Mansetti magnificent in King’s Plate

TORONTO, August 16, 2025 – Al and Bill Ulwelling’s Mansetti, ridden by rising star Pietro Moran and under the tutelage of champion trainer Kevin Attard, delivered the upset in the 166th running of The King’s Plate, the $1 million Canadian classic, Saturday afternoon at Woodbine.

Last time out, Mansetti, named after a pizza restaurant in the Ulwellings’ home state of Minnesota, won the Marine Stakes (G3) in impressive fashion.

On Saturday in front of packed house, he was even better.

Breaking from post one, Mansetti was put in play as soon as the gates opened and was joined by Scorching, while the former’s stablemate, Dewolf, settled into third, followed by Ashley’s Archer.

Scorching was a half-length clear of Mansetti after an opening quarter in :22.93, but Mansetti then wrested the lead away and took his 12 rivals through a half in :47.45. ​

Still running confidently and comfortably on the lead, Mansetti increased his advantage heading into the turn for home and was 2 ½ lengths ahead after a mile. ​

Moran got to work on the bay colt in mid-stretch and kept him to task while a pair of closers, Tom’s Magic and Notorious Gangster, attempted to reel in Mansetti.

A jubilant Moran pumped his fist as he and Mansetti crossed the wire 2 ½ lengths in front of Tom’s Magic. Notorious Gangster was two lengths further back in third. Scorching was fourth. Faber, also owned by the Ulwellings, was sixth. David Moran, Pietro’s father, finished eighth aboard William T.

The final time was 2:03.68.

It was the first Plate win for both the Ulwellings and Moran, and third for Attard, Canada’s champion trainer of 2024, who has won three of the last four editions of the Plate (Moira in 2022 and Caitlinhergrtness in 2024 were the others).

“I didn’t think we went that fast,” said Moran, who was seriously injured last year in a racing accident, but is Woodbine’s leading rider by wins in 2025. “You know, he relaxed so good. And no one wanted the lead, really. And he got up there, and, man, he relaxed, and I just talked to him the whole way. And when I chirped at him around the turn, he gave it to me. And I knew – I took a peek back down the lane – and I saw no one was coming. I couldn’t stop screaming to the wire.”

“He’s the second of my nine [children],” said Moran’s mother, Maria, after watching her son win the biggest race of his career, less than one year after being sidelined by injury. “So, it’s just wonderful. I don’t know how to express it, but yes, all the sacrifices and all the hard work… they’re so tough, they just keep going.” ​

Attard didn’t initially think a spot in the Plate starting gate was in Mansetti’s future.

“I would have probably laughed, you know,” said Attard, who won the bet365 King Edward Stakes (G2T) with Gas Me Up one race after the Plate, and the bet365 Soaring Free Stakes with Two Out Hero one race later. “But this horse really changed from 2 to 3 when he got back to Woodbine this season to start his 3-year-old campaign. He was just acting differently. He showed a lot of talent from a young age, and I really thought he was going to be a good horse, but he just got so kind of keen and eager as a baby that you didn’t think he’d stretch out. Luckily for us, he matured nicely over the wintertime, and into his 3-year-old year, he’s just kind of figured things out.”

Lawrence Williams is Mansetti’s groom

“He’s a very nice horse to work with,” said Williams. “He’s very friendly. He’s a happy horse. He’s a good boy.”

Bred by Jungle Racing, LLC, the son of Collected out of the Sky Mesa mare Gidget Girl, Mansetti debuted with a win at six furlongs over the main track last September at Woodbine, dueling early before pulling away to win by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:11.49.

The bay colt is now 5-0-0 from 8 starts, which includes stakes success in this year’s Woodstock and the 2024 running of the Clarendon.

Mansetti was a $40,000 purchase (Hip No. 48) from the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training

He paid $38.70 for the win.

The $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, a 1 3/16-mile race over Fort Erie’s dirt oval on September 9, is the next race in the tri-surface OLG Canadian Triple Crown series, which concludes with the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes at 1 ½ miles over Woodbine’s inner turf on September 28.

Wando, in 2003, was the last horse to sweep the series.

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Chris Lomon, Woodbine (with files from Sandra Snyder and Ainsley Kaszecki)