Queen's Plate champion Strait of Dover shut down for season with injury
July 30, 2012 - 12:13 PM
TORONTO - A ligament ailment will prevent Strait of Dover from running in the final jewel of Canadian racing's Triple Crown.
The Queen's Plate champion was regarded as the horse to beat in the $500,000 Breeders' Stakes, which will be run Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack.
But trainer Dan Vella said the horse is being shut down for the remainder of this season due to the injury, which Vella feels was sustained in training.
Strait of Dover hasn't run since an impressive wire-to-wire victory in the $1-million Queen's Plate on June 23.
The horse's handlers opted to skip the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes last month at Fort Erie Racetrack because of Strait of Dover's struggles on dirt tracks.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012