{"id":8048,"date":"2025-07-17T16:45:06","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T20:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/07\/17\/plate-trial-field-of-10-primed-for-pivotal-kings-plate-prep\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T14:47:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T18:47:21","slug":"plate-trial-field-of-10-primed-for-pivotal-kings-plate-prep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/07\/17\/plate-trial-field-of-10-primed-for-pivotal-kings-plate-prep\/","title":{"rendered":"Plate Trial: Field of 10 primed for pivotal King\u2019s Plate prep"},"content":{"rendered":"

TORONTO, July 17, 2025 \u2013 The $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a key fixture on the road to this year\u2019s King\u2019s Plate (August 16), has drawn 10 hopefuls, including Scorching, who will be ridden by John Velazquez, Sunday at Woodbine.<\/p>\n

The 1 1\/8-mile Plate Trial, for 3-year-olds foaled in Canada, has attracted top contenders being pointed towards the 166th edition of the longest continually run stakes race in North America.<\/p>\n

Trained by John Charalambous for Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch, Scorching, a son of Mo Town out of the Consolidator mare Samal, heads into his latest test off a second, one length behind the winner, Mansetti, in the HPIbet Marine Stakes (G3), a 1 1\/16-mile main track affair run on June 28.<\/p>\n

The dark bay colt was making his 3-year-old debut after a layoff since October 6, when he last raced in the $250,000 Cup & Saucer Stakes at 1 1\/16 miles on the E.P. Taylor turf. In that race, restricted to Canadian-foaled 2-year-olds, Scorching finished second but was elevated to first place through disqualification.<\/p>\n

\"Scorching<\/a>
Scorching and jockey Patrick Husbands winning the Cup and Saucer Stakes on October 6, 2024 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI was surprised by the performance,\u201d said Charalambous, of the most recent effort. \u201cHe ran according to the way we wanted him to race \u2013 not the result, but how he sat off the pace. (Jockey) Dylan Davis did a great job with him. The horse stumbled out of the gate and then his competitiveness sunk in, and he wanted to start chasing, but Dylan settled him so well, and he had some horse left at the end, which I didn\u2019t think he\u2019d have. I really didn\u2019t think he\u2019d have that much left in the tank after being off for such a long time since his last race.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eight months and 22 days, to be exact.<\/p>\n

Slated to contend the Coronation Futurity, a key 2-year-old race on the Woodbine calendar, Scorching spiked a temperature and had to be scratched.<\/p>\n

His connections regrouped and sent the colt to New York over the winter to prepare for the Gotham Stakes in March. But the day before the race, Scorching was scratched.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was training in New York and scheduled to run on March 1,\u201d said Charalambous. \u201cThe afternoon before the race, he\u2019s ready to go and then he\u2019s got a 104.5 temperature. I missed seven weeks with him. He was at a vet facility in New Jersey \u2013 Mid-Atlantic Equine \u2013 because he had that virus in his bloodstream. He then went to a rehab facility at Fair Hill for about a month before he came back to me. I didn\u2019t get him back until the end of April. He went through a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scorching\u00a0debuted over 5 \u00bd furlongs on the Woodbine main track on July 19, finishing second at 35-1.<\/p>\n

Five weeks later, he took top prize in the $200,000 Simcoe Stakes on August 25 at Woodbine, a five-length romp at 6 \u00bd furlongs on the main.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe liked him right from the start,\u201d said Charalambous. \u201cI don\u2019t think I have ever been around a colt as professional as this horse. Ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, the focus is strictly on the Plate Trial.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never make long-term plans,\u201d said Charalambous. \u201cI\u2019m not going to talk about the Plate because a lot depends on what happens Sunday. I don\u2019t know if he wants to go to a classic distance, but I do know one thing and that is he is competitive. When he has got something in his sights he wants to catch it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sandy Hartgrove, who has been a fixture on the Woodbine backstretch for 30-plus years and has worked in the Charalambous barn for over 20 years, is the groom.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe [Scorching] is a perfect example of the trust and bond that can be established between a groom and a horse,\u201d said Hartgrove. \u201cI knew from the first moment I met him that he was different. He had a certain way about him that just caught your attention. I love this guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bred by Huntington Stud Farm Corp., Scorching\u00a0was a $120,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2023 CTHS Ontario Premier Yearling Sale. \u200b\u00a0\u200b\u00a0\u200b<\/p>\n

Other starters include\u00a0Notorious Gangster<\/strong>, winner of last year\u2019s Coronation Futurity Stakes and this year\u2019s Queenston Stakes, 2024 Bull Page Stakes winner and graded stakes placed\u00a0Dewolf<\/strong>, last year\u2019s Frost King Stakes winner\u00a0Unbridled Weather<\/strong>, and\u00a0Regal Guest<\/strong>, runner-up in this year\u2019s Queenston Stakes.<\/p>\n

First post for Sunday is 1:05 p.m. The wagering menu for the Plate Trial includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 8-9-10) and $1 Swinger.\u00a0Fans can wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and bet365.com.\u00a0\u200b<\/p>\n

Field for the $150,000 Plate Trial \u2013 Race 8<\/strong><\/p>\n

Post \u2013 Horse \u2013 Jockey \u2013 Trainer\u00a0\u200b<\/p>\n

1 \u2013 Call Me Sue \u2013 Daisuke Fukumoto \u2013 Alex McPherson<\/p>\n

2 \u2013 Scorching \u2013 John Velazquez – John Charalambous<\/p>\n

3 \u2013 Unbridled Weather \u2013 Rafael Hernandez \u2013 Angus Buntain<\/p>\n

4 \u2013 Sedburys Ghost \u2013 Ryan Munger \u2013 Barb Minshall<\/p>\n

5 \u2013 Regal Guest \u2013 Patrick Husbands \u2013 Mark Casse<\/p>\n

6 \u2013 Autobahn Ace \u2013 Jose Campos \u2013 Pat Parente<\/p>\n

7 \u2013 Watsonville Red \u2013 Leo Salles \u2013 Mike De Paulo<\/p>\n

8 \u2013 Dewolf \u2013 Pietro Moran \u2013 Kevin Attard<\/p>\n

9 \u2013 Forty N Five \u2013 Eswan Flores \u2013 Josie Carroll<\/p>\n

10 \u2013 Notorious Gangster \u2013 Fraser Aebly \u2013 Josie Carroll<\/p>\n

Chris Lomon, Woodbine<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TORONTO, July 17, 2025 \u2013 The $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a key fixture on the road to this year\u2019s King\u2019s Plate (August 16), has drawn 10 hopefuls, including Scorching, who will be ridden by John Velazquez, Sunday at Woodbine. The 1 1\/8-mile Plate Trial, for 3-year-olds foaled in Canada, has attracted top contenders being pointed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":8049,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[449,450,451,452,231],"class_list":["post-8048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-woodbine-news","tag-john-charalambous","tag-john-velazquez","tag-plate-trial-stakes","tag-scorching","tag-woodbine-oaks"],"yoast_head":"\nPlate Trial: Field of 10 primed for pivotal King\u2019s Plate prep - Kings Plate<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/07\/17\/plate-trial-field-of-10-primed-for-pivotal-kings-plate-prep\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Plate Trial: Field of 10 primed for pivotal King\u2019s Plate prep - Kings Plate\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"TORONTO, July 17, 2025 \u2013 The $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a key fixture on the road to this year\u2019s King\u2019s Plate (August 16), has drawn 10 hopefuls, including Scorching, who will be ridden by John Velazquez, Sunday at Woodbine. 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