Handicapper's Corner: 2023 Kings Plate Stakes

 Newly Named Kings Plate a Wide Open Affair

By: Nick Costa, Trackside with Trackman

 

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 (7^th) 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!