The name of the oldest continuously run stakes race in North America has changed from The Queen's Plate to The King's Plate, but not its makeup as a battle of the Thoroughbred sexes.
The Aug. 20 race at Woodbine, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown and a CA$1 million race named in honor of the current British monarch, has been won by females 38 times, including five of the last 12 years, most recently when Moira swooped to victory in 2022.
Not since 1951 has this race been run as The King's Plate owing to the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II, who died this past September.
Fillies will have an opportunity in Sunday's 1 1/4-mile race on Woodbine's synthetic Tapeta surface, with Wickenheiser (12-1 odds on the morning line) and Elysian Field (8-1) taking on an overflow field in the prestigious race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds. Seventeen horses are in the body of the field, plus two also-eligibles.
Wickenheiser is trained by Moira's conditioner, Kevin Attard, while Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, whose two Plate wins came with females Wonder Gadot (2018) and Lexie Lou (2014), starts Woodbine Oaks winner Elysian Field.
X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables, and SF Racing's Moira similarly captured the Woodbine Oaks before her triumph in the Plate last year.
Casse also runs the gelding Paramount Prince, the Plate Trial winner.
Wickenheiser is one of five entrants for Attard in this year's Plate, the others being males Enjoythesilent, Philip My Dear, Velocitor, and Moon Landing, who races with blinkers added. None will be favored.
Instead, the 3-1 morning-line favorite is a United States invader, the Chad Brown-trained Kalik, who races for owners Bob LaPenta, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, and Makaket Stables—a partnership that also starts longshot Moon Landing. Winner of the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2T) this spring, Kalik will attempt to rebound off an eighth-place finish in the July 8 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) when he came up empty after falling farther off the early pace than what he prefers.
His form mirrors that of 2021 Plate winner Safe Conduct, who shipped north for trainer Phil Serpe from New York after an eighth-place finish in the Belmont Derby.
Woodbine leading rider Kazushi Kimura will ride Kalik in the Collected colt's first race over a synthetic track. The colt has raced exclusively on turf, compiling a 3-1-0 record in six starts.
"With Chad, you know the horse will be in top condition coming into the Plate," Kimura said. "To be in The King's Plate is amazing. The race has so much history. You can feel the excitement building and I hope that we can say we won the first King's Plate since 1951. I know I have a big chance with this horse."
Elysian Field and Wickenheiser are proven on Tapeta, most recently finishing 1-2 in the Woodbine Oaks. Both horses rallied from far hot fractions in that race, with Elysian Field closing from seventh and Wickenheiser from 13th. Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Elysian Field won by 2 1/4 lengths under Sahin Civaci. Both fillies carry 121 pounds on Sunday, while males shoulder 126 pounds.
"Coming into a race like this, some horses are thriving and getting better, and that would describe her," Casse said.
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Rafael Hernandez picks up the ride on Wickenheiser. Kimura was aboard in the Woodbine Oaks.
Wickenheiser has the breeding to be a force on the stretch out to a mile and a quarter and beyond. Owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, Clay Scherer, and Attard, Wickenheiser is by Lemon Drop Kid out of the Montjeu mare Game, making her a half sister to Belichick, winner of the 1 1/2 mile Breeders' Stakes on turf in 2020.
The Breeders' Stakes is the third race of the Canadian Triple Crown, with the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie being the middle leg.
"We made the decision to name this horse after Canadian hockey great Hayley Wickenheiser," Attard said. "And as this filly has shown in her career, she's the ultimate competitor. She has been in every race over her career and her two efforts this season have been really encouraging."
Also a threat in The King's Plate is Marine Stakes (G3) runner-up Kaukokaipuu, who trainer Ted Holder kept out of the Plate Trial to await Sunday's race.
The Culpepper Island Syndicate-owned colt is 2-7-0 from 11 starts. The stakes-winning son of Mr. Speaker stretches out from 1 1/16 miles to the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles.
"His pedigree says that it is not a problem," Holder said.
Woodbine announced Aug. 19 that the career earnings for initial also-eligible Enjoythesilent have been adjusted after it was discovered that an Ontario Sired bonus of CA$714 had erroneously not been reflected by Equibase into Enjoythesilent's earnings after his first start in July 2022. As a result, Enjoythesilent officially has higher career earnings than El Cohete, who drew into the main body of the field for The King's Plate. Officials use earnings as preference criteria when The King's Plate is overdrawn.
After discussion with stewards, the decision has been made that should no horses scratch by Sunday morning, El Cohete will be a steward's scratch and Enjoythesilent will draw into the race. Should any other horse scratch, both horses will be allowed to race.
Sunday's card also features the CA$150,000 Bold Venture Stakes (G3); the CA$200,000 Dance Smartly (G2T), a race in which reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Moira is in action; and a pair of CA$125,000 stakes for 2-year-olds—the Catch a Glimpse Stakes and Soaring Free Stakes.
The King's Plate is the 10th race at 5:39 p.m. ET. Television coverage in Canada will be provided on TSN and CTV starting at 4:30 p.m.
Woodbine, Sunday, August 20, 2023, Race 10Entries: King's Plate S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Stanley House (ON) Javier Castellano 126 Michael P. De Paulo 4/1 2 2Elysian Field (ON) Sahin Civaci 121 Mark E. Casse 8/1 3 3Philip My Dear (ON) Daisuke Fukumoto 126 Kevin Attard 30/1 4 4Twin City (ON) Gary Boulanger 126 Stuart C. Simon 30/1 5 5Morstachy's (ON) Leo Salles 126 Renico E. Lafond 50/1 6 6Kalik (ON) Kazushi Kimura 126 Chad C. Brown 3/1 7 7Velocitor (ON) Justin Stein 126 Kevin Attard 30/1 8 8Wickenheiser (ON) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 121 Kevin Attard 12/1 9 9Silent Miracle (ON) Ryan Munger 126 John Mattine 30/1 10 10Midnight in Malibu (ON) Adam Beschizza 126 Sid C. Attard 30/1 11 11Touch'n Ride (ON) Jose Luis Campos 126 Layne S. Giliforte 12/1 12 12Cool Kiss (ON) Emma-Jayne Wilson 126 Michael P. De Paulo 30/1 13 13Paramount Prince (ON) Patrick Husbands 126 Mark E. Casse 10/1 14 14Twowaycrossing (ON) Antonio A. Gallardo 126 Roger L. Attfield 30/1 15 15Kaukokaipuu (ON) Rico W. Walcott 126 Tedston Holder 6/1 16 16El Cohete (ON) Eswan Flores 126 Michael P. De Paulo 50/1 17 17Moon Landing (ON) Luis Contreras 126 Kevin Attard 20/1 18 18Enjoythesilent (ON) Luis Contreras 126 Kevin Attard 30/1 19 19Runaway Charlie (ON) Keveh Nicholls 126 Michael J. Doyle 50/1
