HORSE RACING

• Not Bourbon captures Queen's Plate

  
  

  Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Not Bourbon, ridden by Jono Jones, held off the filly Ginger Brew down the stretch to win Sunday's $1 million Queen?s Plate at Woodbine Racetrack. The victory gives trainer Roger Attfield his eighth triumph in Canada's premier thoroughbred race.

  Not Bourbon now becomes the only horse eligible to win the Canadian Triple Crown which also includes The Prince of Wales and the Breeders' Stakes.

  Setting the pace in the 1 1/4 mile race was D. Flutie who broke from the inside post with jockey Emile Ramsammy.

  Vying for second place around the first turn and up the backstretch was Dylan's Choice and Shadowless.

  Not Bourbon was sitting in fourth on the outside as the field went up the backstretch.

  Ginger Brew, the 9-5 favorite, was also well situated on the backstretch.

  She was able to progress from seventh to fifth as the field entered the far turn.

  Heading into the far turn D.Flutie still had the lead as Deputiformer, Not Bourbon and Ginger Brew came from the outside to join the leader. Around the turn for home Not Bourbon and Ginger Brew, with Javier Castellano riding, joined D. Flutie on the lead.

  Not Bourbon, the 3-1 morning-line favorite, took the lead with a furlong to go and opened a two-length lead over Ginger Brew. The filly rallied down the stretch, cutting into the leader's advantage.

  Sent off at 9-2 by the betting public, Not Bourbon held on to defeat Ginger Brew by a head with Solitaire rallying for third.

  Roundingoutthe order of finishfor the 149th Queen's Plate was Deputiformer, Palmers, East End Tap, Mamma's Knight, Took the Time, Jungle Brew, Sebastian's Song, Shadowless, Silver Jag, D. Flutie and Dylan's Choice.

  Harvest Home was scratched from race after injuring himself Thursday afternoon in his stall reducing the field to 14 Canadian-breds.

  The time for the 1 1/4 miles was 2:03.59 on Woodbine's all-weather track.

  Not Bourbon's victory allows trainer Roger Attfield to equal the eight Queen's Plate wins held by Harry Giddings, Jr. Attfield's earlier Plate winners were Norcliffe (1976), Market Control (1987), With Approval (1989), Izvestia (1990), Alydeed (1992), Peteski (1993) and Regal Discovery (1995).

  Giddings won his races between 1911 and 1942.

  Owned by Charles Fipke, Not Bourbon was coming off a victory in the Plate Trial at Woodbine and has become the first Trial winner since Alydeed in 1992 to also win the Queen's Plate.

  Sunday's win was worth $600,000 to bring the colt's lifetime earnings to $961,160 in ten career starts.

  Not Bourbon returned $11.30, $5.10 and $3.40.

  Ginger Brew, winner of the Woodbine Oaks, paid $3.80 and $3.00, Solitaire paid $2.90 to show. Solitaire was runner-up to Not Bourbon in the Plate Trial.

  06/22 18:17:40 ET