For a race with a 165-year tradition, it’s always great to see new shooters go after the King’s Plate. But their success will be determined by their ability to beat a strong Mark Casse-trained threesome.
Canada’s most prestigious race goes postward on Saturday at Woodbine and while it took several years for the 16-time Sovereign Award-winning conditioner to win his first Plate in 2014, Casse is now looking for his second consecutive win and fourth overall with arguably three of the top five contenders for the 1 A1/4-mile classic.
For many, the flagbearer could be Essex Serpent. The son of Honor Code was the boss in a gate-to-wire effort in the Marine Stakes on July 1, his second win in just three starts so far.
“Essex Serpent came out of his race in good order,” Casse said. “He’s trained great since the Plate Trial. He’s a big strong horse.”
Despite not racing as a two-year-old, needing time to develop, Casse said he expected big things from the gelding once he arrived at Woodbine.
“He showed that he could run long,” he said. “You would think that he’ll get even better. (the Marine) should move him forward.
One of two runners in the field owner by Manfred and Penny Conrad, Essex Serpent will be ridden by Patrick Husbands who is looking to tie the record for most Plate wins by a jockey with four.
The Conrads also own the third-place finisher from the Marine. And it was that late-closing effort that put Midnight Mascot squarely into the Plate picture. The winner of the Woodstock Stakes earlier this year, the colt, who is two-for-eight lifetime, impressed Casse with that last run.
“I think we learned a lot last time out,” he said. “He sat back, instead of showing speed, and made a nice run.”
“I was happy with his race.”
Kazushi Kimura, who is spending the late-summer riding at Del Mar in California, returns east for the mount.
Casse’s main contender is My Boy Prince, established as the 7-5 morning-line favourite in the 13-horse field. And horseplayers are torn between his immense talent and questions about his distance ability.
He comes into the race with arguably the best credentials of any horse in years. He registered two very impressive stakes wins at Woodbine last year before heading to Santa Anita and running a very credible third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The son of Cairo Prince picked up where he left off upon returning from a winter in Florida, taking both the King Corrie and Queenston Stakes in blowout fashion.
But his Plate Trial run was a concern, still winning but doing so after a poor start and being forced into a tracking spot down the backstretch while racing wide.
“He came out of it well,” Casse said. “He showed he could overcome a lot of adversity.”
Canada’s top two-year-old male of 2023, many are questioning his pedigree and whether My Boy Prince can stay the long trip. But he has the talent to overcome that obstacle in the $1 million race. He may not have developed physically as well as Casse would like but his mental game is much better.
“He was so good at two that he didn’t need to progress a whole lot at three,” he said. “But I think he’s matured a little bit. He’s learned to settle a little better.
Sahin Civaci, enjoying a good campaign at Woodbine this season, will retain the mount for owner Gary Barber, who is looking for his fourth Plate win.
King’s Plate Field (Post order with trainer/jockey and morning-line
1 — Jokestar (Kevin Attard/Emma-Jayne Wilson) 20-1
2 — Rafaroo (Harold Ladouceur/Ryan Munger) 8-1
3 — Essex Serpent (Mark Casse/Patrick Husbands) 2-1
4 – Caitlinhergreatness (Kevin Attard/Rafael Hernandez) 12-1
5 — Midnight Mascot (Mark Casse/Kazushi Kimura) 10-1
6 — Friendly Ghost (Evette Chartrand-Hoek/Justin Stein) 30-1
7 — My Boy Prince (Mark Casse/Sahin Civaci) 7-5
8 — Pierre (Kevin Attard/David Cohen) 20-1
9 — Thor’s Cause (Krista Cole/Jeffrey Alderson) 50-1
10 — Bedard (Kevin Attard/Pietro Moran) 30-1
11 — Roar of the Crown (Domenic Polsinelli/Fraser Aebly) 50-1
12 — No More Options (Zeljko Krcmar/Daisuke Fukumoto) 30-1
13 — Vitality (Harold Ladouceur/Jose Campos) 20-1