The Two Bit Racing Stable's A Bit O'Gold heads a field of 13 for the $1 million Queen's Plate, Canada's most famous horse race and the oldest continuously-run stakes event in North America, Sunday at Woodbine. The Queen's Plate is run at 1 1/4 miles on the main track for Canadian-foaled 3-year-olds, all carrying 126 pounds. Representing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the 145th "Gallop for the Guineas" will be the Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
Woodbine's special guest drawmaster at Friday's post-position draw was Perdita Felicien, the reigning world champion in the women's 100-metre Hurdles and one of Canada's best hopes for a gold medal at the upcoming Olympic Summer Games in Athens. As has been the custom for the past several years, the selection order for post-positions was determined first via the traditional "pill-pull," followed by the choosing of the posts by each horse's connections. Also on hand was jockey Stewart Elliott, the Toronto native who sprang to international prominence this year as the pilot of Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Smarty Jones.
Catherine Day Phillips will try to become the first woman trainer to win the Plate, when she saddles favoured A Bit O'Gold, an impressive three and one-quarter length winner of the June 6 Plate Trial Stakes, at 1 1/8 miles, in his last outing. Since the Plate Trial began in 1944, 22 winners have also gone on to win the Plate. The last to do so was Alydeed in 1992. The chestnut son of Gold Fever, who will be ridden by Jono Jones, is the field's leading money-winner with $363,199 and was the 6-1 favourite when the Plate Winterbook odds were released in March.
The Plate winner will receive $600,000 and of course, be the only one with a chance to become the eighth Triple Crown champion since the concept was inaugurated in 1959. Last year, Gus Schickedanz's Wando, trained by Mike Keogh, accomplished the remarkable feat, 10 years after Peteski had done so.
Below are the entries for the Queen's Plate with links to a profile for each and their connections along with posts and morning line odds. Free past performances are available here from Daily Racing Form.
Queen's Plate info online:
- Woodbine main page
- Woodbine Stable Notes
- Queen's Plate Trivia Quiz
- Queen's Plate Winners 1860-2002
- 2003 Results - the winner was Wando who went on to win the Triple Crown
- 2002 Results - the winner was T J's Lucky Moon
- 2001 Results - the winner was Dancethruthedawn
- 2000 Results - the winner was Scatter the Gold
- 1999 Results - the winner was Woodcarver
- Live Audio/Video from Woodbine
- SLAM! Horse Racing - Canadian horse racing news from the Toronto Sun
- WayMoreSports.com Horse Racing - more Canadian racing news from the Toronto Star
- TSN Horse Racing - more Canadian racing news from The Sports Network
- News Index Search - articles from the various online news sources
| PP | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | M/L Odds |
| 1 | Long Pond | Mark Casse | Stewart Elliott | 8-1 |
| 2 | Copper Trail | Jim Day | Na Somsanith | 6-1 |
| 3 | Will He Crow | Tim Regan | Steven Bahen | 30-1 |
| 4 | Archer Fleet | Vito Armata | Simon Husbands | 50-1 |
| 5 | Strike Em Hard | Dave Cotey | Emile Ramsammy | 50-1 |
| 6 | Alleged Ruler | Eric Coatrieux | Slade Callaghan | 15-1 |
| 7 | Night Sky | Dan Vella | Jim McAleney | 12-1 |
| 8 | Kent Ridge | Mark Casse | Patrick Husbands | 20-1 |
| 9 | Silver Ticket | Mark Frostad | Todd Kabel | 10-1 |
| 10 | A Bit O' Gold | Catherine Day Phillips | Jono Jones | 2-1 |
| 11 | His Smoothness | Jim Day | Jim McKnight | 50-1 |
| 12 | Just In Case Jimmy | Roger Attfield | Richard Dos Ramos | 20-1 |
| 13 | Niigon | Eric Coatrieux | Robert Landry | 7-2 |
