The King’s Plate (formerly known as the Queen’s Plate until the death of Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth ll) will run on Saturday, August 17th 2024 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There will be live coverage on EDT, CTV, and TSN, which normally begins at 4:30 pm (EST).
The King’s Plate is known as the most renowned horse race in Canada and the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown. Since its debut in 1860, the King’s Plate has been held continuously every year, making it the oldest thoroughbred race in Canada. The event goes beyond horse racing as both die-hard horse race betters and casual observers tune in. The King’s Plate is an eagerly awaited occasion for bettors, so we at Canada Sports Betting provide comprehensive coverage and analysis to help bettors place their King’s Plate entries.
The 2024 King’s Plate marks the second time Ontario bettors will be able to bet on horse racing within the legal online sportsbook landscape as bet365 has been announced as the King’s Plate betting partner and will provide bet365 horse racing pari-mutuel betting in association with Woodbine Entertainment Group. Please note that horse racing betting markets are only available to bet365 Ontario Account Holders. Prior to this race, betting fans could only place bets through Woodbine Entertainment’s HPIbet and Darkhorse Bets. This news comes with a lot of excitement within the Ontario horse racing community as it will surely grow the sport and open it up to a wider audience.
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Check out our full article to read more about this historic announcement
Kings Plate Betting Strategy
Everyone loves a good challenge, and that’s exactly what betting on The King’s Plate is. As the pinnacle of Canadian racing, every horse is evenly matched — making it so gosh darn hard to predict. That said, in the words of Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy, “You’ve got to try,” so let’s delve into the intricacies of betting on the King’s Plate. We’ll talk about studying the track, King’s Plate entries, and expand on strategies for making wagers that will actually give you a shot at winning.
Know the Field
The King’s Plate is 1 1/4 miles long, which equates to a little over two minutes worth of racing. For starters, hit up Woodbine’s “Standings” section of its website and take a peek at the top trainers and jockeys throughout the meet so far. You’ll get a good idea of who’s who and how good they are at consistently fielding good horses.
Odds are, if you see the top trainer, jockey, and owner(s) all on one three-year-old King’s Plate contender, that horse is legit. If you’re new to horse racing, jockeys have agents. Those agents pick and choose the mounts for their clients. When it comes to the big races like betting on the King’s Plate, the top jockeys almost always get their pick of the litter. If a jockey like Rafael Manuel Hernandez chooses trainer Josie Carroll’s horse over Kevin Attard’s, that might be something to watch, especially if Attard’s horse is “good” and has a well-known owner. Jockeys don’t jump ship from the big boys to the little guys unless it’s warranted.
Obviously, further studying past performances, pedigree, form, and jockey-trainer combinations can also help identify potential contenders and inform your wagering decisions. Nevertheless, context is key on big race days like these. Pay attention to the horse racing news and make friends with the avid horseplayers at your local track. Those people can be a wealth of information.
Choose to Bet Online or In-Person
When it comes to King’s Plate betting, there are various avenues available. Traditional options include visiting the racetrack and placing your wagers at the betting windows. However, most of the pros now bet online, especially after it became the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, betting on horse racing is finally available to Ontario race fans courtesy of the newly established partnership between bet365 and Woodbine Racetrack. As such, the pair will combine to provide bet365 horse racing pari-mutuel betting in association with Woodbine Entertainment Group.
As you prepare for Kings Plate 2024 odds, it is crucial to keep checking in on news and, if you can, watch the prep races. By combining all the strategies we’ve talked about in this section, you’ll be a lot better off than the folks who’ll be “winging it for the vibes.”
2024 King’s Plate Top Contenders Breakdown
Wondering which horses to watch at the 2024 Kings Plate? This prestigious event attracts the best of the best, so Kings Plate odds will be hard to predict. Read about the top Kings Plate entries below.
1. Essex Serpent
Trainer: Mark Casse
Essex Serpent has been on absolute fire in 2024. His victory in The HPIbet Marine Stakes (Glll) was visually impressive as he went to the lead early and fended off all challengers to win the 1 1/16 mile race at 1:43.03 on a speed-favouring track.
Trainer Mark Casse told the Daily Racing Form that Essex Serpent “wants to go as far as they write them.”
With his strong pedigree that favours classic distances such as the King’s Plate 1 1/4 mile journey, Essex Serpent should be a noteworthy contender for the Casse barn.
2. My Boy Prince
Trainer: Mark Casse
My Boy Prince is another horse from the Casse barn that was viewed as a “lock” for The King’s Plate. The three-year-old gelding was Canada’s two-year-old Male Champion, which is like winning the Calder Memorial Trophy in horse racing.
My Boy Prince certainly favours coming off the pace, like he did earlier this year in the seven-furlong King Corrie Stakes, where he romped the field (while attending to a slow-ish pace). What catches our eye is the horse’s versatility. If he goes off at a nice price on King’s Plate day, he might be worth a gamble, even if reigning two-year-old champions, in the past, have gotten a bad reputation for having sophomore slumps.
3. Naptown
Trainer: H. Graham Motion
If highly-regarded trainer H. Graham Motion decides to point Naptown towards the King’s Plate, the horse could be a live longshot. Naptown recently raced in a seven-furlong stakes contest on the turf at Pimlico. Although he didn’t finish on the board, his numbers were strong against a solid field of horses. Naptown should appreciate the move back to the synthetic track at Woodbine. His pedigree suggests he should be able to handle the 1 1/4 mile distance. Not to mention, Motion might call on one of North America’s best jockeys, Tyler Gaffalione, to take the reigns on King’s Plate day.
4. Paintthetownsilver
Trainer: Roger L. Attfield
Although this three-year-old gelding might look like he has no balls on paper, this horse can be hard-ridden to victory. He’s got a feistiness to him that we love and an excellent pedigree, with one of the top studs of his generation, Uncle Mo, as his grandsire. Roger Attfield knows how to develop his horses, and if Painthetownsilver makes it into the King’s Plate, he’ll have our respect. Attfield and his ownership group won’t race him if they feel he’s not ready.
How to Bet on the King’s Plate in Ontario
Betting on horse racing is finally available to Ontario race fans courtesy of the newly established partnership between bet365 and Woodbine. As such, the pair will combine to provide bet365 horse racing pari-mutuel betting in association with Woodbine Entertainment Group.
After a big announcement in the lead up to the 2023 King’s Plate, Bet365 has reached an agreement with Woodbine to provide Horse racing markets to betting fans in Ontario.
- Sign up at bet365
- Get familiar with horse racing betting odds and strategies
- Select bets to put into your bet slip
- Input your risk and review the bet details
- Finalize the bet
Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson made the announcement during the King’s Plate Breakfast press conference: “This is a historic announcement in my perspective, and we will look back over the years at this moment. Woodbine is officially announcing today, that horse racing, including the King’s Plate, will be available to Ontario sports bettors through the licensed bet365 platform,” a cheerful Lawson announced. “This is huge. It’s a huge win for the Ontario horse racing industry and the 25,000 jobs that this industry supports in the province.”
In addition to bet365’s online sportsbook, Ontarians can bet on horse racing as they would have before the opening of the market, through trusted Canadian purveyor; Woodbine Entertainment Group. Woodbine offers Ontario bettors two options for all levels of horse racing knowledge and experience.
Dark Horse offers bettors a sleek and modern betting app (iOS and Android) complete with information, tips and coaching geared towards newcomers to Horse Racing. Live streaming compliments the offering and makes Dark Horse a one stop shop for all your horse racing needs.
HPIbet represents a longstanding and comprehensive racebook experience for Ontarians. A browser based platform, HPIbet offers a more stats based experience catered to horse racing veterans. Live streaming is a key feature of the platform and makes for a great betting/viewing destination for race fans.
Popular King’s Plate Betting Markets
Betting on horse racing offers punters a wide variety of options. It’s important to understand the different types of bets before you start to place your first wagers on the Kings Plate betting pools.
King’s Plate Live Bets
Not betting in the future pool means waiting until race day and betting live, which is dictated by the amount of money being bet in the win pool. There’s certainly nothing wrong with this approach, and sportsbooks support this type of wagering.
King’s Plate Multirace Bets
The double, the Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, and Pick 6 all involve picking the winners of consecutive races. Using multiple combinations is the strategic way to place these kinds of bets. That said, it can get expensive depending on how many combinations you use.
It could be worth it on King’s Plate Day, though. The whole card will be wide open, so there’s more of a chance to catch a big payday.
King’s Plate Exotics Wagering
Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta bets, known as “exotics” bets, are extremely popular on Kings Plate entries and involve picking the exact order of finish among the top two (exacta), three (trifecta) or four (superfecta) finishers.
Exotics are often tough to nail in big races like the King’s Plate. Usually, if a good horse bows out and can’t finish strongly, they’ll end up finishing off the board, which means longer shots will drive up the payouts.
In other words, if you think there’ll be an upset and some bigger-priced horses will dawn the top three positions on the tote board, it might be worth taking a stab at some exotic bets. Alternatively, if you think it’ll be “chalk city,” save your money and try to pick a winner.
Pari-Mutuel Betting
Unlike regular sports betting, where you’re being offered a fixed price on a team or player, horse racing uses something called the pari-mutuel betting system. Some people will call it a “pool system”, or “totalisator”. The payout prices are determined by how much money is spent on a specific outcome in a certain pool. For example, if there’s a lot of money on a certain horse to finish first in the win pool, that horse’s odds will be shorter than the others. The less money that’s on a specific horse to win a race, the higher that horse’s odds will be.
There are many times when you’ll see a really short-priced favourite to win a race have better payouts to place than to win because that horse was only taking money in one pool.
If you can get used to how the pari-mutuel betting system works and learn how to read the pool percentages, you can find some nice spots to profit on big-time horses.
Kings Plate Odds Formats
Fractional Kings Plate Odds
Fractional bets are historically the most common bets in horse racing and are given in a fractional format, from 1/9 to 99/1 and higher. A $2 Win bet on a horse at 5/1 will pay $12 for the win, including the original bet. If this all sounds somewhat confusing, no worries. You can check out our full pledged horse racing guide here.
Decimal Kings Plate Odds
Decimal is the most straightforward type of bet offered, usually in UK racebooks. It includes the original bet in the final payout. For example, a $1 Win bet on a horse at 5.00 will pay $5 if the horse wins.
American Kings Plate Odds
As the name implies, these are most often used in US-based racebooks and are also known as “money-line” bets. Designated with a plus-or-minus sign, a $1 bet to win on a horse at +500 returns $6.00 if the horse wins the race, including the original amount bet.
History of the King’s Plate
The King’s Plate is Canada’s oldest and most prestigious horse race. Its rich history dates back over 160 years, making it a significant part of Canadian cultural heritage. The race has evolved over time, but it remains a symbol of excellence and tradition in the world of horse racing.
The King’s Plate was first run in 1860 at the Carleton Racecourse in Toronto, Ontario. The inaugural race was won by Don Juan, owned by Sir Casimir Gzowski. The event was initially named the “Plate,” and it was contested over a distance of 1 1/2 miles. It was open to three-year-old horses that were bred in Canada, and the prize money was set at 50 guineas.
In 1902, the race was renamed the “King’s Plate” in honour of King Edward VII, who had ascended to the throne the previous year. It was also shortened to a distance of 1 1/4 miles, which is the current length of the race.
Over time, the King’s Plate has attracted some of the best thoroughbred racing horses in Canadian racing history. Chief among them is a horse named Northern Dancer, who won the King’s Plate in 1964, marking the beginning of a legendary career that would see him become one of the greatest racehorses of all time.
Recent Changes to King’s Plate
The King’s Plate has undergone several changes over the years, including changes in sponsorship and ownership. In 1995, the race was sponsored by Labatt Brewing Company, and it became known as the “Labatt Blue Plate.” In 2018, the sponsorship was taken over by Woodbine Entertainment Group, which renamed the race the “King’s Plate presented by Woodbine Entertainment.”
The King’s Plate has also faced some challenges, particularly in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 event, which was the first time in over 70 years that the race did not take place. In 2021, the race was held without spectators, which was a disappointment for many racing fans who had looked forward to attending.
Despite these challenges, the King’s Plate remains an important part of Canadian sporting heritage. It is a symbol of excellence and tradition, and it serves as a showcase for some of the best horses and jockeys in the world of horse racing. The race is also an opportunity for Canadians to come together and celebrate their shared love of the sport.
The King’s Plate is a testament to the rich history and culture of horse racing in Canada. It has endured for over 160 years, and it remains a beloved event that is eagerly anticipated by racing enthusiasts across the country. The King’s Plate is a true Canadian treasure.
The King’s Plate and Canadian Triple Crown
The Canadian Triple Crown is a prestigious series of horse racing events in Canada that showcases the country’s top three-year-old thoroughbreds. Modelled after the renowned American Triple Crown, the Canadian Triple Crown consists of three races: the King’s Plate, the Prince of Wales Stakes, and the Breeders’ Stakes. Winning all three races is a remarkable feat that demonstrates exceptional talent and stamina in the world of Canadian horse racing.
The first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown is the King’s Plate, which is held annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.
The second leg, the Prince of Wales Stakes, takes place at Fort Erie Race Track in Fort Erie, Ontario. The race is run over a distance of 1 3/16 miles on the dirt track.
The final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown is the Breeders’ Stakes, which also takes place at Woodbine Racetrack. Unlike the previous two races, the Breeders’ Stakes is run on turf over a distance of 1 1/2 miles, making it the longest race of the series. This race tests the endurance and versatility of the horses as they transition from synthetic and dirt surfaces to grass. It adds an additional layer of complexity to the Triple Crown challenge.
The Canadian Triple Crown was officially established in 1959. The inaugural winner was a horse named New Providence, ridden by jockey Avelino Gomez. Since then, only twelve horses have managed to capture the elusive title, making it a rare achievement.
The Triple Crown winners etch their names in history and forever hold a special place in the hearts of racing enthusiasts. The series continues to captivate and inspire fans from coast to coast.
Past Kings Plate Winners
The claim to fame as the first Canadian-bred horse to win a race at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships goes to Dance Smartly, a filly who took the 1993 King’s Plate in on her way to the Canadian Triple Crown title and then came back in the fall to win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Of course, no mention of King’s Plate Champions is complete without the great Northern Dancer, who won the 1964 Plate after capturing the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, the first two legs of the US Triple Crown.
These are the winners from more recent years:
- The 2023 winner was Paramount Prince, jockeyed by Patrick Husbands with a time of 2:01.93. Trained by Mark Casse, Paramount Prince became a King in front-running fashion. Husbands brought him to the lead, and the rest was history.
- The 2022 winner was Moira, jockeyed by Rafael M. Hernandez with a course record time of 2:01.48. Trained by Kevin Attard, Moira was also the winner of the 2022 Woodbine Oaks.
- The 2021 winner was Safe Conduct, jockeyed by Irad Ortiz Jr. with a time of 2:02.85. In the Colt’s first-ever start in Canada, Ortiz Jr. paced the early leader before slingshotting to victory at the top of the stretch.
- The 2020 winner was Mighty Heart, who was ridden by Daisuke Fukumoto, taking an excellent victory and bringing some life back to an otherwise difficult year for Horse Racing.
- The 2019 winner was One Bady Boy, ridden by Jockey Flavien Prat. He took the victory in 2:02.98 in the 1/4-mile event on the Tapeta course. Trainer Richard Baltas was delighted with the win and a little more in his purse.
- The 2018 winner, Wonder Gadot, was a Grade 2 winner in the US and runner-up in the 2018 Kentucky Oaks before winning the Plate and going on to win the Prince of Wales Stakes.
- The 2017 winner, Holy Helena, has since won multiple graded-stakes races in the US, while Shaman Ghost won a pair of Grade 1 races at Saratoga and Santa Anita and ran second in the 2017 $12 million Pegasus World Cup.
- In 1997, Awesome Again became the first and only King’s Plate winner to go on to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
King’s Plate Champions (Last 20 Races)
| Year | King’s Plate Winning Horse |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Moira* |
| 2021 | Safe Conduct |
| 2020 | Mighty Heart |
| 2019 | One Bad Boy |
| 2018 | Wonder Gadot |
| 2017 | Holy Helena* |
| 2016 | Sir Dudley Digges |
| 2015 | Shaman Ghost |
| 2014 | Lexie Lou* |
| 2013 | Midnight Aria |
| 2012 | Strait of Dover |
| 2011 | Inglorious* |
| 2010 | Big Red Mike |
| 2009 | Eye of the Leopard |
| 2008 | Not Bourbon |
| 2007 | Mike Fox |
| 2006 | Edenwold |
| 2005 | Wild Desert |
| 2004 | Niigon |
| 2003 | TCW – Wando |
| 2002 | T J’s Lucky Moon |
King’s Plate Stakes FAQ
King’s Plate Stakes or just “King’s Plate” for short is Canada’s oldest thoroughbred horse race and the oldest continuously run race in North America. It is the first race in the Canadian Triple Crown (Prince of Wales Stakes and Breeders’ Stakes).
The 2024 King’s Plate is on Saturday, August 17th.
The King’s Plate takes place at the Woodbine Race Track in Etobicoke, Ontario. The first race was run at the Carleton racetrack in Toronto. Woodbine was opened in 1956 with a one-mile oval tapeta track, as well as a seven-eights turf course. It has been extensively remodeled several times since 1993.
In Ontario, bettors can find horse racing on bet365 or bet through Woodbine Entertainment’s race bet platforms; HPIbet and/or Darkhorse Bets.
The King’s Plate currently runs for 1 1/4 miles with a maximum of 17 competing horses. The race has been held at several distances over the years:
– 1860–1867: 1-mile (1.6 km) heats
– 1868–1870: 2 miles (3.2 km)
– 1871: 1 3⁄4 miles (2.82 km)
– 1872–1886: 1 1⁄2 miles (2.4 km)
– 1887–1923: 1 1⁄4 miles (2.01 km)
– 1924–1956: 1 1⁄8 miles (1.811 km)
– 1957-: 1 1⁄4 miles (2.01 km)
A maximum of 17 horse may compete in a King’s Plate race.
The King’s Plate commonly takes place during the summer. This year, it takes place on August 20th. A festival accompanies this event, which features parties with food and drinks and post-event concert.
The 164th running of the Kings Plate Stakes will take place on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
Originally, the King’s Plate inaugural prize was “50 guineas” sent by the British monarch. Currently, the total purse for the race is 1 Million CAD and is divided between the top-four placers.
The winner takes home $600,000 CAD out of the total $1,000,000 CAD Purse.
Up to 17 three-year-old thoroughbred horses participate at the King’s Plate. Owners must pay three separate fees prior to the race.
As far as winningest jockeys, we have a three-way tie between Avelino Gomez, Sandy Hawley, and Robin Platts who each won four races each.
The winningest trainers are Harry Giddings, Jr. and Roger Attfield who have both won eight races each.
And the winningest owner is Seagram Stables who accounts for 20 of the previous winners.
Royal patronage is when members of the Canadian Royal Family attend the event to give their patronage. The most recent visit from Queen Elizabeth to the King’s Plate was in the summer of 2010.
In 1859, then president of the Toronto Turf Club; Casimir Gzowski, petitioned Queen Victoria to grant a plate for a new race. Upon royal assent, a plate was granted and the King’s Plate was born.
Most of the top online sportsbooks offer betting for the King’s Plate. You can find the King’s Plate under the “horse racing” section in the sports section of these books.
Although there is no formally prescribed dress code for the King’s Plate, attendees are encouraged to embrace the occasion by dressing in elegant attire, enhancing their overall enjoyment of the horse racing experience.
