King's Plate/Woodbine Oaks 2026: Top Contenders

There are about 4 1/2 months until the King’s Plate, a few weeks less to the Woodbine Oaks, and these two classic races for Canadian-breds will be held later this summer. Last year, Tom’s Magic (Justify) led Canadian Thoroughbred‘s King’s Plate contenders list for most of the year and ultimately finished a belated second in the big race.

A look at the three-year-olds that have raced by April 1, 2026 reveals that a lot of fillies have shown promise, so there are quite a few girls on the Plate list at this first unveiling.

Until we see more racing from some of the three-year-old Canadian-breds, Coronation Futurity winner FIRE AND WINE (Lexitonian) will be at the top of the list with that big 86 Beyer Speed Figure from his front-running win in the major two-year-old race for Canadian-breds, the Coronation Futurity. That was a big turnaround for the colt who had not shown that power in previous races without Lasix. The Lexitonian gelding will try to become the first horse since 1976 to win the Futurity and then the next year’s Plate. Fire and Wine is owned by Paul Ryder and trained by Zeljko Krcmar

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Chiefswood Stable, as noted in a story on this site recently, has a large contingent of promising three-year-olds including the filly COOL TIMES, who finished second in her debut at Gulfstream with an 80 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form. Trained by Katerina Vassilievea, Cool Times would be posted to the Oaks first. She is the first foal of Princess Elizabeth winner Cool Shadows, by Munnings. More fillies come up on the first edition of the Plate list.

CORSIA VELOCE, the probable two-year-old filly champion and unbeaten gal for Glenn Sikura and Mario Serrani, is recuperating from a minor ailment that caused her to miss the Breeders’ Cup. She is a Grade 1 winner (Natalma Stakes) and certainly a top Oaks hope. MILITARY TIME is a Mark Casse trainee who was second in the Coronation Futurity to Fire and Wine and an impressive debut winner with an 80 Beyer Figure.

American-based filly LUV YOUR NEIGHBOR had been running very well at Fair Grounds until her latest in the Fair Grounds Oaks. The daughter of Constitution is trained by Michael Stidham, who trains Tom’s Magic.

BLIND RIVER ran well enough in the Cutler Bay Stakes to consider him as a Plate contender. This is a Chiefswood gelding by Yorkton who was beaten just 1 3/4 lengths in the turf race and he had won his maiden at 1 mile on grass prior to that stakes try. Katerina Vassilieva trains. PIPER’S GIFT, one of the top two-year-old fillies of a year ago, is trained by Dale Desruisseaux for Chiefswood and she won the Princess Elizabeth Stakes and the Glorious Song Stakes with 71 and 79 Beyer Figures.