TORONTO -- Hes one of Canadas most successful trainers but one accomplishment missing from Mark Casses impressive resume is a Queens Plate victory. The six-time Sovereign award winner as the countrys top conditioner will send three horses -- including 4-1 early second choice Lexie Lou and 8-1 third pick Matador -- postward Sunday in search of his first career win in North Americas oldest, continuously run stakes event at Woodbine Racetrack. Casses best finish in the $1-million, 1 1/4-mile race was second in 11 with Hippolytus. "When you travel around Canada and tell people youre a horse trainer, they want to know if youve won the Queens Plate," Casse said following the race draw Thursday. "So far, the answer is no but hopefully after Sunday Ill be able to say yes. "I would like to win the Kentucky Derby, that one is big too, but this (Plate win) would be No. 1." We Miss Artie is the 8-5 favourite despite running slower than Lexie Lou their last time out. We Miss Artie rallied to capture the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial in 1:50.78 on June 15 at Woodbine before Lexie Lous impressive 4 1/2-length Woodbine Oaks win in 1:49.77 over the same distance moments later. Lexie Lou will carry five pounds less than the others in the 15-horse field Sunday as the lone filly. "Going a mile and a quarter, five pounds is a big difference," Casse said. "In her last race, she ran a second faster than the favourite and that means something. "I think theres a good shot there will be a female winner this year." Lexie Lou will attempt to become the 35th filly to win the Plate but just the seventh since 56. And only five Oaks winners have also claimed Canadas most prestigious race, the last being Inglorious in 2011. We Miss Artie drew the No. 6 post while Lexie Lou will break from the No. 14 position. Matador starts from the No. 10 post while Majestic Sunset, Casses third horse and the second-place finisher in the Plate Trial, goes from the No. 7 post. "I think this is the strongest hand weve ever brought to the table," Casse said. "With any race you can have the best horses but you still need to have some luck. "Were ready. Sooner or later well get this thing." The field, with post position, horse, jockey and odds, includes: 1) Cap in Hand, Steven Bahen, 50-1; 2) Coltimus Prime, Jesse Campbell 20-1; 3) Athenian Guard, Omar Moreno, 50-1; 4) Asserting Bear, Chantal-Sutherland Kruse, 10-1; 5) Man o Bear, Emma-Jayne Wilson, 30-1; 6) We Miss Artie, Javier Castellano, 8-5; 7) Majestic Sunset, Gary Boulanger, 15-1; 8) Lions Bay, David Moran, 30-1; 9) Heart to Heart Eurico Rosa de Silva, 30-1; 10) Matador, Julien Leparoux, 8-1; 11) One Destiny, Justin Stein, 30-1; 12) Tower of Texas, John Velazquez, 20-1; 13) Niigon Express, Gerry Olguin, 30-1; 14) Lexie Lou, Patrick Husbands, 4-1; 15) Amis Holiday, Luis Contreras. Favourites have won 22-of-58 renewals (37 per cent) since 56 but only two -- Wando in 03 and Eye of the Leopard in 09 -- have been victorious in the last 19 editions. But Casse and Lexie Lou arent the only interesting storylines in this years race. Others include: -- Not only is a filly the No. 2 pick but two women will ride Sunday. Sutherland-Kruse, who came out of retirement to ride this year at Woodbine, will be aboard Asserting Bear while Man o Bear, will be ridden by Wilson, who became the only female jockey to win the Plate in 07 with Mike Fox. Also, trainer Josie Carroll chases a third Plate victory with Amis Holiday. -- Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield tries for a record ninth Plate win with Tower of Texas. Attfields last Plate victory was in 08 with Not Bourbon. -- For the first time ever, a father and two sons will saddle separate entries. Hall of Famer Sid Attard conditions Cap in Hand while Paul Attard sends out Niigon Express and Jamie Attard trains Lions Bay. The Plate is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. The other races are the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes (July 29 at Fort Erie) and $500,000 Breeders Stakes turf event (Aug. 17 at Woodbine). Thereve been seven Triple Crown winners, the last being Wando in 03. Paul and Jamie Attard have a round of golf riding on Sundays race, but their father hasnt become embroiled in family bragging rights. Sid Attard has never won the Queens Plate but was second in 92 with longshot Grand Hooley, his first Plate starter. "Ive been listening, being quiet," the senior Attard said with a chuckle. "Id like to win but if I cant win I want one of them to win. "Id like to see them do good." Sutherland-Kruse rode Asserting Bear to victory in the Marine Stakes on May 25 but the horse was relegated to third for obstructing Ami Holidays late run. Sutherland-Kruse has finished in the money 69 times this season -- 22 wins, 28 seconds, 19 thirds -- and amassed over $1-million in purse earnings through 189 starts. The 38-year-old Winnipeg native said shed cherish a Queens Plate victory. "Ive raced all over the world, Ive seen the lArc de Triomphe, Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup and theyre all huge races," she said. "But for me, the Queens Plate is as big. "I love Canada and am proud to be Canadian and to win it would be so gratifying." A win Sunday would further solidify Attfields status as Canadian racings most prolific trainer, having already amassed more Prince of Wales (five) and Breeders Stakes (eight) victories in the Triple Crown era than any other conditioner. But its an accomplishment that isnt keeping 74-year-old resident of Nobleton, Ont. -- who has conditioned three Triple Crown champions over his illustrious career -- up at night. "If it happens, it happens," he said matter of factly. "I feel blessed to have won it (Queens Plate) eight times. "Its a good-sized field, which it should be, and theres a lot of horses that it would be no surprise if they popped up and won, in my opinion. I think its going to be a tremendous race, to be honest." Manny Trillo Jersey . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. Kerry Wood Jersey . He was 40. Firefighters were called about 11 a.m. Friday because Brown was unresponsive at his home near the Inner Harbor, fire spokesman Battalion Chief Kevin Cartwright said. He said Brown was dead when firefighters arrived. https://www.cheapcubs.com/1280t-bill-buc...ersey-cubs.html. Nick Young scored 17 points for Los Angeles, which lost five of its last seven before trouncing the Pelicans, who beat them handily last week in New Orleans. Jodie Meeks and Xavier Henry scored 15 points apiece for the Lakers, who led by 20 points in the first half before coasting to their 12th win in their last 13 regular-season meetings with New Orleans. Dave Kingman Jersey ." One game is checked off, 15 remain and the next one to get crossed out could come Tuesday night when the defending champion Heat host the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. Derek Holland Jersey .J. Fair didnt have many chances to be the main option for Syracuse last season.DENVER -- Colorado Rockies star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez had a small tumour removed from his left index finger Tuesday during a procedure at the Cleveland Clinic. Gonzalez underwent exploratory surgery with Dr. Thomas Graham and a growth was found beneath the sheath around the muscle. Rockies head athletic trainer Keith Dugger said these type of tumors are common and the expectation is a biopsy will determine the tumour is benign. "These little benign tumors, which we hope it is, is probably the second most common finding in the finger besides cysts," Dugger said. "Usually repetitive trauma causes it. "They call them cell tumors. Pretty common within the sheath of these fingers. Usually benign. Occasionally you can come up with something." Gonzalez had his left arm in a sling after the surgery. He is expected to return to Denver Wednesday. "It helps explain some of the things that CarGos been dealing with and why that finger kept blowing up on him," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "It helps answer some of the questions we had about him. Gonzalez has been experiencing soreness and swelling in the finger for a while. He was examined by Graham on May 29 in Cleveland. He continued to play but was placed on the 15-day DL on June 4 and is expectted to miss a few weeks.dddddddddddd "Typically, its a couple weeks for the tissue to heal," Dugger said. "Then hell get back his strength and start swinging. It was a little bit more invasive, meaning they took out a larger piece than they thought -- what the MRI revealed." Gonzalez has dealt with finger issues in the past. Last season he played in just 19 games after the All-Star break due to a sprained middle finger on his right hand. That injury did not require surgery. Colorado has been hit hard with injuries in the last month. Third baseman Nolan Arenado (broken left finger) is expected to miss another month and outfielder Michael Cuddyer is out for at least six weeks with a fractured left shoulder suffered Thursday. The rotation has been decimated as well. Jordan Lyles (broken hand), Tyler Chatwood (right elbow strain), Brett Anderson (fractured left index finger) and rookie Eddie Butler (right rotator cuff inflammation) are on the disabled list. Left-hander Tyler Matzek, the teams first-round pick in 2009, will be the third Rockies pitcher in a week to make his major league debut when he starts Wednesdays game. "Its something as a professional team weve got to push through, push forward," Cuddyer said. ' ' '