By Ben Massam
Following Sir Dudley Digges (Gio Ponti)'s 15-1 upset win of the Queen's Plate at Woodbine July 3, owner Ken Ramsey proclaimed, “We are going for the Triple Crown, I think this horse can run on grass, Tapeta, dirt, you name it.”
If Sir Dudley Digges is to take the next step toward becoming the first winner of the Canadian Triple Crown since Wando in 2003, his versatility will be put to the test as he seeks his first win over a dirt surface in Fort Erie's Prince of Wales S. Tuesday evening. The middle leg of the three-race series pits the improving colt in a rematch with Amis Gizmo (Giant Gizmo), second as the favorite in the Plate, and All on Red (Hard Spun), third in the Plate after rallying into a decidedly slow pace.
Sir Dudley Digges broke his maiden in his seventh start over the turf at Keeneland Apr. 22, and showed an immediate liking for the newly installed Tapeta surface at Woodbine, rallying to finish third in the June 12 Plate Trial prior to his hard-fought victory in the main event. The dark bay appears to be following in the footsteps of his sire Gio Ponti, who was celebrated for his ability on turf while also managing to run second in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic over a synthetic surface in 2009. Gio Ponti never started on dirt, and Sir Dudley Digges finished second and third in a pair of one-mile off-the-turf events at Churchill Downs Nov. 15 and Gulfstream Park Jan. 15, respectively. The Mike Maker trainee tuned up for the Prince of Wales with a five-furlong breeze over Churchill's training track July 19 and figures to secure a forward position from the outset.
Amis Gizmo struck the front on the far turn in the Queen's Plate and came up a half-length short of Sir Dudley Digges, who made the last move the winning one. Unbeaten in four starts as a juvenile and winner of the Plate Trial, Amis Gizmo could benefit from the switch to a dirt surface which often carries speed further than the unique Tapeta track.
“I'm very happy with him,” said jockey Luis Contreras. “On dirt you can take the lead [with] no problem, and keep going all the way.”
All on Red looms as an intriguing alternative to the top two. Adding blinkers for the Prince of Wales, the chestnut owns a previous win on dirt, having captured a one-mile maiden test in wire-to-wire fashion at Aqueduct Apr. 24. The Sid Attard trainee still managed to rally for third in the Queen's Plate despite being bumped at the start and left well out of position behind modest fractions, and sharpened up for this engagement with a bullet five-panel breeze in :59 flat over Woodbine's training track July 19.
As is the case with many prestigious dirt races in North America, trainer Todd Pletcher figures to have a say. The seven-time Eclipse Award winner sends out Harrell Ventures' Battery (Bernardini), who owns two wins on dirt and recently checked in a non-factor sixth in the Plate Trial. The bay was steered clear of the Queen's Plate and ships up from Saratoga with the addition of blinkers for Tuesday's test.
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