California’s signature summer race, the $1 million Pacific Classic Stakes Saturday at Del Mar, drew a competitive and large field of horses ages 3 and older vying for a fees-paid berth to the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Oct.
Last year, Canadian Hall of Famer trainer Josie Carroll told co-owner Andrew Rosen she believed their promising 2-year-old filly Luster would take the connections into the winner's circle in 2026 with a victory in the 167th King's Plate Stakes, the historic first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.
Ka Ying Rising, who has resumed training after a scheduled break, and Ombudsman, who is expected to run in the Juddmonte International Stakes, continue to lead the sixth edition of the 2026 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings with a 131 rating, while reigning U.S. Horse of the Year Sovereignty improved his rating by three points.
A celebration of racing in Canada, King’s Plate day offers a card full of stakes races and draws viewers worldwide. While the historic Canadian classic will receive the bulk of the attention, it is the excellent turf racing on Saturday which is the heart and soul of the afternoon at Woodbine.
