A few of the leading King’s Plate contenders, according to Canadian Thoroughbred’s Top Ten List, have been busy recently and two of them race this week in Kentucky.
TOM’S MAGIC (Justify) is entered in the $600,000 Transylvania Stakes (G3) at Keeneland at 4:44 Eastern on Monday, April 7. The turf race was supposed to run in April 5, but the first two days of the Keeneland meeting were postponed due to weather.
Tom’s Magic will only race in the rich Transylvannia if it stays on the grass.
Bred by Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry, Tom’s Magic races for CJ Thoroughbreds of CJ Johnson and Mo Speed Racing of Scott Makawa. A $200,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase in 2023, he is from the mare Dixie Chicken, dam of Woodbine Oaks winner Dixie Moon. Trained by Mike Stidham, Tom’s Magic won the Black Gold stakes at Fair Grounds in his most recent race.
On April 9 (Wednesday), ASHLEY’S ARCHER, trained by Mark Casse, will have his second dirt race attempt in Keeneland’s 7th race at 1 1/16 miles. Owned by Gary Barber and Archer Racing, Ashley’s Archer was disqualified from his win in the Cup & Saucer Stakes last year and then ran third in the Coronation Futurity. He made his three-year-old debut at Tampa Bay Downs on March 2 in an allowance race on dirt and he was second, beaten five lengths at even money.
In the Keeneland route race, Ashley’s Archer will be ridden by Dubai Cup-winning rider Florent Geroux from post nine in a large field. He is listed at 8-to-1.
Coronation Futurity winner NOTORIOUS GANGSTER has returned to Woodbine after a winter at Turfway Park in Kentucky. Josie Carroll trains Mark Dodson’s son of Classic Empire and last week, April 2, the colt worked four furlongs in 48.80.
X-Men racing IV, Madaket Stable, SF Bloodstock and Canuck Racing’s DEWOLF, an Ontario-sired and Ontario-bred by Silent Name (Jpn) had his third work of the year on Sunday, 4 furlongs in 49.
166th KING’S PLATE – Early contenders
1. Tom’s Magic – Trained by Mike Stidham, won Fair Grounds stakes race
2. Notorious Gangster – Trained by Josie Carroll, won Coronation Futurity
3. Scorching – Trained by John Charalambous, won Cup and Saucer
4. Ashley’s Archer – Trained by Mark Casse, second in Tampa Bay allowance in ’25 debut
5. Dewolf – Trained by Kevin Attard, stakes winner at 2, 2nd Coronation
6. Shifty (f) – Trained by Mark Casse, graded stakes-placed at Woodbine
7. Ready for Candy (f) – recently sold to US interests, stakes-placed maiden
8. Aristella (f) – Trained by Rachel Halden, stakes winner at 2
9. Mount Doom – Trained by Steve Henson, won 4 of 5 at Hastings
10. War Signal (f) – Trained by Mark Casse, allowance winner at Gulfstream in Jan
(f) -filly
