At 9 a.m. on King’s Plate day at Woodbine Racetrack, all was calm. There were dark clouds on the horizon and rain on the way, but nothing that hearty racing fans and party goers could not handle. A closer look at the radar, however, told a different story.
Mother Nature took charge and heavy rain, thunder and lightning caused delays early in the 13-race card and eventually made a mess of the Tapeta, the all-weather surface. By race 6, which never did run and was some 55 minutes behind schedule due to numerous delays, it was clear – the heavy rain that fell in a short amount of time had played havoc with the main track.
The track maintenance crew desperately harrowed the surface and thousands waited. But in the end, too much time was going to be needed to make the track safe.
The remainder of the 13-race card was cancelled, including the 165th King’s Plate. On Friday, August 23, we will do it all again.
“The safety of our horses, riders, horse people, and all racing participants is paramount to Woodbine,” said Michael Copeland, CEO Woodbine Entertainment. “We understand the disappointment for everyone who joined us today, including our great fans, but it was the right decision, one made in concert with the HBPA, jockeys, and veterinarians, to cancel the races.
“We want to thank everyone for their understanding of the decision that was made, and hope we can welcome you back this Friday, where we will crown another Plate winner and add their name to a list of great champions.”
Friday’s card will also include the four stakes that were also scheduled for Saturday: the $200,000 bet365 King Edward (G2T), the $150,000 Bold Venture Stakes (G3), $150,000 bet365 Soaring Free and $150,000 Catch a Glimpse.
For the most part, horsepeople, owners and trainers knew it was the right decision. It was a tough one to make. There were thousands of partygoers, numerous podcasters, handicappers and website writers brought in from the US, and even Prime Minister Trudeau dropped in.
In a very rainy summer, yesterday’s weather was simply bad luck.
What seemed to get lost in the confusion following the announcement that the Plate would be run on Friday was this: the point of the day is a horse race, Canada’s greatest horse race, worth $1 million to people who have bred, trained, owned and paid for a Canadian-bred.
The Plate does not stand entirely on its own, however. It is the first jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown and the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie comes up Sept. 10 and already that is just 18 days after Friday.
It is likely that Canuck Racing Stables’ Bedard can now re-enter the Plate, as he was scratched in the morning due to an error in medication administration.
But it remains to be seen if admission will revert back to free on Plate day Friday, allowing more of the the locals who attend the races frequently a chance to witness history.
My Boy Prince was the 5-to-2 favourite over Essex Serpent who was 7-to-2 and Midnight Mascot who was 9-to-2. All three are trained by Mark Casse.
