Horse: Three in the Bag
Post Position: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Jockey: Robert Landry

Trainer: Stanley Hough

Owners: Castletop Stable

• He's been running with some decent ones, like Noble Causeway, Coin Silver, Reverberate and even the maiden Nolan's Cat, each of whom contested at least one leg of the U.S. Triple Crown this year. He's also defeated several Plate rivals, …King of Jazz and Get Down.

• And even though Three in the Bag, who was supplemented to the Plate for $15,000 on May 15, was awarded victory in the June 5 Plate Trial when winner Dance with Ravens was disqualified, his performance certainly earned him a berth in the Queen's Plate, as he charged from last to challenge the unofficial winner in deep stretch, as they battled to the wire.

• "We were real happy with the way he did it," said veteran trainer Stanley Hough, about the new race strategy employed, as the son of Silver Deputy came from dead last, six lengths behind the front-runners at one point. In six of seven previous starts, the bay colt had forced the issue from the outset and seemed to give way, albeit grudgingly, through the lane, in distances ranging from one mile to a mile and one-eighth.

• "He lost a little ground because it was just the way it worked out," Hough continued. "When he came back, he didn't get back far enough to get all the way over. Just kind of forced a little wide. But he relaxed well and made a good run. We were pleased. It gives us some chance that we think he might go a mile and a quarter. Before that, we never really felt he could carry that speed (that far)."

• Three in the Bag was ridden for the first time in the Trial by Robert Landry, who won his first Queen's Plate last year aboard Niigon. Landry will try to become the first jockey since Craig Perret (1992-1993) to win back-to-back Plates.

• "We hope (he can the distance), but he did give us some indication he might. That other horse (Dance With Ravens) that beat us the other day galloped out strong so I think he's definitely the horse to beat," said Hough.

• The Kinghaven Farms-bred, who was sold for $200,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 2003, was a little late getting to the races last year, making his debut October 27 at Aqueduct, finishing a distant last. However, since then, he's run well, with two wins, three seconds and a fifth. His runner-up finish to Reverberate in a May 8 allowance contest at Belmont Park took on new meaning when the latter came back to run second to highly-regarded Oratory in the Peter Pan Stakes, run in stakes record time in late May.

• "He was just immature, a big colt, he needed a little extra time, no real problems, but just needed time to catch up to himself. But he's a sweetheart, he does everything right. He's no problem," said Hough.

• How does he see the Plate shaping up? "This is going to be a wide-open race and I think we fit right in there, so we're just glad we feel we have a chance. I don't think he has to go back to last. I'd like to see him somewhere just off the pace, maybe four or five lengths off."

Owner - Castletop Stable

Castletop Stable was formed two years ago by Mort Topfer, a retired Vice-Chairman and co-CEO of Dell Computers, who now lives in Austin, Texas. He recently got married to a woman named Bobbi, who had been involved in the thoroughbred business for 25 years, so Topfer decided it would be good to have a mutual area of interest.

Topfer has a number of investment companies using the name Castletop, because about five years ago "he was living in Austin using a 'castle' as a house."

"At the Keeneland sale two years ago, (Castletop racing manager) Neil Winnick and the rest of the team, myself included, were bidding on horses and got a little frustrated," said Topfer. "So I said, 'Gee, I wish I had 'one in the bag.' They said, 'Boy, that would be a nice name for a horse.' We filed that name but it was taken. We bought three horses that day so that's how Three in the Bag got named."

Topfer bought six more yearlings last year at Keeneland and also has purchased a number of horses from South America, including recent Belmont winner Natalie Beach and Cacht Wells, both female turfers. About the Plate Trial, when Topfer was in attendance, "We were very pleased with the run. I would have been happy if he clearly won the race (instead of through disqualification), though."
Currently, Castletop has 22 horses, with both Stanley Hough and Jimmy Toner in New York.

"I fly in a lot of airplanes," continued Topfer. "We see about half of our horses' races. You can do that when you're retired. We're doing pretty well. We're having a lot of fun."

Trainer - Stanley Hough

Born February 20, 1948 in Palatine, Illinois, veteran conditioner Stanley Hough comes from a racing family, as his dad was an owner-trainer of thoroughbreds in the state.

He saddled his first winner at Ascot Park in Ohio, but really made a name for himself in Florida in the late 1970's, when he won every Calder or Tropical-at-Calder trainer's title from 1976-80. In 1980, he moved to New York, where he first trained briefly for Harbor View Farm, before becoming contract trainer for Bert and Diana Firestone.

One of his career highlights was a victory with multiple stakes winner, Half Iced in the 1982 Japan Cup, defeating champions John Henry and All Along in the process.

Some other stakes winners the Fort Lauderdale resident has trained over the years include Caller I.D., Irish Tower, Proud Appeal, Request For Parole, Spectacular Tide, You And I, Broadway Gold and Distinct Habit.

Last year (2004), Hough won 53 races (36 in New York) for purse earnings of almost $3 million.

Jockey - Robert Landry

The 2004 season will be fondly remembered by Robert Landry, highlighted by his first Queen's Plate win aboard Niigon after 13 previous attempts to win Canada's most famous race. Overall, he finished sixth in purses with over $3.8 million (four stakes) and 12th in wins (52). His Plate win completed a Triple Crown of sorts for the Toronto resident, after having previously won the other two legs, the Prince of Wales with Archers Bay in 1998 and the Breeders= Stakes with Pinafore Park the same year.

In 2003, Landry finished tied for 13th in wins (48), including five stakes and eighth in purses ($4 million), despite missing eight weeks recovering from injuries in a spill. His season highlights came on the same day, June 8, when he was first presented with the Avelino Gomez Award for career accomplishments, then captured the Labatt Woodbine Oaks for the third time aboard favoured Too Late Now. His other Oaks wins came in 1997 with Capdiva and in 2000 with Catch The Ring.

In 2002, Landry won eight stakes with eight different horses and accumulated over $4.2 million in purses, the second-highest in his 24-year career. He ranked 12th overall in wins with 51.
In 2001, despite dealing with another mid-season injury, Landry managed to post a solid season, winning 53 races and $3,361,586 (seventh-best amongst riders). He won five stakes that year, including the Durham Cup on Sovereign Award-winning Older Horse A Fleets Dancer.
Born September 18, 1962 in Toronto, Landry scored his first career win aboard Hammy Hubert, June 21, 1981 at Fort Erie. He won his first stakes race the following year aboard La Salle Park in the Fair Play.

Landry earned Sovereign Awards as Canada=s outstanding jockey in 1993 and 1994 and led all Woodbine riders in stakes wins in 1993 (13), 1994 (18) and 1996 (18). He also rode five consecutive champion two-year-old fillies (Larkwhistle, 1996; Primaly, 1997; Fantasy Lake, 1998; Hello Seattle, 1999; Poetically, 2000) during their Sovereign Award-winning years.

In 1999, he won the Atto Mile aboard Sam-Son Farm=s Quiet Resolve ($91.10 to win), one of the biggest upsets in Woodbine stakes history when the gelding was elevated to top spot with the disqualification of Hawksley Hill.