Caitlinhergrtness Stuns the Boys in King's Plate Win
For the second time in three years, the combo of trainer Kevin Attard and jockey Rafael Hernandez won the King's Plate with a filly that proved too good for the boys at Woodbine.
For a long way it looks as though My Boy Prince would be wearing the King's Plate crown for 2024, backed by the best Ontario online sportsbooks, but that was all to change in the final strides as Caitlinhergrtness ran him down, becoming the 39th filly to win Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race.
In doing so, Caitlinhergrtness handed her trainer and jockey combination of Kevin Attard and Rafael Hernandez a second King's Plate win in three years, with another filly – Moira – having scooped the Woodbine showpiece in 2022.
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Hernandez Nears Record with Third King's Plate Win
The lone female against 11 males, the Siena Farm and WinStar Farm-owned Caitlinhergrtness was making her third straight appearance at the Toronto track following a win in early July and then a silver medal in the Woodbine Oaks a fortnight later.
Sired by Omaha Beach out of the Giant's Causeway mare Belatrix, she got to the wire ahead of My Boy Prince and Midnight Mascot in a time of 2:03:45 – the slowest winning time since Shaman Ghost came home in front under Hernandez in 2015.
The winning rider has now bagged three King's Plate victories in the last 10 renewals – leaving Hernandez just one shy of the record-benchmark benchmark of four wins that is jointly held by Avelino Gomez, Sandy Hawley and Robin Platts – the most recent of their successes coming in 1984 when Platts got Key To The Moon home in front.
Accession of King Charles Brings Second Generational Change
From 1952 to 2022, the first race in the Canadian Triple Crown was of course the Queen's Plate named in honour of Elizabeth II, the reigning Canadian monarch of that time.
The first cup was donated by Queen Victoria in the 1800s and the race name interchanges, dependent on who sits on the Westminster throne.
The Woodbine Entertainment Group duly changed the name of this great race following the accession of King Charles III in September 2022.
A new date in the calendar was also found recently. The event was scheduled in June or July until 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic meant it was postponed that year and come 2021 the powers that be at Woodbine elected to stick with an August date instead.
The King's Plate has found a new home in late summer and, for the foreseeable future, is sure to be known by that name, with William, Prince of Wales, the heir apparent to his father.
Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
For Attard and Hernandez, this win represented a second Woodbine success in three years.
They teamed up with Moira in 2022, as she became the first filly to win the race since Wonder Gadot in 2018.
She had prepped by winning the Woodbine Oaks, going one better than Caitlinhergrtness managed this year. Moira has since added wins in the 2023 Canadian Stakes and the 2024 Beverly D. Stakes at Colonial Downs.
The Canadian equivalent of the Kentucky Derby and the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, this year's King's Plate was held over by a week after heavy rain led to the postponement of the original scheduled date of August 17 for the 165th running of the race – which is the oldest continuously run stakes race in North America.
Woodbine Entertainment CEO Michel Copeland admitted there was a 'lot of disappointment' when the original date had to be scrapped but concluded that fans had been extremely patient and they were rewarded as the racetrack offered free entry to the grandstand for the rescheduled running of the King's Plate.
Caitlin to Skip Prince of Wales
The second leg of the Triple Crown will be held at Fort Erie Racetrack on September 10th but Caitlinhergrtness won't be there, connections have confirmed.
The Prince of Wales will come too soon for the filly, named after WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark, with the plan instead set to see her have her next start in October.
Attard has revealed his star turn to have come out of the $1-million Plate in good shape, but he wants her to enjoy some downtime now.
"She’s in good order, she came out of the race great and is back in training,” Attard said. “You’re looking after the longevity of their careers and we’re trying to do what we think is best to have her continue to be successful and have a long career. She’s done everything we’ve asked...you always have to do right by the horse.”
With the news that Caitlinhergrtness isn't going to line-up at Fort Erie, Wando will remain the last Triple Crown winner, achieving the historic sweep in 2003.
The Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar in early November is a possible future stopping point for Caitlinhergrtness, with connections opting to hold fire on any judgment calls as they bask in the glory of her King's Plate win.
