Field of 13 chase King’s Plate glory

TORONTO, August 13, 2024 – Thirteen sophomores, including champion and multiple stakes winner My Boy Prince, will contest the $1 million King’s Plate, first leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, highlighting an outstanding stakes-filled Saturday card of racing at Woodbine.

The 165th edition of The King’s Plate, North America’s oldest continually run race, contested at 1 ¼ miles on the Woodbine all-weather course, is the first event in the tri-surface series for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.

Wando, bred and owned by the late Gustav Schickedanz, was the last horse to accomplish the feat, in 2003, while becoming the seventh to record the unique triple. The $400,000 Prince of Wales, run at 1 3/16 miles on the dirt at Fort Erie on September 10, is the second leg. The $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes, at 1 ½ miles over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor turf at Woodbine on September 29, concludes the series.

The King’s Plate breakfast festivities, including the post-position draw, were co-hosted by Woodbine TV personality/commentator/handicapper Jeff Bratt and Woodbine track announcer Robert Geller and held at Woodbine’s Trackside Clubhouse. The event was attended by many of the race’s connections, and included remarks from Michael Copeland, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment.

This year’s running of The King’s Plate features a blend of stakes winners and longshot hopefuls, along with high-profile owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys. The lone filly, Caitlinhergrtness, will carry 121 pounds, while all other starters carry 126 pounds.

Trained by Kevin Attard, who will also send out Plate starters Caitlinhergrtness, Jokestar, and Pierre, Bedard, 0-3-0 from six starts, has yet to net his first win. But the son of Nyquist heads into his first stakes test off three consecutive runner-up efforts. Bred by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc., the bay gelding will be ridden by apprentice Pietro Moran.

“This is a huge step up, but we know he has the capability to come up with a good one,” said Attard, of the horse named after NHL superstar Connor Bedard. “Hopefully, the stars align, and he runs the type of race we know he can.”

Runner-up in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Stella Artois on July 20, Caitlinhergrtness was supplemented to the Plate by her connections, owners Sienna Farm LLC, and WinStar Farm LLC. The daughter of Omaha-Beach-Belatrix is 2-1-1 from six starts.

“We have seen how successful fillies can be in the Plate,” said Attard, who campaigned the filly Moira to King’s Plate glory in 2022. “She definitely belongs here, and the hope is that she can continue to elevate her game.”

Essex Serpent, bred and owned by Manfred and Penny Conrad (the couple also owns Plate hopeful Midnight Mascot), has crafted a mark of 2-1-0 from three starts for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. The son of Honor Code-Eileen’s Girl arrives at the $1 million classic off a sharp score in the Marine Stakes (G3) on June 29. The bay gelding will be ridden by three-time Plate victor Patrick Husbands.

“He came out of his race in good order,” said Casse. “He’s trained great since the Plate Trial. He’s a big, strong, homebred horse.”

Owned by Sue Leslie and trained by Evette Chartrand-Hoek, Friendly Ghost will be ridden by Justin Stein, winner of the 2012 Plate with Strait of Dover. A dark bay son of Outwork-Kin’s Ghost, Friendly Ghost is 1-1-1 from three starts, including a third in the Plate Trial on July 20.

“He has continued to get better and better with each race,” offered Chartrand-Hoek. “Last year, as a 2-year-old, we knew he was pretty nice, just the way he trained, and how professional he was. It was always in the back of my mind, ‘Is he this special?’ But he is.”

Jokestar, trained by Kevin Attard, is one of two (Pierre is the other) Al and Bill Ulwelling Plate contenders. The son of Practical Joke-Starmaline has fashioned a 1-1-2 record from eight engagements. The bay gelding broke his maiden in the final start of his 2-year-old campaign, a head score over 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine main track.

“The road to get to the Plate is never an easy one for a horse,” said Attard. “That he made it to this moment speaks to his ability to overcome those ups and downs. He worked hard to get to this point and hopefully, he can produce his best race.” ​

Manfred and Penny Conrad own Midnight Mascot, a son of Army Mule-Midnight Embrace. The consistent colt has crafted a 2-2-3 mark from eight starts. The bay, who won this year’s Woodstock Stakes, will have the services of champion rider Kazushi Kimura. Mark Casse, a three-time Plate winner, is the trainer. ​ ​

“Midnight Mascot is interesting,” said Casse. “I think we learned a lot last time out. He sat back, instead of showing speed, and made a nice run. I was very happy with his race.”

My Boy Prince, Canada’s champion 2-year-old male, has won three straight races heading into the Plate. Owned by Gary Barber (who co-owns 2023 Plate champ Paramount Prince with Mike Langlois) and trained by Mark Casse (the conditioner of Paramount Prince), the son of Cairo Prince-Hopping Not Hoping brings a 6-2-1 record from 10 engagements into Saturday’s 1 ¼-mile Plate. ​

“He just doesn’t give a hoot about much,” noted Casse, of the $115,000 sale-topper at the 2022 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale. “You sure wouldn’t look at him and think that he’s some superstar. He saves it all for on the track.”

The father and daughter team of trainer Zeljko Krcmar and owner Mary Self will send out No More Options on Saturday. The dark bay son of Frac Daddy-Stoney Miss pulled off a 16-1 upset in last year’s Frost King Stakes and followed it up with a third in the Coronation Futurity. Sporting a 3-4-0 record from nine starts, the colt will be ridden by Daisuke Fukumoto, who partnered Mighty Heart to Plate glory in 2020.

“My dad and I speak every day and he would get more and more excited about this horse when we talked,” said Self. “The longer this horse goes, the happier he is.”

Pierre is trained by Kevin Attard, who sent out the filly Moira to win the 2022 Plate. A son of Tapiture-Archerette, the colt has hit the podium in all four of his starts, going 1-1-2. This will be the first stakes test for the bay, who broke his maiden in his second start, a head nod at six panels on the Woodbine main track on May 4. Al and Bill Ulwelling are the owners.

“This horse is very versatile, in terms of his ability to adapt to different surfaces and different distances,” said Attard. “He has always shown that willingness to take on what we have asked of him, which is what you love to see as a trainer.”

Trainer Harold Ladouceur will have two chances to win his first Plate. Rafaroo, a son of Hard Spun-Light Green, has posted a pair of seconds from two starts. His latest effort, a strong runner-up performance in the Plate Trial, came at 26-1. He launched his career on June 15, where he rallied to take the silver in a seven-furlong main track race. ​ ​

“He just looks so good right now,” said Ladouceur. “He seems to be maturing and coming around at the right time. It feels like we could be pointing at the stars.”

Roar of the Crowd was a $25,000 claim for owner and trainer Dominic Polsinelli. The chestnut son of Reload-Uproar finished eighth in his only 2-year-old start but came back with a brilliant 7 ¼-length score to break his maiden in his 3-year-old debut. He arrives at his first stakes engagement off a third-place finish at 6 ½ furlongs over the main track.

“I claimed him because of his grandfather, Hail the Ruckus,” Polsinelli said of the graded stakes winning son of Bold Ruckus he both trained and owned. “Roar of the Crowd also has a three-quarter brother, Pender Harbour, who finished third in the 2011 Plate and had a great career. I did a lot of research on this horse, and he was the perfect fit for us.”

Krista Cole trains Thor’s Cause, a gelded son of Brody’s Cause-Expressly Yours. The bay has three thirds from eight starts and will be making his second stakes start (he contested last year’s Coronation Futurity) this Saturday. Jeffrey Alderson will be in the irons.

“He can go the distance,” praised Cole. “There are some tough horses, but you never know. There have been upsets in the Plate before, and hopefully, we can add our names to that list.”

Vitality, trained by Harold Ladouceur, is 1-1-1 from seven starts, the win coming in his final start before the Plate. The son of Street Boss-Belissimo, who finished fourth in his debut last August, rallied impressively to take the 1 1/16-mile main track race by 3 ¼ lengths.

“He’s beginning to shine at the right time,” said Ladouceur. “He’s out of an Awesome Again mare, so he clearly has the pedigree to go a route. I don’t think a mile and a quarter will be hard for him at all.”

Saturday’s card also features a quartet of standout stakes: the bet365 King Edward (G2T) (one mile on the E.P. Taylor turf for 3-year-olds and up), $150,000 Bold Venture Stakes (G3) (6 ½ furlongs on the main track for 3-year-olds and up), $150,000 bet365 Soaring Free (6 ½ furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf for 2-year-olds) and $150,000 Catch a Glimpse (6 ½ furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf for 2-year-old fillies).

First post for Saturday is 12:25 p.m. (ET), with the featured King’s Plate scheduled as Race 11 (6:10 p.m. ET). The national Plate broadcast will be televised on SportsnetONE and CityTV from 4:30-6:30 p.m. ET.

For the latest information, fans can follow @WoodbineTB on both Twitter and Instagram.

$1 million King’s Plate (Race 11)

Post – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Owner – Groom – Breeder – Morning Line Odds 

1 – Jokestar – Kevin Attard – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Al and Bill Ulwelling – Peter Singh – Al and Bill Ulwelling – 20-1

2 – Rafaroo – Harold Ladouceur – Ryan Munger –Stronach Stables – Jesse Ladouceur – Adena Springs – 8-1

3 – Essex Serpent – Mark Casse – Patrick Husbands – Manfred and Penny Conrad – Wayne Grant – Conrad Farms – 2-1

4 – Caitlinhergrtness – Kevin Attard – Rafael Hernandez – Sienna Farm LLC and WinStar Farm LLC – Troy Garnett – Jesse Korona – 12-1

5 – Midnight Mascot – Mark Casse – Kazushi Kimura – Manfred and Penny Conrad – Gareth Daniels – Yvonne Schwabe Thoroughbreds – 10-1

6 – Friendly Ghost – Evette Chartrand-Hoek – Justin Stein – Sue Leslie – Evette Chartrand-Hoek – Phoenix Rising Farms – 30-1

7 – My Boy Prince – Mark Casse – Sahin Civaci – Gary Barber – Ivan Forde – Murray Graham Smith – 7-5

8 – Pierre – Kevin Attard – David Cohen – Al and Bill Ulwelling – Lawrence Williams – Tall Oaks Farm – 20-1

9 – Thor’s Cause – Krista Cole – Jeffrey Alderson – Joe Pignatelli, Spirit’s Path Management, Inc., Alan McMullen – Ershell Lewin – James Everatt, Janeane Everatt, and Arika Everatt-Meeuse – 50-1

10 – Bedard – Kevin Attard – Pietro Moran – X-Men Racing LLC III, Madaket Stables LLC, and SF Racing LLC – Peter Lopez – Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. – 30-1

11 – Roar of the Crowd – Dominic Polsinelli – Fraser Aebly – Dominic Polsinelli – Keethon Roy Howard – Paradox Farm, Inc. – 50-1

12 – No More Options – Zeljko Krcmar – Daisuke Fukumoto – Mary Self – Henry Miller – Laurel Byrne – 30-1

13 – Vitality – Harold Ladouceur – Jose Campos – Stronach Stables – Teon Walker – Adena Springs – 20-1

Chris Lomon, Woodbine