Danish Dynaformer takes Plate Trial; Danzig Moon breaks down

Danish Dynaformer takes Plate Trial; Danzig Moon breaks
down

Danish Dynaformer ran himself into Queen’s Plate consideration by taking the Plate Trial (WEG/Michael Burns Photography) Charles E. Fipke’s homebred Danish Dynaformer (Dynaformer) was making just his second start against stakes rivals on Sunday in the $123,086 Plate Trial S. at Woodbine, and cleared the black-type hurdle with a three-quarter length victory under jockey Luis Contreras. Unfortunately, the race was marred by the break down of Danzig Moon (Malibu Moon), who went wrong on the backstretch. The normally late-running colt was actually on top soon after the start of the race before settling into a stalking spot just outside and behind Midnight Tracer (Scat Daddy) as that one posted opening splits of :24 and :48 3/5. Danish Dynaformer was biding his time in midpack before beginning his move nearing the turn. At the same time, Danzig Moon suffered an injury to his right-hind leg and jockey Julien Leparoux attempted to pull his distressed mount up and out of the field. The bay sophomore, who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and sixth in the Preakness S. (G1) in his last pair, backed straight up into R U Watchingbud (Kentucky Bear). That one, ridden by Emma-Jayne Watson, couldn’t avoid the stricken colt and clipped heels, with both horses going down. Leparoux, Watson and R U Watchingbud were reportedly OK after the incident, but Danzig Moon suffered catastrophic injuries in his hind end and had to be euthanized. “The injury consisted of a compound fracture and the horse was humanely euthanized,” said Dr. Grey Taylor, Commission Veterinarian for the Ontario Racing Commission. “The horse will go for a post mortem at Guelph (Equine Guelph Hospital) this afternoon.”

While all this was taking place, Danish Dynaformer rallied four wide on the
turn and into the lane to take over. The Roger Attfield trainee completed 1 1/8
miles over the Polytrack in 1:49 4/5.

“(Danzig Moon) was right behind me when that happened, but I was on the
outside. I felt sorry for that horse,” Contreras said. “There was a lot going on but you can do anything with this horse. He’s
very relaxed and calm. Every time you ask him, he goes.

“It feels really good (about
his chances in the Queen’s Plate). He’s so nice. You can do anything you want
with him in a race. That’s a racehorse.”

It was the ninth Plate Trial win for Attfield, and sets him up for a
record-breaking ninth Queen’s Plate victory.
Twenty-five Plate Trial winners have gone on to win the Queen’s Plate, the last
being Big Red Mike in 2010.

Danish Dynaformer was worth $9.90 as the near 4-1 third choice on Sunday. Conquest Curlinate (Curlin), runner-up in the Peter Pan S. (G2) and Illinois Derby (G3)
in his past two, put in a game late run to be second by 1 1/4 lengths over
stablemate Conquest Boogaloo (Scat Daddy). The latter pair are trained by Mark Casse.

Danish Dynaformer began his career at Woodbine, running fifth last November,
before shipping south to winter at Gulfstream Park. The bay colt made his
three-year-old, and turf, bow a fourth-place effort at that track in mid-January
before breaking through with a first win on February 21. He captured an
allowance on Keeneland’s yielding green in April, then headed back to Woodbine
where he rallied to be third while making his stakes debut in the Marine S.
(Can-G3) on May 16 last out.

The Ontario-bred colt boosted his record to 6-3-0-1 and doubled his earnings
to $146,043 with the Plate Trial victory and is now headed to the main event,
the C$1 million Queen’s Plate S. in just three weeks on July 5.

Danish Dynaformer is out of Danish Wildcat (Danehill) and counts champion
Hollywood Wildcat (Kris S.) as his second dam. That multiple Grade 1-winning
millionaire mare would go on in the breeding shed to produce, among others, 2000
Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) hero War Chant (Danzig) and Group 2 victor Ivan
Denisovich (Danehill).

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