch Hills, North Downs Farms candidate was foaled at R. James Speers Winnipeg nursery, so was Loyalist, W. A. Moffats candidate. So victory may go east or west this year.
