Newly Named Kings Plate a Wide Open Affair
Hello
folks, ThoroFan takes a road trip north of the border to Toronto Ontario, where
for the first time in 70 years,
Canada's oldest thoroughbred race and North
America’s longest continuously run stakes gets a name change.
Previously
known as The Queen’s Plate, the $1 million stakes race for
three-year-olds bred in Canada, will now be known as The King's Plate when it
is run for the 164th time on Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack.
The
change follows the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September and accession of
King Charles III. The 1 ¼-mile event has
historically been named after the reigning British monarch.
The 2023 edition of the Plate
features a full field of 17 runners, including a pair of fillies. Overall, the
girls have performed exceptionally well in the Plate, having won 38 times and
five out of the last 12 years. In addition, horses trained by Kevin Attard,
Mike DePaulo and Mark Casse account for over 50 percent of the race’s participants
with the trio of conditioners combining to saddle nine horses for the marquee
event.
The Plate is the
first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown and is followed by the Prince of Wales
Stakes run at Fort Erie Racetrack (September 12) and the Breeders’ Stakes (October
1) run at Woodbine. The last horse to sweep the series was Wando (2003).
ANALYSIS:
The first running of the King’s
Plate since 1951 is a wide-open betting affair with its 17 entrants and I’ve
chopped it down to the six horses (in post-position order) that I will be
using.
2 - Elysian Fields was a
decisive winner of the Woodbine Oaks after getting a nice stalking trip along
the inside. This late-developing gal had her path closed on the turn, so she
had to steady and wait room. Then, after angling out, an opening appeared, and
she kicked in to draw off nicely. Nice inside draw that should allow her to get
a similar trip to last time.
6 - Kalik, who gets the services of Woodbine’s
leading rider, is a graded stakes winner in the U.S. and gets a huge
class relief here. Yes, he disappointed in the G1 Belmont Derby last month
after being fractious pre-race, then encountered traffic and trip issues in the
race, but prior to that he wired the field in the G2 Pennine Ridge. Until his
last race fiasco, he had not been unplaced
since his maiden debut (7th) which came sprinting on the dirt last
September. He has been pointed specifically for this race which will be his
first attempt on an all-weather surface and if he handles the footing, he has
an excellent chance to take home the top prize.
8 - Wickenheiser comes into
the Plate off a pair of runner-up finishes. This will be the second time in
three months that she will face the boys. She races from well off the pace, but
always establishes herself in a striking position by the pre-stretch call.
Looks as though she should get a decent pace to run at, so if she can navigate
through the large Plate field, her breeding suggests she should be able to
handle the distance.
12 – Cool Kiss had a bizarre
and disastrous wide trip in the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes two races back,
but the extra distance of the Plate Trial served this one well as he rallied
from far back to complete the exacta despite another wide trip. His showing in
the Plate Trial was a ‘better than looked’ effort and he was the only horse in
the field that managed to close from far back. He may be on the verge of a
breakout performance and gets a nice rider switch. Is a huge upset candidate if
he can work out a good trip to get it done.
13 - Paramount Prince
stretched out to two turns in the Plate Trial and was put on the lead at the
start and then drew off in the stretch to win by five lengths at odds of 11-1.
He did have everything his own way last race and that may not be the case for
him on race day as he could find himself challenged early but could hang around
at the end for a piece as he has never been worse than third in five career
starts.
15- Kaukokaipuu took nine
tries to break his maiden, then the proverbial light bulb went on and he
followed it up with a winning score in the Queenston Stakes. Last out, he just
missed in the G3 Marine Stakes where he was six wide on the turn for home, then
lugged in and exchanged bumps in mid-stretch with the eventual winner. He comes
in fresh having trained up to this race after bypassing the Plate Trial. Will
have to avoid being hung out wide from his difficult outside post.
WAGER:
$15 Win and Place on
Wickenheiser (Cost $30)
$10 Exacta Box Wickenheiser/Kalik
(Cost $20)
$1 Trifecta Key Wickenheiser
over the other five contenders (Cost $20)
$1 Trifecta Key Kalik over
the other five contenders (Cost $20)
$10 Win Cool Kiss (Longshot Play) (Cost
$10)
Good
luck and as always, enjoy the race!
