KING'S PLATE: WHO DO YOU LIKE?

KING'S PLATE: WHO DO YOU LIKE?

RACING CORNER

BY JENNIFER MORRISON

Mike Burns Photo

It's King's Plate time in Canadian racing and Woodbine will be bursting at the seams with plenty of pomp, ponies and pageantry on Saturday, August 16. The 'Gallop for the Guineas' is the dream race for all Canadian horsepeople and this year's running has many participants seeking their first Plate victory.

Longtime Ontario trainers with horses in this year's edition, John Charalambous, Don MacRae, Sid Attard, Mike DePaulo and Barbara Minshall have never won the Plate.

MacRae, who had his first Plate experience in 2021 with Plate Trial winner Avoman, is in his 30th year of training. “It's still exciting,” said MacRae. “Now that I've done it once, I know more about it. And this year we go in with a decent horse.”

William T, a grey colt by Kentucky stallion Frosted from the mare Upper Brass by Hard Spun, is the 'now' horse according to many racing sharpies. He is lightly raced but cycled up to a big, six length maiden-breaking victory in this third start of the year on July 13.

William T's owner is Michael Lay whose passion for horses and racing led him to his first share in a horse with friend Michael Loughrey and MacRae about 12 years ago. He now has a handful of his own horses including $500,000 earner Cruden Bay, a horse he bought at the CTHS Ontario yearling sale for $45,000.

Ace Kentucky bloodstock agent Marette Farrell picked out William T (named for Lay's grandson) from the huge Fasig Tipton October Yearling Sale in 2023. The colt, bred by David Anderson's Anderson Farms was buried deep in the sale – hip number 1,532 of 1,600 – and just the second foal of an unraced mare. Farrell bought the colt for Lay for $45,000.

“He's a nice, big, stout and lovely colt,” said MacRae, who has been pointing William T for the Plate since last last year. “This is a very exciting time for me, Michael and his family.”

TOP FIVE SELECTIONS FOR THE 166TH KING'S PLATE

post time 5:34 p.m., Aug. 16

11 – TOM'S MAGIC – This son of American Triple Crown winner Justify is from the same mare who produced Woodbine Oaks winner Dixie Moon and Plate Trial winner Guy Caballero. Tom has been pointed to the Plate by his American interests since last year. He has won two stakes on the grass and is bred to love the Tapeta surface. Woodbine's leading stakes-winning jockey this year, Rafael Hernandez, will ride.

4 – SCORCHING – He has made a remarkable comeback to the races since he got a blood infection in February. The Plate will be his third race off the long layoff, often a key race for a horse. The distance is a question for most of these runners but if US rider Jose Lezcano can keep this colt on hold until the stretch run, he should be right there.

3 – NOTORIOUS GANGSTER – Has done nothing wrong in any of his main track races and he has a 3-time Plate-winning trainer in Josie Carroll. He just needs some pace up front and no traffic trouble.

1 – MANSETTI – He won an open Grade 3, the Marine Stakes, and has been freshened since then. Not sure he can win at 10 furlongs but you could say the same about many of these.

12- SEDBURY'S GHOST is a fast improving fellow for owner and breeder Yawen Wu and trainer Barbara Minshall.

The rest of the field:

10 – NO TIME was ultra impressive when winning the Woodbine Oaks in fast time. I am taking the position that she might regress from that huge effort in the Plate.

2 – WILLIAM T – The up and coming colt in the field who will love the distance and he's been working strongly.

13 – ASHLEY'S ARCHER is lightly raced and ran well in an allowance race off a short layoff in July. Could better this placing with Sahin Civaci riding.

6 – FABER is a deep, closing type and he adds blinkers for trainer Kevin Attard. One of two in the race for longtime Ontario racing supporters Al and Bill Ulwelling of Minnesota.

7- RUNAWAY AGAIN won his career debut by 9 1/4 lengths for Stronach Stables and Sid Attard, part of the legendary Attard family in Ontario racing.

8 – DEWOLF goes for the fairly new Canuck Racing Club and X-Men Racing IV and he was a stakes winner as a 2-year-old.

5- MYTHICAL MAN, bred by Adena Springs, ships in from New York for Reeves Racing and trainer Danny Gargan. He will be adding Lasix and he's a two-time winner on the grass.

9 – WATSONVILLE RED was fourth in the Plate Trial and likes to coming running from the back of the field.