Nipissing records final breeze head of Queen’s Plate

Nipissing will try to rain on the boys’ parade in the Queen’s Plate (WEG/Michael Burns Photography)

Chiefswood Stable’s homebred Nipissing, an
impressive winner of the Woodbine Oaks​ on June 9, will look
to capture another Canadian classic next Sunday in the C$1 million
Queen’s Plate.

Regular rider Steve Bahen, who captured the 2002 Queen’s Plate with 82-1 long
shot T J’s Lucky Moon, was aboard Nipissing for her final breeze on Sunday
morning in advance of the Plate, covering a half-mile in :48 over Woodbine’s
Polytrack.

“It was very easy for her,” he said. “She galloped out
strongly and you have to tell her to pull up.”

Nipissing won the Princess Elizabeth and South Ocean Stakes
in a perfect two-year-old campaign under the
guidance of trainer Rachel Halden and Bahen, but her biggest win to date came
last out in the Woodbine Oaks.

Nipissing, a daughter of the late 2004 Queen’s Plate champ
Niigon, was piloted perfectly by Bahen in the Oaks, who settled the
long-striding bay into a
stalking position before pouncing to victory in the 1
1/8-mile filly classic.

“In the Oaks, we wanted to be a little closer,” noted
Bahen, who rallied Nipissing to a second-place run in the Selene in the
filly’s Woodbine return on May 19.

“In the start before (the Selene), she was a little too
far back (in the Ashland at Keeneland). We wanted to get outside and have a clean trip (in the Oaks), and we
got her to that position.”

Nipissing demonstrated an impressive turn of foot through
the stretch in the Oaks, en route to a three-quarter length win, while stopping the clock
in 1:50.34 to best the 1:50.59 posted by Dynamic Sky in the Plate Trial
held one race earlier on the same card.