Head Honcho Puts Hat In Queen's Plate Ring

Courtesy: WEG / Michael Burns Photography

Head Honcho won a key Ontario-sired allowance race Wednesday night at Woodbine and will now likely be considered for the Queen's Plate. Trailing throughout the one mile and one eighth race on polytrack, Head Honcho came five-wide in the stretch to power past his rivals and on to victory in a final time of 1:54.25.

Several other Queen's Plate nominees started in this field, but it was the only horse who isn't Queen's Plate eligible, Kiotari Bay, who took the lead out of the gate. Stalked by Curgone, Kiotari Bay set slow early fractions of 25.56 and 51.30. Head Honcho rated comfortably at the back of the pack and was never more than five lengths behind his rivals as the field turned for home.

The heavy favourite, Kurogane, looked poised to challenge from his pocket position just off of the leaders, but the other five challengers quickly formed a wall in front of him at the top of the stretch and Kurogane began to fade. As Kiotari Bay began to tire along the rail, Control, Head Honcho and Ojibway Signal would battle for the lead, but it was Head Honcho who powered past Control just inside the sixteenth pole to capture victory. Ojibway Signal finished third.

Here's the race replay below:



With just three short weeks left until the Queen's Plate, the connections of Head Honcho will most certainly think about running him in the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. The three-year-old son of Strut The Stage may be up to the challenge too, as he has a unique mix of speed and stamina in his pedigree.

His sire, Strut The Stage, certainly brings stamina to the bloodline. Strut The Stage won graded stakes races at distances of nine, 11 and 12 furlongs, and was graded stakes placed at distances of eight and 10 furlongs. Although all of these wins came on the turf, there is no arguing that Head Honcho should have the stamina to last the Plate's distance of 10 furlongs.

His dam's side of the pedigree page is where the speed kicks in. Although his dam, Cherokee Treasure, only placed once in five career starts, his dam's sire, Cherokee Run, came from off a quick pace to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint in 1994 at Churchill Downs. Cherokee Run has also sired some terrific horses, including the late War Pass, who went undefeated in his two-year old season and won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2007. Most of Cherokee Run's progeny has found success between seven and nine furlongs, which gives Head Honcho a nice speed and stamina mix on his pedigree page.

Although Head Honcho may be an outsider should he start in the Queen's Plate, his victory Wednesday night along with his pedigree could make him an under the radar play on June 26th.

Posted in: Head Honcho,Queens Plate,Woodbine