The $1 million Queen’s Plate is the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown as well as that country’s oldest Thoroughbred horse race. In fact, founded in 1860, the Queen’s Plate is the oldest continuously run race in North America.

Twelve horses have swept the Canadian Triple Crown races (although the Triple Crown was not officially established until 1959), which is comprised of the 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 37 fillies to prevail in the Queen’s Plate, with the most recent female winner being Wonder Gadot in 2018.

This year’s Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser winner, Moira, has a strong chance on Aug. 21 at Woodbine to become the 38^th filly to win the 163^rd edition of the Queen’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 big race on-site from Woodbine Aug. 21 with our “Queen’s Plate Pre-Game Live!” livestream hosted by Dan Tordjman, Dawn Lupul and J.D. Fox. The livestream is tentatively set to start at 4 p.m. ET, airing on ABR’s social media channels, and will feature guest handicappers and racing personalities.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the prospective field for this year’s race in post position order with morning-line odds following the Aug. 17 draw.

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1. Hall of Dreams (12-1 morning-line odds)

Jockey: Patrick Husbands

Trainer: Mark Casse

Owners: Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch and Leonard Schleifer

Career record: 7 starts – 1 win – 4 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $113,287

Earnings per start: $16,184

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 87

Pedigree: Lemon Drop Kid – Hallnor, by Horse Chestnut

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: The Plate Trial Stakes runner-up has been remarkably consistent so far in his career for a racehorse who needed six tries to earn his first win. He has finished in the top three in all six of his starts in two-turn races, although he was disqualified from third and placed 10^th in his career debut. Hall of Dreams’ lone poor start to date came in a sprint race in May. Other than his debut and the aforementioned sprint, Hall of Dreams has earned an 87 Equibase Speed Figure for each of those five starts with one win and four seconds to show for that consistency. After his breakthrough win by 1 ¼ lengths June 25 at Woodbine, Hall of Dreams proved capable of a step up in class in the Plate Trial in his final prep for the Queen’s Plate. He might not be fast enough to win the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, but this gelding always runs his race and looks like a solid option at what figures to be an appealing price to fill out one of the spots in the trifecta. U.S. and Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse is seeking his third victory in the Queen’s Plate after winning in 2014 with Lexie Lou and 2018 with Wonder Gadot. Both of those fillies were campaigned by Hall of Dreams’ co-owner Gary Barber. Jockey Patrick Husbands won the Queen’s Plate in 2003 with Triple Crown winner Wando and in 2014 with Lexie Lou.

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2. Shamateur (30-1)

Jockey: Luis Contreras

Trainer: Sid Attard

Owner: Stronach Stables

Career record: 8 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $77,252

Earnings per start: $9,657

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 78

Pedigree: Shaman Ghost – Sky High Gal, by Leroidesanimaux

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Shamateur is bidding to give Stronach Stables/Frank Stronach a fifth win in the Queen’s Plate after victories by Basqueian (1994), Awesome Again (1997), Shaman Ghost (2015), and Holy Helena (2017). A Stronach Stables homebred by the aforementioned Shaman Ghost, Shamateur profiles as one of the bigger longshots in the field as he’s been unplaced in three previous stakes races and was beaten by five or more lengths in five consecutive races after his maiden victory in September 2021 before a promising second on grass in his most recent race July 1 at Woodbine. On paper, Shamateur does not look fast or consistent enough to be a serious factor in the Queen’s Plate but he should offer fantastic odds plus a classy pedigree for bettors who find a silver lining in his past performances. The best bright spot I found was elite connections. In addition to legendary owner-breeder Stronach Stables, Shamateur is trained by Canadian Hall of Famer Sid Attard and has the services of jockey Luis Contreras, who won the Queen’s Plate in 2011 aboard Inglorious and on Holy Helena in 2017.

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3. Ironstone (12-1)

Jockey: Kazushi Kimura

Trainer: Willie Armata

Owners: Tequesta Racing and Jupiter Leasing

Career record: 9 starts – 2 wins – 3 seconds – 3 thirds

Career earnings: $275,671

Earnings per start: $30,630

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97

Pedigree: Mr Speaker – Casey's Dreamin', by Unbridled's Song

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Pacesetter/Press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: The most experienced runner in the field with nine starts, Ironstone is a multiple stakes-winning sprinter who also has held his own when stretching out in distance. He ran second as a 2-year-old in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on this synthetic main track at Woodbine and, most recently, set the pace before fading to third in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes, which was won by fellow Queen’s Plate entrant Rondure. He’s talented and fast – he hails from the family of two-time champion sprinter Housebuster – but distance looms the major question for Ironstone, who has never competed in a race longer than 1 1/16 miles. Trainer Willie Armata has been training him with a sequence of longer (three-quarter-mile) workouts to help build stamina, so Ironstone could lead a long way in the Queen’s Plate but it would be a bit of a surprise if he were to hold on to win. Armata’s father, Vito, trained T J’s Lucky Moon, author of an 82-1 upset victory in the 2002 Queen’s Plate.

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4. The Minkster (10-1)

Jockey: David Moran

Trainer: Daniel Vella

Owners: Sea Glass Stables

Career record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $226,059

Earnings per start: $56,515

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97

Pedigree: English Channel – Cabriole, by Flatter

Color: Bay

Running style: Press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: The Minkster looked like perhaps the top Queen’s Plate contender when he improved to 3-for-3 with a win in the Queenston Stakes June 12 in his season debut. With a win at 1 1/8 miles on the main track at Woodbine as a 2-year-old, he was the 9-5 favorite for the Plate Trial Stakes at the same track and distance, but he faded late and finished a disappointing sixth, beaten by six lengths. That race produced a 21.85-1 upset winner in Sir for Sure and several other runners who came up short in that race return for another chance at the big prize. If you can forgive one bad performance in an odd race, The Minkster certainly fits from a speed-figure and class perspective in what will be his third race after a long layoff. Trainer Daniel Vella won the Queen’s Plate in 1994 with Basqueian and in 2012 with Strait of Dover.

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5. Duke of Love (5-1)

Jockey: Justin Stein

Trainer: Josie Carroll

Owners: MyRacehorse

Career record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $127,656

Earnings per start: $21,276

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 94

Pedigree: Cupid – Tell the Duchess, by Smart Strike

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker/Press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Duke of Love has been very good in six starts and proved capable of competing at this level, but he just has not been able to get over the hump in a stakes race. His two wins to date both came in sprints, a debut win last November on this synthetic main track at Woodbine and an allowance win here in May. Since then, he has finished fourth in the Queenston Stakes, second by 5 ½ lengths in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes, and most recently fourth in the Plate Trial Stakes July 24. While he encountered some trouble in the Plate Trial that hampered his chances, Duke of Love did not flash the finishing punch in his prior two starts that it would require to win the Queen’s Plate. Duke of Love will need to show improvement to win this race, but he’s always run well and gives himself a chance in the stretch for Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Josie Carroll, who has won this race on three previous occasions: Edenwold (2006), Inglorious (2011), and Mighty Heart (2020). Jockey Justin Stein won the Queen’s Plate in 2012 on Strait of Dover.

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6. Rondure (3-1)

Jockey: Flavien Prat

Trainer: Katerina Vassilieva

Owner: Borders Racing Stable

Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $152,735

Earnings per start: $30,547

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 98

Pedigree: Oxbow – Carat Weight, by Trajectory

Color: Bay

Running style: Press the pace/Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Winless in two starts as a 2-year-old, Rondure has blossomed at age 3 with two wins and a second in three starts. He comes into the classic off a monster win utilizing new tactics while stretching out in distance in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes July 2 at Woodbine. In his first start around two turns, Rondure pressed the pace from second in the Marine and surged clear to a 5 ¾-length romp to earn a career-top 98 Equibase Speed Figure and 96 Beyer Speed Figure. If able to duplicate that race with plenty of rest (seven weeks), Rondure will be very difficult to beat in the Queen’s Plate. He figures to vie for favoritism with Woodbine Oaks winner Moira and should be considered a top threat to reach the winner’s circle, especially with the addition of elite U.S.-based jockey Flavien Prat, who won the Queen’s Plate in 2019 aboard One Bad Boy.

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7. Dancin in Da’nile (30-1)

Jockey: Shaun Bridgmohan

Trainer: Gail Cox

Owners: Sam-Son Farm

Career record: 5 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third

Career earnings: $108,668

Earnings per start: $21,734

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97

Pedigree: Pioneerof the Nile – Dance Again, by Awesome Again

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Sam-Son Farm, the owner-breeder of Dancin in Da’nile, is seeking its sixth win in the Queen’s Plate, which includes 1991 Canadian Triple Crown winner Dance Smartly, a U.S. and Canadian Hall of Famer. Sam-Son’s other four Queen’s Plate winners are Regal Intention (1988), Scatter the Gold (2000), Dancethruthedawn (2001), and Eye of the Leopard (2009), and the farm’s Queen’s Plate connection runs deep as it pertains to Dancin in Da’nile. Dancethruthedawn is his third dam (maternal great-grandmother) and her full-brother (same sire, same dam) is Scatter the Gold, both of whom were produced by Dancin in Da’nile’s fourth dam (maternal great-great grandmother), Dance Smartly. While impeccably bred, Dancin in Da’nile’s on-track performance has been inconsistent. Since winning his debut in October 2021 on the synthetic surface at Woodbine, the Pioneerof the Nile colt has not been able to return to the winner’s circle. He finished second to The Minkster in the Coronation Futurity in his final race as a 2-year-old, but is winless in two races this year with his best effort a close third on the grass in June. Coming off a well-beaten fifth in the Plate Trial Stakes, Dancin in Da’nile would need to take a major step forward to be a win candidate in the Queen’s Plate.

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8. Moira (5-2)

Jockey: Rafael Hernandez

Trainer: Kevin Attard

Owners: X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables and SF Racing

Career record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $440,331

Earnings per start: $110,083

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97

Pedigree: Ghostzapper – Devine Aida, by Unbridled's Song

Color: Bay

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: The filly is named after Catherine O’Hara’s character, Moira Rose, in the hit TV show “Schitt’s Creek.” Moira, the racehorse, is a half-length away from being undefeated and enters the Queen’s Plate off a dominant 10 ¾-length victory in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser on July 24 on this track. Her lone defeat in four starts was a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes last November, and she appears to be a significantly better filly than she was 8 ½ months ago. After winning the Stella Artois Fury Stakes sprinting in her first start in six months, she completely outclassed the opposition in the Woodbine Oaks. Taking on males in the Queen’s Plate presents a formidable challenge, but 37 fillies have won the race since its inception in 1860, including three of the last eight editions, and Moira appears to be as fast as the opposition from a speed-figure perspective. Trainer Kevin Attard is seeking his first win in the Queen’s Plate; jockey Rafael Manuel Hernandez won the race in 2015 on Shaman Ghost.

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9. Hunt Master (30-1)

Jockey: Emma-Jayne Wilson

Trainer: Angus Buntain

Owners: Openwood Farm

Career record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 2 thirds

Career earnings: $86,525

Earnings per start: $14,421

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 82

Pedigree: Hunters Bay – Lady Marchfield, by Marchfield

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This gelding by Hunters Bay will be making his stakes debut in the Queen’s Plate after running in optional-claiming races – from maiden to allowance level – in his first six starts. Although he was not offered for a claiming price in any of those starts, the Queen’s Plate obviously represents a significant class test for Hunt Master, who has never finished worse than third. He very likely would need to improve his previous best Equibase Speed Figure by 15 to 20 points to challenge for the win in this classic race, which is a bit improbable although not impossible for a lightly raced 3-year-old in August. He could sneak into the trifecta or superfecta and a big price – Hunt Master almost certainly will be one of the bigger longshots in the race – under Emma-Jayne Wilson, who won the Queen’s Plate in 2007 on Mike Fox.

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10. Sir for Sure (8-1)

Jockey: Declan Carroll

Trainer: Mark Casse

Owners: Heste Sport

Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 1 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $124,198

Earnings per start: $24,840

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 92

Pedigree: Sligo Bay – Serena’s Rose, by My Way Only

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker/closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Sir for Sure was an upset winner ($45.70 to win) of the Plate Trial Stakes July 24 at Woodbine that cemented his credentials as a Queen’s Plate contender. His fans surely will not get a price like that again in this first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown. It looks pretty clear now that this Sligo Bay gelding is a much better horse in longer races as his two wins both came in races going around two turns and his three defeats –  two in 2021 as a 2-year-old – came in sprints. His two-length win in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial was even more impressive considering what he overcame to prevail: hopping at the start and trailing in the opening strides and then finding traffic on the final turn while racing wide. Based on speed figures, Sir for Sure would very likely need to post a career-best race to win the Queen’s Plate, but he should relish the 1 ¼-mile distance and looks to be a 3-year-old on the rise. U.S. and Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse is seeking his third victory in the Queen’s Plate after winning in 2014 with Lexie Lou and 2018 with Wonder Gadot.

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11. Causin’ Mayhem (6-1)

Jockey: Antonio Gallardo

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owner: Chiefswood Stables Limited

Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third

Career earnings: $71,713

Earnings per start: $23,904

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 95

Pedigree: Into Mischief – Five N Forty, by Distorted Humor

Color: Bay

Running style: Pacesetter/Press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher shipped Causin’ Mayhem north to Canada for the Plate Trial Stakes after a front-running maiden victory going a mile on a muddy track at Belmont Park June 3. The Into Mischief colt set a pressured pace in the Plate Trial, faded to fifth for a short time in the stretch, but battled back late to finish third. If you view the Plate Trial as a solid learning experience for a 3-year-old in his third start, you easily can envision a scenario where Causin’ Mayhem improves significantly in only his fourth race of the year, albeit against significantly better competition. He certainly should have a better foundation and improved fitness coming out of his first try around two turns for a trainer who knows how to prep a 3-year-old for a big target (remember Mo Donegal’s Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets in June!). Pletcher’s lone win in the Queen’s Plate came in 1998 with Archers Bay; owner Chiefswood Stables won this race in 2004 with Niigon.