The ‘big three’ for the 165th King’s Plate, champion MY BOY PRINCE, Grade 3 winner ESSEX SERPENT, and stakes winner MIDNIGHT MASCOT have essentially done most of their preparation for the 1 1/4 mile Canadian classic on August 17. “Everyone is ready,” said trainer Mark Casse on Tuesday about the powerful set of Canadian-bred three-year-olds.
Gary Barber goes for his second consecutive Plate (with a horse with Prince in his name, too) with My Boy Prince, the Plate Trial winner and Plate favourite who will be ridden by Woodbine’s leading rider Sahin Civaci.
Manfred and Penny Conrad, seeking their first Plate win, have a nice pair in the Honor Code gelding ESSEX SERPENT, who didn’t start racing until this year, and MIDNIGHT MASCOT, who has more foundation but was third behind the Serpent in the Grade 3 Martine Stakes.
A field of 11 or 12 is likely for the Plate this year. One maiden who was on the list of possibilities, WYOMING BILL, is out as he is entered on Friday.
The consensus is the field is not that strong, but a few have longshot chances to upset the Casse trio.
History says there must always be a filly in the Plate field and while usually it is the winner of the Woodbine Oaks, this year it is the runner-up, CAITLINHERGRTNESS, who has improved her form since coming to Canada. Bred by Toronto’s Jesse Korona, Caitlinhergrtness will have to be supplemented to the Plate at a cost of $25,000 on entry day (next Tuesday) to compete as she was not originally made eligible to the race.
Owned by American Siena Farm (Ryan Smith COO) and WinStar Farm, LLC (Elliott Walden), Caitlinhergrtness was transferred to Kevin Attard from the Todd Pletcher barn this spring and won a turf race on June 6 off a layoff. Two weeks later she ran in the Oaks and led late only to be caught by Kin’s Concerto. She posted an 80 Beyer Figure. Caitlinhergrtness is named for Indiana basketball player Caitlin Clark, considered one of the greatest collegiate players ever.
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever and Gold medallist – Wikipedia
A workout with fellow Plate hopeful, the colt PIERRE, on Aug. 1 in a sizzling 58.60 seemed to have punched her ticket to the Plate rather than the Bison City Stakes for fillies this weekend.
Attard, who won his first Plate two years ago with the filly Moira, hopes Pierre and Jokestar can be factors for Al and Bill Ulwelling. Pierre, bred by Ivan Dalos, was a local yearling purchase and he has been second and third in recent allowance races following a 6 furlong maiden win. Jokestar, bred by the Ulwellings, was fifth in the Plate Trial, a race that did not have much early pace in it.
Owner Sue Leslie said FRIENDLY GHOST, third in the Trial, will have his final Plate work this weekend and then a decision will be made if the dark bay Outwork gelding, also a local yearling purchase, will start. Evette Chartrand-Hoek trains.
Some may like the Stronach Stables’ pairing of maiden RAFAROO, second in the Trial, and maiden winner VITALITY.
Vitality had a quick workout on Aug. 4 in 1:00.80. He added Lasix and had been gelded before his maiden win on July 19 with a 71 Beyer Figure.
King’s Plate Contenders
1 My Boy Prince – won Plate Trial – Gary Barber seeks 4th Plate, $115,000 CTHS Ontario yearling (Civaci)
2 Essex Serpent – won Grade 3 Marine Stakes – Manfred and Penny Conrad homebred (Husbands)
3 Midnight Mascot – Third Grade 3 Marine Stakes – Manfred and Penny Conrad, bred by Yvonne Schwabe Thoroughbreds, $200,00 Keeneland September sale (Kimura)
4 Caitlinhergrtness (f) – 2nd Woodbine Oaks – Siena Farm and Winstar Farm, LLC, bred by Jesse Krona, sold at 3 sales, $60,000, $160,000 and $375,000 last year, Ocala April (Hernandz)
5 Friendly Ghost – 3rd Plate Trial *not confirmed – Sue Leslie, bred by Debroah Holmes’ Phoenix Rising Farms, $46,000 CTHS Ontario yearling (Stein)
6 Pierre – 3rd allowance race on grass, Al and Bill Ulwelling, bred by Ivan Dalos, $105,000 CTHS yearling sale
7 Rafaroo – 2nd Plate Trial, maiden – Stronach Stables, Frank Stronach, bred by Adena Springs
8 Jokestar – 5th Plate Trial – Al and Bill Ulwelling , homebred
9 Vitality – won maiden race – Stronach Stables, Frank Stronach, bred by Adena Springs
10 Thor’s Cause – 4th maiden race – Joe Pignatelli, Spirit’s Path Management, bred by James and Janeane Everatt and Arika Everatt Meesue, $22,000 CTHS Ontario yearling
11 No More Options – 6th Plate Trial, stakes winner, Mary Self, bred by Laurel Byrne, $5,000 Keeneland November weanling 2021 (Fukumoto)
12 Roar of the Crowd – winner, D. Polsinelli, for claiming $25,000 6 1/2 furlongs, by Reload, bred by Paradox Farm
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
