Locked Wins Cigar Mile, Poster Wins Remsen as Prat Sets Jockey Stakes Record
The $1 million King’s Plate is the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown as well as that country’s oldest Thoroughbred horse race. Founded in 1860, the King’s Plate is the oldest continuously run race in North America.
Held as the Queen’s Plate from 1952 to 2022 in honor of then-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II, the race was renamed the King’s Plate for 2023 after the accession of King Charles III following his mother’s passing Sept. 8, 2022.
Twelve horses have swept the Canadian Triple Crown races (although the Triple Crown was not officially established until 1959), which is comprised of the King’s/Queen’s Plate, Prince of Wales Stakes, and Breeders’ Stakes: Queensway (1932), Archworth (1939), Uttermost (1945), Ace Marine (1955), Canadian Champ (1956), New Providence (1959), Canebora (1963), With Approval (1989), Izvestia (1990), Dance Smartly (1991), Peteski (1993), and Wando (2003). Queensway and Dance Smartly are two of the 38 fillies to prevail in the Queen’s Plate, with the most recent female winner being Moira last year.
This year’s Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser winner, Elysian Field, has a chance on Aug. 20 at Woodbine to become the 39th filly to win the King’s Plate, a 1 ¼-mile race on the synthetic Tapeta Footings surface for 3-year-olds born in Canada.
America’s Best Racing will preview the 164th edition of big race on-site from Woodbine Aug. 19 with our “King's Plate Preview Livestream” hosted by Dan Tordjman, Rachel Miller, Ellis Starr, and J.D. Fox. The livestream is tentatively set to start at 4 p.m. ET and will feature guest handicappers and racing personalities. The same crew will return Aug. 20 and streaming a “King’s Plate Pre-Game Live Show” that will feature not only the marquee event but also other stakes races on the card earlier in the day, with a tentative start time of 3:30 p.m. ET.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the prospective field for this year’s race with contenders listed in post-position order and with morning-line odds added following the Aug. 16 draw.
1. Stanley House (4-1 morning-line odds)
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Trainer: Mike De Paulo
Owners: John E. Russell and Diana L. Russell
Career record: 7 starts – 2 wins – 3 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $128,009
Earnings per start: $18,287
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 103
Pedigree: Army Mule – Stormy's Song, by Unbridled's Song
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Stanley House’s stakes debut in the Plate Trial Stakes did not go as planned as he got away a step slow and trailed the 12-horse field through a half-mile as the even-money favorite. The colt from the first crop of Army Mule passed a half-dozen horses to finish sixth but earned the lowest Equibase Speed Figure of his career (88) after posting two wins and three seconds in his first six races, all on synthetic surfaces. Prior to the Plate Trial, Stanley House won a 1 1/16-mile allowance-optional claiming race on the Woodbine main track after racing in fourth early. He would benefit greatly in the King’s Plate if he could carve out a similar trip because, at his best (103 Equibase Speed Figure), he is fast enough to win but not fast enough to be four or five wide on the final turn with most of the field in front of him. Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano climbs aboard and has never won this race. Castellano, of course, has been on a roll in classic races this year having won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on Mage in May and the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets on Arcangelo in June. Castellano was second in the Queen's Plate in 2008 on Ginger Brew and in 2019 on Avie's Flatter.
2. Elysian Field (8-1)
Jockey: Sahin Civaci
Trainer: Mark Casse
Owners: Team Valor International and Gary Barber
Career record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $306,692
Earnings per start: $51,115
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97
Pedigree: Hard Spun – Elysian, by Smart Strike
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: The Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser winner is bidding to become the 39th filly to win the King’s Plate and the fifth in the last decade for a trainer who has trained two of them in Lexie Lou (2014) and Wonder Gadot (2018). Elysian Field started her career on turf before switching to a synthetic surface for her third career start and then earning hir first win in a three-quarter-mile sprint on the Woodbine Tapeta Footings surface April 30. She followed with a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Fury Stakes Presented by Stella Artois before closing from seventh to win the Woodbine Oaks by 2 ¼ lengths July 23. The Casse barn certainly warrants respect with a pair of wins in this classic race and co-owner Gary Barber was the owner of both Lexie Lou and Wonder Gadot, but their credentials were a bit stronger (certainly more robust) than Elysian Field’s entering the King’s Plate. Still, this filly should handle the distance, has a bit of tactical speed, and profiles as a leading win candidate.
3. Philip My Dear (30-1)
Jockey: Daisuke Fukumoto
Trainer: Kevin Attard
Owner: Raroma Stable
Career record: 7 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $308,965
Earnings per start: $44,138
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 90
Pedigree: Silent Name – Involuntary, by City Zip
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Last year’s Canadian champion 2-year-old male, Philip My Dear won three of five races in 2022, including a pair of stakes, and finished third in a Grade 1 race on turf. If the King’s Plate was held on grass, the Silent Name colt would very likely vie for favoritism with three wins in his four turf starts. But, he has yet to win a race on a synthetic surface and was well-beaten in both of his starts as a 3-year-old, both on the Tapeta Footings main track at Woodbine. The class is undeniable but with both form and surface questions Philip My Dear profiles as a longshot. He did finish third, beaten by less than a length, in the 1 1/8-mile Coronation Futurity in his final start of 2022, but he has yet to find his best form this season. Trainer Kevin Attard won this race last year with Moira; jockey Daisuke Fukumoto rode Mighty Heart to victory in the 2020 Queen’s Plate.
4. Twin City (30-1)
Jockey: Gary Boulanger
Trainer: Stuart Simon
Owners: Brent McLellan, Russell McLellan, Roy McLellan, and Stuart Simon
Career record: 8 starts – 2 wins – 4 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $209,914
Earnings per start: $26,239
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 91
Pedigree: Klimt – Minnie Apple Is, by Harlan's Holiday
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Twin City earned a career-best 91 Equibase Speed Figure when third in the Plate Trial Stakes, and in May he won the seven-furlong King Corrie Stakes. He’s an honest racehorse who has finished in the top three in seven of his eight career starts – three of his four runner-up finishes came by a neck or less – but he needs to improve his speed figure by five to 10 points to be a win candidate in the King’s Plate. In addition to being cleverly named as a foal out of the mare Minnie Apple Is, this gelding is a good bet to outrun his odds and could spice up the exotics at a big price. Jockey Gary Boulanger won this race all the way back in 2001 aboard Dancethruthedawn.
5. Morstachy’s (50-1)
Jockey: Leo Salles
Trainer: Renico Lafond
Owners: Kris Manohar
Career record: 11 starts – 1 win – 3 seconds – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $56,303
Earnings per start: $5,118
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 82
Pedigree: Mor Spirit – Wekiva Mist, by Wekiva Springs
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Expect Morstachy’s to vie for the longest odds in the field with only one victory in a maiden-optional claiming race at 6 ½ furlongs to show for his 11 starts. He is unplaced in two starts around two turns and would need to improve his Equibase Speed Figure by 10 to 15 points just to vie for a top-three finish. He was claimed trainer Renico Lafond on behalf of owner Kris Manohar out of his most recent start, a fifth-place finish in a sprint race July 23 at Woodbine, so perhaps Lafond sees an opportunity to bring out something in this Mor Spirit gelding with a change in equipment or tactics. Morstachy’s is Lafond's first starter in the King's Plate.
6. Kalik (3-1)
Jockey: Kazushi Kimura
Trainer: Chad Brown
Owners: Robert V. LaPenta, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, and Madaket Stables
Career record: 6 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $228,425
Earnings per start: $38,071
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 98
Pedigree: Collected – Coronation Street, by Street Cry
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Kalik opened his 3-year-old season with three straight wins on the grass, including a front-running, one-length win in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes June 3 at Belmont Park. After an unplaced finish in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes in July, this colt from the first crop of Collected was pointed to the King’s Plate and will make his first start on a synthetic surface in the 1 ¼-mile Canadian classic. His tactical speed should be an asset in the King’s Plate – he has won from off the pace and while setting easy factions on the turf – and if he handles the transition to synthetic, Kalik looks like a major player in the race. Last year’s winner, Moira, was owned by a partnership that included Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, part of the ownership group that races Kalik.
7. Velocitor (30-1)
Jockey: Justin Stein
Trainer: Kevin Attard
Owners: Al and Bill Ulwelling
Career record: 8 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $232,109
Earnings per start: $29,014
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 90
Pedigree: Mor Spirit – Polar Plunge, by Successful Appeal
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Last year’s Coronation Futurity winner at 1 1/8 miles on this main track has been soundly defeated in three starts this season. His most recent race, fourth in the Plate Trial when beaten by 5 ½ lengths, was his best start of the year and produced a career-best 90 Equibase Speed Figure, so there is some reason for optimism. But the gap between Velocitor and the best of his peers this season appears to be significant and he would need both a form reversal and a major improvement just to finish in the trifecta in this year’s classic. Trainer Kevin Attard won this race last year with Moira; jockey Justin Stein scored a win in the 2012 Queen’s Plate on Strait of Dover.
8. Wickenheiser (12-1)
Jockey: Rafael Hernandez
Trainer: Kevin Attard
Owners: Clay Scherer, Al Ulwelling, Bill Ulwelling, and Kevin Attard
Career record: 6 starts – 1 win – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $170,739
Earnings per start: $28,457
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 96
Pedigree: Lemon Drop Kid – Game, by Montjeu
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: A deep closer, Wickenheiser rallied from out of the clouds to finish second to Elysian Field in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser. She is still in search of her first stakes win, but the King’s Plate could be a great opportunity with a good number of contenders boasting early speed that could set up her closing kick and her stout stamina pedigree. She is by 1999 Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid out of the Montjeu mare Game, who has produced Canadian classic winners Season Ticket and Belichick, the 2020 Queen’s Plate runner-up and Breeders’ Stakes victor. Season Ticket and Belichick also are by Lemon Drop Kid and thus full siblings to Wickenheiser. If the tempo is at least honest early, expect Wickenheiser to be surging past opponents in deep stretch in the King’s Plate with a great shot to finish in the top three and a legitimate chance to win. Trainer Kevin Attard and Rafael Hernandez teamed to win this race last year with the filly Moira and will seek a repeat. Hernandez also won the race in 2015 aboard Shaman Ghost.
9. Silent Miracle (30-1)
Jockey: Ryan Munger
Trainer: John Mattine
Owner: RCC Racing Stable Ltd.
Career record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $84,977
Earnings per start: $16,995
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 94
Pedigree: Silent Name – Broken Meadow, by Broken Vow
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: The class test will be the key for Silent Miracle in the King’s Plate. He’s won three of his five career starts and enters the race off a 2 ¾-length win going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Woodbine, but he has never competed in a stakes race. One other knock on him is that his career-best speed figure came in a win at seven-eighths of a mile. He did show a new dimension when leading from start to finish in his most recent win and with his tactical speed he figures to be in the mix near the top of the stretch. If you are a believer in this Silent Name gelding from the family of 2018 Woodbine Oaks winner Dixie Moon, you figure to be rewarded nicely if he aces the class test. This will be jockey Ryan Munger’s first start in the King’s Plate.
10. Midnight in Malibu (30-1)
Jockey: Adam Beschizza
Trainer: Sid Attard
Owner: Tucci Holdings
Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $90,930
Earnings per start: $18,186
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 95
Pedigree: Midnight Lute – I Thirtyfive, by Malibu Moon
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Midnight in Malibu was winless in his first two starts of 2023 before a breakout performance in a July 23 allowance-optional claiming race on the synthetic main track at Woodbine, where he rallied to win the 1 1/16-mile event by a neck for a career-best Equibase Speed Figure. He won one of two races as a 2-year-old but has never competed in a stakes race and thus faces a major class hurdle in this Canadian classic. So far in his career, he’s been an all-or-nothing type with two wins and three unplaced finishes in his five races, so if you fancy swinging for the fences this one might be your play. Owner Tucci Holdings won this race in 2013 with Midnight Aria. Trainer Sid Attard finished second in the race in 1992 with Grand Hooley and in 2021 with Riptide Rock and also has a pair of third-place finishes. This will be jockey Adam Beschizza’s first start in the King’s Plate.
11. Touch’n Ride (12-1)
Jockey: Jose Campos
Trainer: Layne Giliforte
Owners: Chiefswood Stables Limited
Career record: 2 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $47,053
Earnings per start: $23,527
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 92
Pedigree: Candy Ride – Niigon's Touch, by Niigon
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: The most lightly raced 3-year-old in the field, Touch’n Ride did not make his career debut until July 1, 2023, and earned his first win July 30 at Woodbine in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race. He turned heads in that victory, switching from turf to the synthetic Tapeta Footings surface and rolling to a 5 ¼-length romp. There is significant upside in this talented Candy Ride gelding, a half-brother (same dam, different sire) to 2018 Breeders’ Stakes winner Neepawa, but going from career debut to Canadian classic in seven weeks and one day is a massive challenge. Touch’n Ride is a homebred of Chiefswood Stables, which also bred and owned 2004 Queen’s Plate winner Niigon. If you are looking for a live longshot with a chance to outrun his odds in the King’s Plate, you could do worse than Touch’n Ride, who will be trainer Layne Giliforte's first starter in the King's Plate. This also will be jockey Jose Campos’s first start in the King’s Plate.
12. Cool Kiss (30-1)
Jockey: Emma-Jayne Wilson
Trainer: Mike De Paulo
Owners: Newtop Stables, John Russell and Joseph De Paulo
Career record: 8 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $124,454
Earnings per start: $15,557
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 92
Pedigree: Kantharos – Hot Kiss, by Philanthropist
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Cool Kiss was unplaced in four previous races against stakes competition before finishing second at 18.80-1 odds in the Plate Trial Stakes July 23. While that was a much-improved effort against classy competition, he was five lengths behind Paramount Prince and would very likely need to improve his speed figure by about 10 points to be a serious threat to win the King’s Plate. On the bright side, there looks like sufficient pace to set up Cool Kiss’s closing kick and the odds should be very appealing. A victory would be a surprise but Cool Kiss stands a good chance to spice up the trifecta or superfecta payouts. Emma-Jayne Wilson became the first female rider to win the King’s/Queen’s Plate when she guided Mike Fox to victory in 2007.
13. Paramount Prince (10-1)
Jockey: Patrick Husbands
Trainer: Mark Casse
Owners: Michael J. Langlois and Gary Barber
Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $138,579
Earnings per start: $27,716
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 99
Pedigree: Society's Chairman – Platinum Steel, by Eddington
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Pacesetter/Press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: After running second to fellow King’s Plate entrant Kaukokaipuu in the Queenston Stakes June 11, Paramount Price took a massive step forward when stretching out in distance to 1 1/8 miles for the Plate Trial Stakes July 23. The Society’s Chairman gelding opened a clear early lead and led every step of the way in a five-length runaway. He earned a career-best 99 Equibase Speed Figure for the Plate Trial win and looks like a major player in this race for two-time Plate-winning trainer Mark Casse. Gary Barber, who co-owns Paramount Prince with Michael Langlois, won this race twice with Lexie Lou (2014) and Wonder Gadot (2018), both trained by Casse. Expect jockey Patrick Husbands, who earned his second win in this race aboard the aforementioned Lexie Lou, to send Paramount Price right to the front and play catch me if you can. Husbands also won the Queen’s Plate in 2003 on Triple Crown winner Wando.
14. Twowaycrossing (30-1)
Jockey: Antonio Gallardo
Trainer: Roger Attfield
Owner: Roger Attfield
Career record: 7 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $71,333
Earnings per start: $10,248
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 95
Pedigree: English Channel – Double Guns Girl, by Langfuhr
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Following a debut win on the grass in October 2022, Twowaycrossing was unplaced and well-beaten in five straight starts before waking up in his most recent race. The English Channel gelding from the family of 2019 Kentucky Derby winner Country House made his second start on the synthetic main track at Woodbine in a July 30 optional-claiming race going 1 1/16 miles and closed from eighth early to win by a neck. He finished ninth in the 2022 Coronation Futurity in his lone previous attempt in a stakes race, so jumping back into stakes company is a tall order in a Canadian classic. U.S. and Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield is tied for the most wins in the history of this race with eight, winning his first in 1976 with Norcliffe and most recently with Not Bourbon in 2008. Should Twowaycrossing win, Attfield would break a tie with Harry Giddings Jr.
15. Kaukokaipuu (6-1)
Jockey: Rico Walcott
Trainer: Ted Holder
Owner: Culpepper Island Syndicate
Career record: 11 starts – 2 wins – 7 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $224,413
Earnings per start: $20,401
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 89
Pedigree: Mr Speaker – Grey Pride, by Mizzen Mast
Color: Gray or roan
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Kaukokaipuu needed nine races to earn his first victory on May 20 at Woodbine, but notice all of the seconds on his record and you’ll understand that he had been knocking on the door for quite a while prior to the breakthrough win in a seven-furlong race. He followed with a rallying 1 ¼-length victory in the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes on the synthetic surface at Woodbine, and most recently led into deep stretch when stretching out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes before he was caught late in a runner-up finish. The Mr Speaker colt was beaten by only a half-length in his graded stakes debut, but being caught late in his first try navigating two turns raises questions about whether he can handle this 1 ¼-mile distance. Kaukokaipuu, who hails from a family that produced Canadian champions Catch the Ring and Catch the Thrill, should be right in the hunt near the top of the stretch but carrying his speed to the finish line appears to be a significant hurdle. Kaukokaipuu is a Finnish word that means wanderlust or a craving for a distant land. Kaukokaipuu will be trainer Ted Holder's first starter in the King's Plate.
16. El Cohete (50-1)
Jockey: Eswan Flores
Trainer: Mike De Paulo
Owners: Annecchini and D'Alimonte Holdings Inc.
Career record: 4 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $44,313
Earnings per start: $11,078
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 83
Pedigree: Society's Chairman – Diannecantretire, by Tale of the Cat
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Pacesetter
Notable achievements and interesting facts: His lone victory in four career races came in a turf sprint, but El Cohete has run well on the main track at Woodbine in his two most recent starts, both at 1 1/16 miles. He finished second by a nose in an optional-claiming race July 7 and then third, beaten by 1 ½ lengths, in an optional-claiming race July 30. In both races, the Society’s Chairman gelding set the pace and led into the stretch before giving way late and, at the very least, he appears to be one of three or four runners who will be challenging for the early lead. Speed figures indicate he would need to improve by about 10 to 12 points in his stakes debut to be a serious contender, but if El Cohete (which translates to Rocket) is left alone on the lead he could be in striking range in early stretch. Not sure he’s fast enough to run with Paramount Prince early but he could make things tough on him in the opening half-mile. This will be jockey Eswan Flores’s first start in the King’s Plate.
17. Moon Landing (20-1)
Jockey: Luis Contreras
Trainer: Kevin Attard
Owners: Robert V. LaPenta, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, and Madaket Stables
Career record: 6 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $64,742
Earnings per start: $10,790
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 95
Pedigree: Nyquist – Fragrance, by Malibu Moon
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: After a disastrous start in the Queenston Stakes when he got off to a poor start and trailed the 12-horse field throughout as the 2.40-1 favorite, Moon Landing rebounded with a third-place finish, beaten by a neck, in a 1 1/16-mile allowance-optional claiming race July 23. The bay colt by Nyquist earned a career-best 95 Equibase Speed Figure for that effort but he is winless in five starts since a debut victory sprinting on the main track at Woodbine last November. His best effort between his maiden win and most recent start was a fourth-place finish on the road to the Kentucky Derby in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes March 4 when he rallied from ninth to within a head of the lead in the stretch before fading late. Distance and class are two significant questions for Moon Landing entering the King’s Plate, but with the right setup he could rally for a minor award at a big price. Trainer Kevin Attard won this race last year with Moira, who was owned in part by one of Moon Landing’s co-owners, Madaket Stables. Jockey Luis Contreras won this race in 2011 on Inglorious and in 2017 on Holy Helena.
ALSO ELIGIBLES (NEED ONE OR MORE DEFECTIONS TO MAKE THE 17-HORSE FIELD):
(Also-Eligible) 18. Enjoythesilent
Jockey: TBD
Trainer: Kevin Attard
Owners: Lanni Bloodstock, Daniel Plouffe, and Canuck Racing Club
Career record: 4 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $43,633
Earnings per start: $10,908
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 88
Pedigree: Silent Name – Spun Lace, by Hard Spun
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This full-brother (same dam [mother], same sire) to multiple stakes winner Zestina looks like he will need one defection to qualify for the 2023 King’s Plate, which is capped at 17 runners. The Silent Name gelding enters off a runner-up finish by a neck in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming race on the synthetic main track at Woodbine July 30 behind King’s Plate runner Twowaycrossing and ahead of another hopeful in El Cohete. All three from that race profile as longshots who would need to flash significant improvement to finish in the top three in this 1 ¼-mile Canadian classic, but Enjoythesilent looks like he should relish the added distance were he to get into the race for trainer Kevin Attard, who won the Queen’s Plate a year ago with Moira.
(Also-Eligible) 19. Runaway Charlie
Jockey: TBD
Trainer: Michael J. Doyle
Owners: Stronach Stables
Career record: 3 starts – 0 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $17,568
Earnings per start: $5,856
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 85
Pedigree: Ghostzapper – Devine Aida, by Unbridled's Song
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This Ghostzapper colt, a full-sibling (same dam [mother], same sire [father]) to 2022 Queen’s Plate winner Moira, would need two defections from the main body of the 17-horse field to make the starting gate on Sunday. Runaway Charlie was unplaced in his first two starts, both on turf, but showed nice improvement with a surface shirt to the synthetic Tapeta Footings surface at Woodbine. He was in contention in deep stretch of a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight race July 9 and battled gamely to finish second, beaten by 3 ½ lengths. He improved his Equibase Speed Figure by 13 points in the win, but he would need to take another jump to be a threat in the King’s Plate should he draw into the race and probably would be the longest shot in the field. Owner Stronach Stables has won this race four times with Basqueian (1994), Awesome Again (1997), Shaman Ghost (2015), and Holy Helena (2017).