Frostad duo work in advance of Queen’s Plate

Pyrite Mountain (outside) and County Lineman geared up for the Queen’s Plate with a six-furlong breeze at Woodbine (WEG/Michael Burn Photography)

Trainer Mark Frostad, who has won the Queen’s Plate on four
occasions, worked his two hopefuls for this year’s “Gallop for the Guineas” on
Saturday morning at Woodbine.

Pyrite Mountain, winner of the Wando and Kingarvie Stakes,
and stablemate County Lineman breezed six furlongs in tandem over the Polytrack
in 1:12 1/5.

“We wanted to go three-quarters today,” Frostad said. “They
galloped out very well in (1):26 (for seven furlongs) and a mile in 1:40. It was
a very good work.”

Luis Contreras, who won the 2011 Plate aboard Inglorious,
will pilot Pyrite Mountain in the C$1 million classic for Canadian-foaled
three-year-olds. Alex Solis, who was aboard Frostad trainee Irish Mission for
wins in last year’s Woodbine Oaks and Breeders’ Stakes, along with a runner-up
finish to Strait of Dover in the Plate, has been named on County Lineman in next
Sunday’s 154th consecutive edition of the Quene’s Plate.

Pyrite Mountain, owned by Awesome Again Racing, enters the
Plate off a closing fourth-place finish to Dynamic Sky in the Plate Trial on
June 9 as the lukewarm 5-2 favorite.

“I thought he ran a great race,” Frostad stated. “The first
quarter was a good solid quarter, then they slowed it down in the next two
quarters. They went in :50 and change. That didn’t help him. It gave him a lot to
do, but he was getting there late and he galloped out very strongly. It’s tough
to close into a pace like that.”