THE CANADIAN PRESS

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TORONTO - Queen's Plate winner Eye of the Leopard has been named the 5-2 morning-line favourite for Sunday's $500,000 Breeders' Stakes, the third leg in Canada's Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing.

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THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Eye of the Leopard gets a well deserved drink of water after winning the Queen's Plate at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto on Sunday June 21, 2009.

A field of 13 will contest the 119th running of the Breeders' for Canadian-foaled three-year-olds over one and one-half miles on Woodbine's E.P. Taylor turf course (The Score, 4 p.m. ET) with $300,000 going to the winner.

Eye of the Leopard won the Plate over Mr. Foricos Two U and Milwaukee Appeal on June 21 at Woodbine. He finished third July 12 in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie, a half-length behind winner Gallant.

Sam-Son Farm's Eye of the Leopard drew post position No. 4 Sunday.

The Queen's Plate winner, with Eurico Rosa da Silva aboard, will be seeing turf for the first time in the Breeders'. He's won three of five career starts and is the field's leading money winner with $785,540.

"He's coming into the race in great shape and hopefully will perform well on the turf," said trainer Mark Frostad, who is seeking a fourth Breeders' win. "I think he will handle it. He's out of a half-sister to the dam of Quiet Resolve. There's a lot of turf in the family."

Sam-Son has won a record-tying five Breeders' Stakes, the last by Portcullis in 2002.

The last horse to win the Plate and the Breeders', but not the Prince of Wales, was Basqueian in 1994.

Gallant, trained by Mark Casse for Woodford Racing, is second choice at 4-1 out of post No. 3.

He scored a 15-1 upset win in the Prince of Wales, nosing out filly Milwaukee Appeal. To be ridden again by Corey Fraser, Gallant has had one previous grass outing, finishing a well-beaten fourth to Utterly Cool in last year's Cup and Saucer Stakes.

"I feel he can handle the 1 1/2 miles," said Casse. "His only turf race wasn't a true indication because the turf was so soft."

Casse won the 2007 Breeders' Stakes with Marchfield.

Plate runner-up Mr. Foricos Two U, 12-1 in the morning line and drawn in post No. 11, looks to rebound from a disappointing fifth place finish in the Prince of Wales.

This year's Breeders' field of 13 equals the largest since 1999, while a record 15 went to the post in 1987.