Preakness Quick Sheet: Get to Know the 2021 Preakness Horses
My Boy Prince, shown winning the Plate Trial Stakes July 20, headlines the 165th edition of the King’s Plate Stakes Aug. 17 at Woodbine. (Michael Burns/Woodbine)
Woodbine will host the 165th edition of the King’s Plate Stakes on Friday, Aug, 23. The $1 million race — originally slated for Aug. 17 but rescheduled due to inclement weather — is one of the highest-profile events in Canadian sports as well as the oldest continuously run race in North America.
Founded in 1860, the King’s Plate is historically named in honor of the reigning monarch. Held as the Queen’s Plate from 1952 to 2022 in honor of 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.
The King’s Plate is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown and is followed by the Prince of Wales Stakes run at Fort Erie Race Track, and the Breeders’ Stakes run back at Woodbine.
Twelve horses have swept the Canadian Triple Crown races (although the Triple Crown was not officially established until 1959): 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 in 2022 for trainer Kevin Attard.
Michael Burns/Woodbine
1. Jokestar (20-1 morning-line odds)
Jockey: Emma-Jayne Wilson
Trainer: Kevin Attard
Owners: Al and Bill Ulwelling
Career record: 8 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $74,789
Earnings per start: $9,349
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 94
Pedigree: Practical Joke – Starmaline, by Star Guitar
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer/stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: The bay Practical Joke gelding typically gives an honest effort in his races and is in the mix at the end, but he has not won often and finished unplaced most recently in his stakes debut. In the Plate Trial Stakes, Jokestar passed a few horses to draw within four lengths of the lead but flattened out late while fifth, 5 ¼ lengths behind winner My Boy Prince. His speed figures indicate he’s fast enough to be competitive with a top effort, but rounding out the trifecta or superfecta at a big price might be the ceiling for Jokestar if he gets a fast pace to set up his closing kick. Trainer Kevin Attard won this race in 2022 with Moira; jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson’s only King’s Plate victory to date came on Mike Fox in 2007.
2. Rafaroo (8-1)
Jockey: Ryan Munger
Trainer: Harold Ladouceur
Owner: Stronach Stables
Career record: 2 starts – 0 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $38,210
Earnings per start: $19,105
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 93
Pedigree: Hard Spun – Light Green, by Pleasantly Perfect
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Closer/stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Rafaroo is the least experienced runner in the field for the King’s Plate with only two starts, both second-place finishes. Although still seeking his first win, Rafaroo enters the Canadian classic off a runner-up finish at 26.70-1 odds to probable favorite My Boy Prince in the Plate Trial Stakes July 20 at 1 1/8 miles on the all-weather Tapeta Footings surface. Given this is just his third start, you could make an argument that no entrant in the 2024 King’s Plate has as much upside as Rafaroo, a full brother (same dam [mother], same sire [father]) to 2019 Saratoga Special Stakes winner Green Light Go. At the same time, he’s facing the best competition of his career and stretching out to 1 ¼ miles with very little foundation while needing to improve to be a serious contender. It would be easy to look at a maiden and dismiss his chances in the King’s Plate, but that might be a costly mistake with Rafaroo who has a great shot to outrun his odds for owner Stronach Stables (Frank Stronach), which won the King’s/Queen’s Plate previously with Basqueian (1994), Awesome Again (1997), Shaman Ghost (2015), and Holy Helena (2017). Rafaroo and Vitality will be trainer Harold Ladouceur’s first King’s Plate starters.
Michael Burns/Woodbine
3. Essex Serpent (2-1)
Jockey: Patrick Husbands
Trainer: Mark Casse
Owners: Manfred and Penny Conrad
Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $135,565
Earnings per start: $45,188
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 100
Pedigree: Honor Code – Eileen’s Girl, by Medaglia d’Oro
Color: Bay
Running style: Press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Essex Serpent enters the King’s Plate off a front-running, one-length victory in the Grade 3 HPIbet Marine Stakes June 29 at 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather Tapeta Footings surface at Woodbine. That victory and its resulting 100 Equibase Speed Figure stamp the Honor Code colt a top threat to win the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown and give Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse his fourth career win in the King’s Plate. Essex Serpent has shown speed in his two wins from three starts and overcame a slow start in his other race, the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes, to finish second. Casse’s previous three wins in the race came with Lexie Lou (2014), Wonder Gadot (2018), and Paramount Prince (2023). Jockey Patrick Husbands won aboard Lexie Lou and Paramount Prince and added a third win in 2003 aboard Canadian Triple Crown winner Wando.
Michael Burns/Woodbine
4. Caitlinhergrtness (12-1)
Jockey: Rafael Hernandez
Trainer: Kevin Attard
Owners: Siena Farm and WinStar Farm
Career record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $187,010
Earnings per start: $31,168
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 94
Pedigree: Omaha Beach – Belatrix, by Giant’s Causeway
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Caitlinhergrtness enters the King’s Plate off a runner-up finish by a neck in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Stella Artois in which she led into deep stretch and earned a new career-best Equibase Speed Figure in defeat. That was her first try on the all-weather Tapeta Footings surface at Woodbine as her two victories came at a mile on the main track at Aqueduct in September 2023 and in a turf race at Woodbine July 6 in her final prep for the Woodbine Oaks. The filly from the first crop of 2019 Arkansas Derby winner Omaha Beach now takes on males in the King’s Plate for trainer Kevin Attard, who won the race with the filly Moira two years ago, and figures to be one of the favorites. Jockey Rafael Hernandez was aboard Moira for her win in this race in 2022 and also won with Shaman Ghost in 2015. Caitlinhergrtness hails from the family that produced important European sire Shamardal as well as Street Cry, the sire of superstar Zenyatta.
Michael Burns/Woodbine
5. Midnight Mascot (10-1)
Jockey: Luis Contreras
Trainer: Mark Casse
Owners: Manfred and Penny Conrad
Career record: 8 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 3 thirds
Career earnings: $173,873
Earnings per start: $21,734
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97
Pedigree: Army Mule – Midnight Embrace, by Midnight Lute
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Stalker/closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Midnight Mascot has made his last five starts in stakes races for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse and his most recent race might be his best to date. The Army Mule colt closed from 11 lengths off the pace to finish third, beaten by two length by Essex Serpent, in the Grade 3 HPIbet Marine Stakes June 29 at Woodbine. He was unplaced in his lone previous try around two turns in November 2023, so this was a nice improvement for the stakes-winning sprinter as evidenced by the career-top 97 Equibase Speed Figure. Midnight Mascot had previously raced much closer to the pace in his races, so it will be interesting to see if new jockey Kazushi Kimura attempts to reserve stamina for one big late run in the King’s Plate, a tactic that was effective in the Marine Stakes. Midnight Mascot profiles as one of several serious contenders for Casse, who has three previous wins in the King’s/Queen’s Plate with Lexie Lou (2014), Wonder Gadot (2018), and Paramount Prince (2023). Midnight Mascot’s dam (mother), Midnight Embrace, is a full-sister (same sire and dam) to 2013 Queen’s Plate winner Midnight Aria. Jockey Luis Contreras has won this race twice, with Inglorious in 2011 and Holy Helena in 2017.
Michael Burns/Woodbine
6. Friendly Ghost (30-1)
Jockey: Justin Stein
Trainer: Evette Chartrand-Hoek
Owner: Sue Leslie
Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $63,009
Earnings per start: $21,003
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 92
Pedigree: Outwork – Kin’s Ghost, by Ghostzapper
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Friendly Ghost posted a second and a dominant win in his first two races in sprints before stretching out in distance for the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes July 20 at Woodbine. The Outwork gelding set a pressured pace and held a clear lead in early stretch before fading late a finishing third at 15.40-1 odds. That Plate Trial experience should give Friendly Ghost more foundation for his second try in a race around two turns, but he will need to stretch his speed an additional eighth of a mile in the King’s Plate. With a bit less early pressure and a modest step forward, Friendly Ghost could be a live longshot in the King’s Plate. One interesting pedigree note is that Friendly Ghost’s dam (mother), Kin’s Ghost, is a half-sister (same dam, different sire) to this year’s Woodbine Oaks Presented by Stella Artois winner Kin’s Concerto. Jockey Justin Stein won the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown in 2012 on Strait of Dover. Friendly Ghost will be the first King’s Plate starter for trainer Evette Chartrand-Hoek.
Michael Burns/Woodbine
7. My Boy Prince (7-5)
Jockey: Sahin Civaci
Trainer: Mark Casse
Owner: Gary Barber
Career record: 10 starts – 6 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $605,529
Earnings per start: $60,553
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 107
Pedigree: Cairo Prince – Hopping Not Hoping, by Silent Name
Color: Gray or roan
Running style: Stalker/press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Three-time King’s/Queen’s Plate-winning trainer Mark Casse appears to hold a formidable hand for this year’s race, led by My Boy Prince. The top earner in the field and a five-time stakes winner, My Boy Prince rides a three-race winning streak into the 2024 King’s Plate. He dominated the seven-furlong King Corrie Stakes by 6 ¾ lengths in May and the Queenston Stakes at the same distance by 4 ½ lengths in June. My Boy Prince enters off a 1 ¼-length win in the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes and has proven class at the top level with top-three finishes in a pair of Grade 1 turf races as a 2-year-old, including a third in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The fastest and most accomplished 3-year-old in the 2024 King’s Plate field, My Boy Prince looks like a worthy favorite for Casse and owner Gary Barber, who teamed to win this race in 2014 with Lexie Lou, 2018 with Wonder Gadot, and in 2023 with Paramount Prince, who Barber owned in partnership with Michael Langlois. Jockey Sahin Civaci, currently leading the 2024 Woodbine meet in both wins and earnings, finished second in the King’s Plate last year on Elysian Field.
Pierre, inside, winning in May. (Michael Burns/Woodbine)
8. Pierre (20-1)
Jockey: Pietro Moran
Trainer: Kevin Attard
Owners: Al and Bill Ulwelling
Career record: 4 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $65,596
Earnings per start: $16,399
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 90
Pedigree: Tapiture – Archerette, by Arch
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Lightly raced Pierre would need to take a major step forward in his stakes debut to be a legitimate threat in the King’s Plate, but he has shown promise in four starts, all top-three finishes. He made an eye-catching rally in his most recent start, a 1 1/16-mile turf race, but flattened out a bit in deep stretch when fading to third. He earned his best Equibase Speed Figure to date in that race, but he would need to improve by about 15 points while switching back to an all-weather main track and facing the best competition of his career. A fast pace would significantly boost Pierre’s chances of a minor award for trainer Kevin Attard, who won this race in 2022 with Moira. Pierre will be jockey Pietro Moran’s first starter in the King’s Plate.
Michael Burns/Woodbine
9. Thor’s Cause (50-1)
Jockey: Jeffrey Alderson
Trainer: Krista Cole
Owners: Joe Pignatelli, Spirit’s Path Management, and Alan McMullen
Career record: 8 starts – 0 wins – 0 seconds – 3 thirds
Career earnings: $21,458
Earnings per start: $2,682
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 84
Pedigree: Brody’s Cause – Expressly Yours, by Big Brown
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Thor’s Cause enters the 2024 King’s Plate having earned a career-best 84 Equibase Speed Figure in a July 19 maiden special weight race at 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather surface at Woodbine. He finished fourth in that race and is winless in eight starts with three third-place finishes to his credit. This obviously is a tough spot for a 3-year-old to try to earn his first career victory and the Brody’s Cause gelding probably would need to improve his speed figure by about 15 points just to vie for a top-three finish. On a positive note, Thor’s Cause’s dam (mother), Expressly Yours, is a half-sister (same dam, different sire) to 2016 Canadian Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly Caren, who won two legs of the Canadian Triple Tiara. Thor’s Cause will be trainer Krista Cole’s first King’s Plate starter.
10. Bedard (SCRATCHED)
Jockey: Pietro Moran
Trainer: Kevin Attard
Owners: X-Men Racing III, Madaket Stables, and SF Racing
Career record: 6 starts – 0 wins – 3 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $43,219
Earnings per start: $7,203
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 87
Pedigree: Nyquist – Reason, by Quiet American
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Bedard is named after the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks’ reigning Calder Trophy winner as Rookie of the Year Connor Bedard. A colt by Nyquist (likewise named for an NHL star), Bedard has yet to achieve the success of his namesake with nary a win to his credit in six races. On the bright side, his last three starts have been his best three to date, all runner-up finishes, in a stretch that coincided with a switch from turf sprints to route races on the all-weather Tapeta Footings main track at Woodbine. It would be a surprise to see him secure for his first career win in this first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, but trainer Kevin Attard won the King’s Plate in 2022 for this exact ownership group with Moira and Bedard has improved his Equibase Speed Figure in all six of his races. Bedard will be jockey Pietro Moran’s first starter in the King’s Plate.
Michael Burns/Woodbine
11. Roar of the Crowd (50-1)
Jockey: Fraser Aebly
Trainer: Domenic Polsinelli
Owner: Dominic Polsinelli
Career record: 4 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $25,839
Earnings per start: $6,460
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 80
Pedigree: Reload – Uproar, by Hail the Ruckus
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This half-brother (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to Canadian champion Pender Harbour, a dual classic winner in 2011, has competed exclusively in sprint races to date. The 1 ¼-mile King’s Plate will be his first start in a race longer than 6 ½ furlongs, his first try against stakes-level competition, and his first race against winners. He would need to boost his best Equibase Speed Figure by 20-25 points to be a bona-fide contender and figures to vie for the longest odds among the contenders for the first jewel of the 2024 Canadian Triple Crown. Roar of the Crowd will be the first King’s Plate starter for both trainer Domenic Polsinelli and apprentice jockey Fraser Aebly.
Michael Burns/Woodbine
12. No More Options (30-1)
Jockey: Daisuke Fukumoto
Trainer: Zeljko Krcmar
Owner: Mary Self
Career record: 9 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 4 thirds
Career earnings: $139,018
Earnings per start: $15,446
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 94
Pedigree: Frac Daddy – Stoney Miss, by Birdstone
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: No More Options won a stakes race sprinting on the all-weather Tapeta Footings surface at Woodbine as a 2-year-old. After a turf win at Woodbine in May, he finished third behind My Boy Prince in the Queenston Stakes, beaten by 4 ½ lengths by the presumptive King’s Plate favorite. In his final prep for the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Frac Daddy colt faded to sixth in the Plate Trial Stakes. It would be a tall order to turn the tables on My Boy Prince after he was soundly beaten by that familiar foe in his last two races, but No More Options’ Equibase Speed Figures are competitive with the rest of the field and he has a chance to fill out the trifecta at a nice price. His dam (mother), Stoney Miss, by Birdstone, is a half-sister (same dam, different sire) to 80.80-1 upset 2022 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Rich Strike. Both were produced by Canadian champion Gold Strike, No More Options’ grandam (maternal grandmother). Jockey Daisuke Fukumoto guided Mighty Heart to victory in this race in 2020; No More Options will be the first King’s Plate starter for trainer Zeljko Krcmar.
Michael Burns/Woodbine
13. Vitality (20-1)
Jockey: Jose Campos
Trainer: Harold Ladouceur
Owner: Stronach Stables
Career record: 7 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $66,562
Earnings per start: $9,509
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 92
Pedigree: Street Boss – Belissimo, by Awesome Again
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: A gelding from the family of 2000 champion turf female Perfect Sting, that year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner, Vitality earned his first career win in his seventh start July 19 in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race on the all-weather surface at Woodbine. The 92 Equibase Speed Figure he earned in victory was a nine-point jump from his previous best and he probably would need another similar step forward to compete for a top-three finish in the King’s Plate against the best competition he has faced in his career. Owner Stronach Stables (Frank Stronach) has won the King’s/Queen’s Plate four times previously with Basqueian (1994), Awesome Again (1997), Shaman Ghost (2015), and Holy Helena (2017). Vitality and Rafaroo will be trainer Harold Ladouceur’s first King’s Plate starters.
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