What’s next for our KP grads?

By Hayley Morrison

The dust has barely settled after Luster’s dominating performance in this year’s King’s Plate. Yet, racing fans may be wondering where the Plate winner and all the Plate horses for that matter may pop up and run next. The most probable race would be the Prince of Wales Stakes on September 7. The Prince of Wales is the second leg or jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown (CTC) series. This race takes place at the historic Fort Erie Race Track where horses run a mile and three-sixteenthsover the dirt course.

Now, some trainers may opt to skip the second leg and run their horses in the Breeders’ Stakes. Set to take place on September 27^th; the Breeders’ Stakes is the final installment in the CTC series. It is also the longest of the three CTC races, going a mile and a half over Woodbine’s E.P. Taylor Turf course.

There were twelve horses in this year’s Plate and each faired differently. As a result, their respective ‘roadmaps’ may differ coming out of the big race. Each trainer who ran a horse or horses in this year’s Plate was asked about those prospectiveroadmaps for their horses.

Here’s what they had to say:

While still absorbing Luster’s massive feat, her conditioner JosieCarroll advised the filly came out of the Plate in good order and will probably skip the Prince of Wales. As for her fifth-place finisher, DON IQUE, Carroll is contemplating the Breeders’rather than the Prince of Wales. “I think that’s going to be a little quick back. We will think about the third leg,” said Carroll.

Meanwhile, MILITARY TIME finished a game second for conditioner, MARK CASSE. Casse advised the chestnut colt is in good order and has his eyes set on the next target. “I’m going to run him in the Prince of Wales,” said Casse. The Hall of Fame trainer added: “He’s never run on the dirt, but he’s bred for it.”

FIRE AND WINE finished third in the King’s Plate and his trainer; Zeljko Krcmar noted the strapping bay horse came out in great form. “Like he didn’t run,” said Krcmar. Krcmar is confidently pointing his Plate horse towards the Prince of Wales. “He loves the dirt. He is training on the dirt, and he is doing everything right. We are going to find out how he runs,” said Krcmar.

Trainer Dale Desruisseaux had two horses in this year’s Plate. DIXIE LAW finished fourth while HIGHWAYTOTHEMOON finished ninth. “They both came out of it well. They both ate up at last night. Both are sound this morning, so good signs. Dixie Law for sure will not be going. She will have a little bit of a break now. Highwaytothemoon - we will just have to see how he comes out of it. He didn’t have the best of trips in the Plate. Raffi (Hernandez) said that they got squeezed at the top of the lane and that was the end. He’s trained well in the dirt previous to it (the Plate), so that may be the next go,” said Desruisseaux.

One of the longest shots on the board, BOND MARKET managed to hold on for a sixth place Plate finish. His trainer, Carlos Grant provided some insight on his trainee post Plate. “He came out pretty okay. He unfortunately had a little mishap at the beginning of the race, but he overcame it. He performed very well to me. The owner is happy and that’s the main thing.” In terms of next steps, could we see the chestnut gelding in the second or third leg of the CTC?  “I’m not sure. I have to speak to the owner and see what he wants to do. My preference is to give him the time, let him catch himself and then come for the Breeders’,” said Grant.

With no doubt in his mind, Harold Ladouceur will be heading to the Prince of Wales with seventh place Plate finisher, IMYOURMEDICINEMAN. “We will be heading to Fort Erie on the seventh (of September). I do like his chances on dirt. He seems agile and athletic so I don’t think the surface will matter,” said Ladoucer, who won the race with Vitality a couple of years ago.

Trainer Kevin Attard’s Plate horses, BAAEED ALYNNAfinished tenth while VERY SPECIAL closed out the field in the 12th-place spot. Attard provided the following insight on his two runners:

“They both came out of their races well. A little disappointed with Very Special. Obviously, up on the pace, going prettyquickly, (I) didn’t really expect that. He came out of the race no worse for wear. Baaeed Alynna, I thought he was sustaining a good run through the turn and unfortunately got into some traffic, had to check and lost all his momentum - it just took him out of the race, which was unfortunate. He may have hit the board if he was able to keep that momentum going. We will regroup and go from there,” said Attard.

VERY SPECIAL will not be pointed towards the next leg in the CTC series but Baaeed Alynna may be a different story.

“Very Special is definitely not going to the Prince of Wales. He will go back to getting a little bit of refresher and try to find him a maiden race. Baaeed Aalynna, I haven’t spoken to the owners yet. I don’t think it’s off the table so we will see. He has trained well over dirt as well, so it is a possibility. We will have to play it by ear,” said Attard.

Attard has won the Prince of Wales twice over the last five years. In 2021 he won the race with Haddassah and then again in 2023 with Velocitor. Both those races were won for the same owners (and breeders), Al and Bill Ulwelling. This year, Attardhas been training BUIUM up to the Prince of Wales. BUIUM is a half-brother to Haddassah (same dam, Lady Haddassah) and is also bred and owned by the Ulwellings.

“We have purposely been pointing to this race. His brother obviously won the Prince of Wales. We feel that he should handle the dirt, so we elected to skip the next scheduled race that we had planned for him in order to point towards the Prince of Wales,” said Attard.

Julia Carey’s BRACHETTO was “none the worse for wear” off his eighth place Plate run but the following races in the CTC series are a no go. Carey does not want to run BRACHETTO back in three weeks and moreover feels the following leg will present an issue distance wise. “The Breeders’, a mile and a half, I just can’t see it. Distance was an issue yesterday too,” said Carey.

MAGICAL FACTOR ran eleventh in the Plate and his trainer, Rachel Halden had this to say about her trainee post Plate: “He seems perfectly fine this morning. We were a little bit disappointed with the result. I think in hindsight he probably doesn’t want to go that far. I think we are in a regroup position and probably looking more at getting him back on the turf,” said Halden.