The 2025 King’s Plate – 166 Years of Glory, Grit, and Greatness

HBPA
Aug 8
2 min read

For over a century and a half, the King’s Plate has stood as the crown jewel of Canadian horse racing. First run in 1860, it’s the oldest continuously run race in North America, older than the Kentucky Derby, and steeped in royal tradition. The race was originally named the Queen’s Plate, granted by Queen Victoria, and has only recently returned to its original name with the ascension of King Charles III.

Now in its 166th edition, the King’s Plate is more than a race — it’s a national institution, the Stanley Cup of Canadian horse racing, bringing together the country’s top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds foaled in Canada for a shot at immortality over 1¼ miles on the Tapeta at Woodbine Racetrack.

2025 Storylines to Watch:

Sedbury’s Ghost enters the Plate as the talk of the town after his powerful win in the Plate Trial Stakes, a key prep for this historic race. Trained by Barb Minshall and ridden by Ryan Munger, this Chestnut showed grit, class, and tactical speed — checking all the boxes for a Plate champion.
Notorious Gangster, trained by Josie Carroll, brings star power and a serious resume to the Plate. Carroll is one of the most respected names in the game — a two-time King’s Plate-winning trainer (Edenwold in 2006 and Inglorious in 2011) — and her colt arrives with experience and back-class, ready to roll under pressure.
In a rare and emotional twist, this year’s Plate will also see father and son jockeys, David and Pietro Moran, compete against one another on the sport’s biggest Canadian stage. David, a seasoned veteran and multiple graded stakes winner, and Pietro, one of the country’s most promising young riders, are writing a once-in-a-generation storyline as they chase the crown side by side.

With a purse of $1 million, royal prestige, and a legacy dating back 166 years, the 2025 King’s Plate is shaping up to be a race for the ages — where heroes are born, dynasties are challenged, and history is waiting at the wire.