King's Plate

Woodbine Entertainment's 2023 Thoroughbred season produced an all-sources handle of $613,125,180 CAD, which was the second largest single-season recorded, but that overall number was down $8 million from 2022, the organization said in a release Wednesday. In 2023, a total of 1,180 races were contested over 128 dates of racing compared to 1,198 races over 132 dates in 2022. Woodbine ran four less dates and 18 less races in 2023 due to an unprecedented number of cancelled race cards (five) because of extreme heat and poor air quality caused by...

Kazushi Kimura earned his third consecutive riding title at Woodbine with 161 victories during the 2023 meeting which concluded Sunday, while Mark Casse was the track's leading trainer for the 15th time. "I am very grateful to all the trainers and owners who gave me an opportunity to ride so many great horses this year," Kimura said. "I'd like to thank the grooms, exercise riders, hot walkers, gate crew, outriders, and everyone who makes our sport so great. And I would like to thank all the horses, the stars of...

The King's Plate will be held in August for the third straight year in 2024 when it will be run Aug. 17 at Woodbine Racetrack. "This year's King's Plate was a big success, delivering a record handle, sold-out crowd and really exciting racing," said Michael Copeland, CEO of Woodbine. "The third weekend in August has been a good spot for attracting a quality field on the track and an energetic crowd off the track. Building on our momentum created at this year's Plate, we are excited to make the event...

Over a track surface turned sloppy by steady afternoon rain at Fort Erie, Velocitor (Mor Spirit) finally got the better of rival Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman) to take the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown in the Prince of Wales S. Fourth to the King's Plate S. winner in each of his last two starts, the dark bay gelding was able to turn the tables while drawn two gates to the outside of the 5/2 favorite. Outsprinted to the lead by Paramount Prince, Velocitor was able to tuck into...

On paper, it looks like 8-5 morning line favorite Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman) is the horse to beat in Tuesday's $400,000 Prince of Wales S. at Fort Erie, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. He's perfect around two turns and is coming off a front-running victory in the first leg of the series, the King's Plate. And once again, there doesn't appear to be another horse in the field who can keep this front-runner honest early. But this race always comes with a handicapping conundrum. How do you...

When it comes to breakdowns, the Tapeta surface at Woodbine isn't perfect. But it might be as close to perfect as any surface on the continent. While horses throughout North America broke down on the dirt at a rate of 1.44 per 1,000 starts in 2022, the rate of breakdowns over the synthetic surface at Woodbine was 0.42. This year, after about 4,500 starts over Tapeta there have been only two fatalities during races. Also, there have been about 14,000 published workouts over Woodbine's synthetic tracks and only two fatalities...

The 164th King's Plate generated the largest single-card handle in Woodbine Racetrack history on Sunday afternoon. A total of $18,127,049.67 was wagered on Sunday's 13-race King's Plate card, eclipsing the previous record of $18,005,973.60 from the 2019 Queen's Plate. The record handle is also a significant increase from last year's Queen's Plate handle of $13.6 million. "It's exciting to have ushered in a new era for the Plate in record-breaking fashion," said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. "We felt good about the buzz surrounding the first King's Plate in...

"What's in a name?" Spurning Master Shakespeare and embracing anecdotal evidence, consider the tale of how Saratoga's Oklahoma Training Track got its name. Horsemen complained that the distance across Union Avenue to the main course was such a hike that it might as well be in Boomer Sooner land. Another piece from the past concerns the name of the Alabama S. Dating to 1872, the race was given that moniker after the Derby-winning owner William Cottrell of Mobile asked if it could be dubbed after his home state, instead of...

A total of 17 sophomores--including Woodbine Oaks heroine Elysian Field (Hard Spun) and U.S.-based Kalik (Collected)-have signed on to contest Sunday's King's Plate, the initial jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown. Held at Woodbine's Trackside Clubhouse, Wednesday's King's Plate breakfast was highlighted by the post-position draw, which was co-hosted by Woodbine TV personality Jeff Bratt and Woodbine track announcer Robert Geller. Being run for the 164th time, making it North America's oldest continually run race, the 1 1/4-mile test will be contested as the King's Plate for the first...

Trudy Veinot's Dreamcatcher consignment makes its second auction appearance in the Fasig-Tipton July Sale of Selected Yearlings and, while a son of Gift Box (hip 107) is the veteran horsewoman's sole entry in the sale, she is excited about the colt's prospects in the ring Tuesday. Veinot, a transplanted Canadian now living in Lexington, purchased the colt for $30,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale. "I liked his frame," Veinot said of the weanling's appeal. "There wasn't a lot of meat on those bones, but there was a beautiful frame....

Woodbine Entertainment unveiled the stakes schedule Monday for the 2023 Thoroughbred racing season at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The program will offer more than $17 million in purses, including 39 graded stakes, five Grade I events and two $1 million classics, The King's Plate and Ricoh Woodbine Mile. "Highlighted by the return of the Canadian International, and the first running of The King's Plate in 70 years, this year's stakes program at Woodbine will be as exciting as ever," said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. The 164th running of...

Eclipse and Sovereign Award winner Kazushi Kimura earned his second consecutive Woodbine jockey crown at the recently concluded Woodbine Thoroughbred meet with 152 wins. Overall his mounts earned $8.9 million (CDN). Born in Hokkaido, Japan, Kimura joined the Woodbine jockey colony as a 19-year-old apprentice in 2018. He finished his first Woodbine campaign sixth in the standings with 89 wins and his mounts totaled more than $2.3 million in earnings which earned him an Eclipse Award as North America's outstanding apprentice jockey. He also took home the Sovereign Award as...