Now that the American Triple Crown is almost over, the Canadian Triple Crown is just getting started. This year marks the 144rd running of the Queen's Plate, Canada's premier race for 3 year olds at a mile and a quarter with a purse of $1,000,000 Canadian. This race is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown with the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie and the Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine comprising the other two legs.
The Queen's Plate trophy
The name of the race is a bit of a misnomer since the trophy isn't even a plate but a gold cup about a foot high with a beaver on top. King Charles II began awarding silver plates as racing prizes in the seventeenth century, but as variety was sought in the prizes, other pieces of silver and eventually other metals were used.
The race is known as the "gallop for the guineas" as the purse also includes an extra 50 Guineas to the winner (about $100) in the form of a draft from the Royal Privy Purse which is presented by the Queen's representative at the race. Minting of guineas was discontinued in England during the reign of George III whose forebear, George I, had instituted the gift of 50 guineas in racing, a tradition that remains though the guineas do not. This year the Queen's representative will be the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, the first Governor General to visit the Queen's Plate since 1994.
Queen's Plate Poll
Who will win the Plate?
Despite the race being restricted to Canadian breds, some very nice horses have won in the past including Northern Dancer, Kennedy Road, With Approval, Izvestia, Dance Smartly, and Awesome Again. In 2000 the race was won by Scatter the Gold, a 3/4 sibling to that year's Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus. In 2001, Scatter the Gold's full sister Dancethruthedawn won not only the Labatt Woodbine Oaks but went on to beat the boys and take the Queen's Plate as well. Last year, 82-1 longshot T J's Lucky Moon was an upset winner in the Plate.
Post Position: 1
Owner: Fieldstone Farms
Trainer: Jake Nemett
Jockey: Jono Jones
Foaling Date: 4/11/00
Breeding: Compadre - Quiet Solace by His Majesty
Dosage Info: DP = 5-7-12-0-0 DI = 3.00 CD = 0.71
Race Record: 8 starts 2-3-0 $165,290 Note: Stakes placed as a 2-year-old and winner of an allowance race last out.
Post Position: 2
Owner: Arosa Farms
Trainer: Rita Schnitzler
Jockey: Constant Montpellier
Foaling Date: 3/9/00
Breeding: Langfuhr - C. Sharp by Sharpen Up
Dosage Info: DP = 8-6-16-0-0 DI = 2.75 CD = 0.73
Race Record: 7 starts 1-1-3 $109,176 Note: Third in the Plate Trial behind Mobil and Rock Again.
Post Position: 3
Owner: Hard Eight Stable
Trainer: Phil Serpe
Jockey: ?
Foaling Date: 2/5/00
Breeding: Dance Brightly - Buckaroo's Dream - Buckaroo
Dosage Info: DP = 10-6-14-0-0 DI = 3.29 CD = 0.87
Race Record: 8 starts 1-1-2 $53,636 Note: Stakes placed as a 2-year-old, he just broke his maiden last start.
Post Position: 4
Owner: Gustav Schickedanz
Trainer: Mike Keogh
Jockey: Patrick Husbands
Foaling Date: 2/23/00
Breeding: Langfuhr - Kathie's Colleen by Woodman
Dosage Info: DP = 7-4-11-0-0 DI = 3.00 CD = 0.82
Race Record: 8 starts 5-2-0 $574,402 Note: Champion Canadian 2-year-old for 2003 has two solid stakes wins this year in his quest for the Plate.
Post Position: 6
Owner: Gustav Schickedanz
Trainer: Mike Keogh
Jockey: Todd Kabel
Foaling Date: 1/15/00
Breeding: Langfuhr - Kinetigal by Naskra
Dosage Info: DP = 5-5-6-0-0 DI = 4.33 CD = 0.94
Race Record: 6 starts 2-2-0 $93,690 Note: Winner of the Plate Trial would have five wins in a row if he hadn't been disqualified and placed second in the Coronation Futurity.
Post Position: 7
Owner: Eaton Hall Farm
Trainer: Mike Doyle
Jockey: Chantal Sutherland
Foaling Date: 2/3/00
Breeding: Tethra - Smyrna by Wild Again
Dosage Info: DP = 5-7-5-1-0 DI = 4.14 CD = 0.89
Race Record: 7 starts 3-1-3 $138,190 Note: Two time allowance winner is looking to step up to stakes company.
Post Position: 8
Owner: Alex & Steven Dilorio
Trainer: John Ross
Jockey: Constant Montpellier
Foaling Date: 3/1/00
Breeding: Gold Fever - Annasan by Corporate Report
Dosage Info: DP = 7-2-6-0-1 DI = 3.00 CD = 0.88
Race Record: 4 starts 3-0-1 $242,478 Note: Winner via disqualification of Mobil who he deadheated with in the Coronation Futurity last year and third in the Marine in his 2003 debut.
Post Position: 9
Owner: Stronach Stable
Trainer: Malcolm Pierce
Jockey: Eibar Coa
Foaling Date: 2/23/00
Breeding: Awesome Again - Track Gal by Track Barron
Dosage Info: DP = 4-1-7-2-0 DI = 1.55 CD = 0.50
Race Record: 5 starts 2-2-0 $103,058 Note: Allowance winner finished second to Mobil in the Plate Trial.
Post Position: 10
Owner: Sam-Son Farm
Trainer: Mark Frostad
Jockey: Robert Landry
Foaling Date: 2/16/00
Breeding: Smart Strike - Puffin Island by Pleasant Colony
Dosage Info: DP = 9-4-14-0-1 DI = 2.50 CD = 0.71
Race Record: 4 starts 2-1-0 $128,300 Note: Allowance winner is on a two race win streak.
Post Position: *SCRATCHED*
Owner: Knob Hill Stable
Trainer: Alec Fehr
Jockey: David Clark
Foaling Date: 3/?/00
Breeding: Alphabet Soup - Petrouchka by Red Ransom
Dosage Info: DP = 0-3-13-1-1 DI = 1.12 CD = 0.00
Race Record: 7 starts 1-1-2 $71,365 Note: Sadly he suffered irreparable damage to his right back leg on the morning of June 20th and was humanely euthanized. Trainer Alec Fehr said: "He was feeling good coming on to the track. He bucked a couple of times, dropped his rider and ran away. He got his bridle caught up, hit the railing and broke his leg. It's tragic. It's really tough to take."
Post Position: 12
Owner: Canyon Farms
Trainer: Robert Van Overschof
Jockey: Dave Wilson
Foaling Date: 4/9/00
Breeding: Yoonevano - Subtle Blend by Danzig
Dosage Info: DP = 10-4-14-0-0 DI = 3.00 CD = 0.86
Race Record: 7 starts 4-0-0 $204,767 Note: British Columbia bres is the winner of three stakes races at Hastings Park but 4th in both his races at Woodbine.
Post Position: 13
Owner: Hillsbrook Farms
Trainer: John Ross
Jockey: Jim McAleney
Foaling Date: 2/3/00
Breeding: Dance Brightly - Ascot Wedding by Ascot Knight
Dosage Info: DP = 10-7-13-0-0 DI = 3.62 CD = 0.90
Race Record: 2 starts 0-1-0 $31,011 Note: Maiden rallied to just miss by a neck in the Victoria Park Stakes.
Peef
Wando
Solihull
Mobil
Arco's Gold
Rock Again
Shoal Water
Illusive Force
Dance Engagement