It’s The Queen’s Plate at Woodbine on Sunday and can the Woodbine Oaks heroine Moira aim for Champion 3YO honours in winning this first Leg of the OGL Canadian Triple Crown.
Now unbeaten in both starts this season, she previously won the Woodbine Oaks of 1 1/8 on tapeta, in scoring by a runaway 10¾ lengths for owners X-Men, Madaket Stables and SF Racing.
“She was just push button in the first turn,” said a happy Rafael Hernandez. “Turning for home I just said come on Moira it’s all about you, go get it, and she just exploded. Today she showed up.”
Donning pink saddlecloth of Gate 8, and as 5/2 favourite, it’s Rafael Hernandez in the grey with blue check silks, with Kevin Attard also winning last year’s Woodbine Oaks with Munnyfor Ro.
Moira opened this her ‘classic’ season with victory in the Fury Stakes of 7f, and as a juvenile was a first start winner of the Princess Elizabeth Stakes and then second in the Mazarine Stakes.
Bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, Moira is a $150,000 graduate of the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, in being a grandson of the 1997 Queen’s Plate winner Awesome Again.
Sired by the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Ghostzapper, Moira’s from the Gr2 placed stakes-winner Devine Aida, and a daughter of Gr3 placed stakes winner Passion, the family of Binalong.
Moira is looking to be the 38th filly to win The Queen’s Plate and will carry 123lbs against the males on 126lb, which will be run over 1¼ m on tapeta, being open to Canadian bred 3YOs only.
The Marine Stakes winner Rondure is a 3/1, and to jump from 6 for Katerina Vassilieva in being the top ranked Plate contender prior to being over taken by Moira with dominant Oaks victory.
With Rafael Hernandez deciding to retain his mount on Moira, it’s Flavin Prat who now takes over on Rondure, who was previously a ‘photo’ second in the Queenston Stakes 7f to The Minkster.
In drawing Barrier 6, and with the yellow and brown silks of owner-breeder Boarder Racing Stables, he’s by Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow, with Rondure meaning ‘graceful rounded curve.’
Again it’s US and Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse who’s looking for his third Queen’s Plate having won in 2018 with Wonder Gadot and Lexie Lou in 2014, both owned by Gary Barber.
In having the last start 2022 Plate Trial winner Sir For Sure jumping from 10, Mark Casse again has the winning Declan Carrol for this Queen’s Plate, with the gelding winning over 1m in February.
Racing in the mainly white silks of Haste Sports, and at 8/1, he’s bred by Norse Ridge Farm, being by the Hollywood Turf Cup winner Sligo Bay from the winning My Only Way mare Serena’s Rose.
At 12/1, Mark Casse also has Hall of Dreams as a one-race winner, and three times second this season for owners Gary Barber, Wachtel Stables and partners who races in their black and gold silks.
With Patrick Husbands drawing the rails, he’s by the Belmont and Travers Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid, bred by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds, from the unplaced Horse Chestnut mare Hallnor.
Today The Queen’s Plate is Canada’s oldest Thoroughbred race, first run in 1860 and it’s also the oldest continuously run race in North America, with the Belmont Stakes the oldest ‘classic.’
Now run in August, it takes place each summer and was previously in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke, Ontario and, of course, is the first race in the Canadian Triple Crown.
Known as the King’s Plate from 1901 to 1952 under the reign of King Edward VII to 1910, George V to 1936, Edward VIII in 1936 and then George VI, while it was not run in 2020 due to COVID-19.
With Canada West still a British colony, the then-president of the Toronto Turf Club Sir Casimir Gzowski, in 1859 petitioned Queen Victoria to grant a plate for a new race in the territory.
Upon royal assent, the first Queen’s Plate was run on 27 June 1860 at Carleton racetrack in Toronto, with the prize of ‘a plate to the value of 50 guineas,’ and despite the race name, the winning owner is presented with a gold cup, rather than a plate.
