The 2025 $1 million King’s Plate might be held Saturday, Aug. 16, at Woodbine in Ontario, Canada. This marquee race on the Canadian racing calendar drew a proficient 13-horse subject of 3-year-olds. Be taught extra concerning the subject for this 12 months’s King’s Plate with our helpful King’s Plate Cheat Sheet and be taught extra concerning the race itself beneath:
1. What’s the King’s Plate?
The King’s Plate is a 1 ¼-mile race for 3-year-olds who have been born in Canada that’s held on the all-weather principal monitor at Woodbine. Just like the Kentucky Derby in the USA, the King’s Plate serves as the primary jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown and horses solely get one shot to win it as a result of it’s restricted to 3-year-olds.
2. What are the opposite legs within the Canadian Triple Crown?
The second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown is the Prince of Wales Stakes, a 1 3/16-mile dust race at Fort Erie. The center jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown shares the identical distance because the U.S. Triple Crown’s center jewel, the Preakness Stakes. The Prince of Wales might be held on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025.
The ultimate jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown is the Breeders’ Stakes again at Woodbine. Whereas it shares the identical 1 ½-mile distance because the Belmont Stakes, the ultimate leg of the U.S. Triple Crown, the Breeders’ Stakes is the place the Canadian Triple Crown veers notably. It’s the solely race in both sequence held on grass. Whereas the U.S. Triple Crown is strictly a sequence of dust races, the Canadian Triple Crown assessments a Canadian-bred 3-year-old’s versatility by requiring them to win on all-weather, dust, and turf surfaces to finish the sweep. The Breeders’ Stakes might be held on Sunday, Sept. 28.
3. How does a horse qualify for King’s Plate? What does the method usually appear like?
The King’s Plate is restricted to 3-year-olds born in Canada, so the pool of doable runners is smaller than the Kentucky Derby, which is open to all Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds. Based on The Jockey Membership Truth E-book, there have been 1,015 foals born in Canada in 2022 who can be age 3 this 12 months.
So as to compete within the 2025 King’s Plate, eligible racehorses needed to be nominated by April 2 for a $500 price after which an extra $1,500 nomination price was due June 4 to take care of eligibility. Horses not nominated may be supplemented on the time of ultimate entry for $25,000.
The sector for the King’s Plate is restricted to 17 runners and desire is given in response to profession purse earnings.
4. Why is it referred to as the King’s Plate?
On April 1, 1859, the Toronto Turf Membership petitioned Queen Victoria to grant a Plate for a race in Ontario with help from Sir Casimir Gzowski and Thomas Patteson, who have been two influential advocates who introduced the race into shut affiliation with Buckingham Palace.
Queen Victoria granted the petition of the turf membership and provided as an annual prize, “a plate to the worth of Fifty Guineas.” The inaugural King’s Plate was held on Wednesday, June 27, 1860, at Carleton monitor in Toronto, with the blessing of the royal household, and the prize was a cup (not a plate) that was donated by Queen Victoria.
The King’s Plate, named in honor of the present monarch, was run because the Queen’s Plate from 1952-2022 in honor of Queen Elizabeth II. The race was renamed the King’s Plate for 2023 after the accession of King Charles III following his mom’s passing. This 12 months will mark the 166th working of the race, which is the oldest constantly run horse race in North America.
5. What are some historic traditions related to King’s Plate?
Twelve horses have swept the Canadian Triple Crown, together with fillies Queensway (1932) and Dance Well (1991), though the Canadian Triple Crown was not formally established till 1959. The final Canadian Triple Crown winner was Wando in 2003.
Given the inaugural occasion got here after a petition to the reigning monarch, it’s not stunning that there have been frequent royal visits for the race. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth established a royal custom, visiting the Previous Woodbine racetrack (the brand new Woodbine facility opened in 1956) for the 1939 version, gained by Archworth.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh have been in attendance for the 100th working of the Queen’s Plate in 1959. Ever since her go to, the race has served as the primary jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown. Queen Elizabeth II attended once more in 1973, 1997 and 2010.
