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 Jockey Pietro Moran celebrates aboard Mansetti after the King's Plate.
• E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) Results |
Date: 8/16/2025
On Saturday afternoon, a field of 13 Canadian-foaled 3-year-olds (after Bedard scratched) raced 1 1/4 miles over the Tapeta surface at Woodbine in the 166th running of the $1 million King's Plate Stakes, the oldest continuously-run stakes race in North America and the first leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, with a $500,000 bonus should a horse complete the sweep. Conditions were typical for late August in Southern Ontario, with partly cloudy skies and a race time temperature of 29.6 C (85.3 F).
Queenston Stakes winner Notorious Gangster was sent off as the lukewarm 7-2 favorite after finishing second in the Plate Trial Stakes. In to challenge him included 4-1 second choice No Time, winner of the Woodbine Oaks after finishing fourth in the Selene (G3), and 11-2 third choice Tom's Magic off his win in the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Monmouth after disappointing ninth in the Transylvania (G3) at Keeneland.
 Down the stretch with Mansetti out front. |
Check out the four other stakes on the card: the King Edward Stakes (G2) won by Gas Me Up, the Bold Venture Stakes (G3) won by Simcoe, the Catch A Glimpse Stakes won by Corsia Veloce, and the Soaring Free Stakes won by Two Out Hero.
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 1 Mansetti Moran 38.70 17.20 10.20 11 Tom's Magic Hernandez 7.60 5.20 3 Notorious Gangster Aebly 3.50 Winning Time: 2:03.68 $1 Exacta 1-11 136.55 $2 Trifecta 1-11-3 1,318.70 $2 Superfecta 1-11-3-4 11,045.30 |
Left: Mansetti in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Kevin Attard, who won 3 stakes on the card, said, "I would have probably laughed, you know (if asked last year if Mansetti would win the Plate). But this horse really changed from 2 to 3 when he got back to Woodbine this season to start his 3-year-old campaign. He was just acting differently. He showed a lot of talent from a young age, and I really thought he was going to be a good horse, but he just got so kind of keen and eager as a baby that you didn't think he'd stretch out. Luckily for us, he matured nicely over the wintertime, and into his 3-year-old year, he's just kind of figured things out."
Right: Mansetti gets hosed off after the race.
Left: The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, presents the King's Plate trophy..
Right: Winning jockey Pietro Moran celebrates his first Plate win. Moran said, "I didn't think we went that fast. You know, he relaxed so good. And no one wanted the lead, really. And he got up there, and, man, he relaxed, and I just talked to him the whole way, saying ‘good boy - you're doing good'. And when I chirped at him around the turn, he gave it to me. And I knew – I took a peek back down the lane – and I saw no one was coming. I couldn't stop screaming to the wire."
Left: Trainer Kevin Attard, jockey Pietro Moran and a representative for the owners pose with the trophy. Pietro's mother Maria said, "He's the second of my nine [children]. So, it's just wonderful. I don't know how to express it, but yes, all the sacrifices and all the hard work (after sidelined by injury last year), they're so tough, they just keep going." Pietro's father David rode 24-1 shot William T to an 8th place finish, in the first ever Plate with a father racing against his son as jockeys.
Right: Mansetti with his flower blanket after the race. Groom Lawrence Williams said, "He's a very nice horse to work with. He's very friendly. He's a happy horse. He's a good boy."
Left: Mansetti in the paddock before the race.
Right: Mansetti in the post parade. Moran added, "I can't believe it, there's no words to describe it, it's a dream. My dad said he's so proud of me. It's a special moment. I watched my first Plate live 15 years ago when my dad finished third. I've watched it ever since and I've been dreaming of this moment. I can't believe it came this soon."
Left: Second place finisher Tom's Magic in the paddock before the race. The Mike Stidham trainee improved his record to 3 wins, 2 seconds, and 0 thirds in 6 starts, earning $317,377 for owners CJ Thoroughbreds and Mo Speed Racing.
Right: Third place finisher and beaten favorite Notorious Gangster returns after the race. The Josie Carroll trainee improved his record to 3 wins, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds in 8 starts, earning $325,133 for owner-breeder Mark Dodson.
Left: The horses break from the gate for the 166th King's Plate.
Right: Mansetti in the paddock. Attard added, "The horse had trained really well. I think he flew under the radar a little bit. He beat all the top horses already. To win it with Pietro Moran, a young, up-and-coming rider, is just that much special for me. He's a great kid. He's works hard in our stable. To see him get this kind of success this year, it makes it that much more special to me."
The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario was the Royal Representative at this year's King's Plate, arriving in the traditional horse-drawn landau first used by King George VI in 1939. On arrival she was presented with flowers by Avery and Grace, the twin daughters of jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson (currently sidelined due to injury). Dumont worked for CEPEO, the public school board for French language schools in Eastern Ontario including Ottawa for 30 years, becoming its director of education and secretary-treasurer, before serving as a vice-president of the Université de l'Ontario français (University of French Ontario), the French language public university in downtown Toronto.
Left: Here is the arrival of the landau accompanied by the Toronto Police Mounted Unit and the Governor General's Horse Guards.
Right: Dumont tours the walking ring while the horses are saddled for the King's Plate.
King's Plate info online:
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