Latest news with #King's Plate
National Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
Apprentice jockey Pietro Moran wins $1 million King's Plate aboard Mansetti
Last September, in one of the lowest-class races you can find in the area, Pietro Moran suffered a significant injury. Almost a year later, he captured Canada's biggest race. Article content The 20-year-old, still an apprentice jockey, won the $1 million King's Plate on Saturday aboard Mansetti in emphatic, front-running fashion. And for a kid who grew up at Woodbine, the emotions simply flowed after. Article content Article content 'There's no words to describe it,' he said. 'What a dream.' 'I watched my first Plate 15 years ago. My dad (David) finished third. And every year since, I've been watching and dreaming for this moment. I never thought it would come this soon.' Article content While currently the leader in the jockey standings at Woodbine, Moran didn't get a lot of support from the bettors as Mansetti went off a 19-1. But as soon as the gate opened, Mansetti used his rail post position to full effect, coming out of the gate and taking a slight lead over Scorching in the 13-runner field. Article content While the first quarter went in a quick 23 seconds, Moran was able to relax Mansetti on the lead in the backstretch. Around the turn, Mansetti began to open up on Scorching and in mid-stretch, had a four-length lead. He ended up winning by 2 1/2 lengths as U.S. invader Tom's Magic closed from well back early to finish second and 7-2 race favourite Notorious Gangster found his best late to grab third. Article content 'It worked out perfect,' Moran said. 'He broke good. I just loved the way he relaxed today.' Article content 'I was talking to him the whole way, saying 'good boy, you're doing good,' and he responded to me.' Article content A son of Collected, Mansetti is named for a chain of pizza restaurants in Minnesota, home of owners Al and Bill Ulwelling. Article content He won two of his three starts as a two-year-old, including the Clarendon Stakes. He started this season with a really poor effort in New York but his return home resulted in a win in the Woodstock Stakes. Another mediocre effort followed in the Queenston Stakes but he gave a much better account of himself in the Marine Stakes, setting him up for the Plate try. Article content 'This horse trained really well. He was flying a bit under the radar,' trainer Kevin Attard said. 'This horse really changed from two to three.' Article content 'He showed a lot of talent from a young age and I thought he was going to be a really good horse. He was keen and eager early and we didn't think he'd stretch out. But he matured nicely into his three-year-old year and he has figured things out.' Article content It took Attard nearly 20 years to get his first King's Plate, now he can't stop winning them. Mansetti gave him his third win in the race, which he first captured with Moira in 2022 and then with Caitlinhergrtness last year. He was especially thrilled this time for Moran, who had to spend this past winter recovering from a broken back and fractured rib after a spill in a $5,000 claiming race at Fort Erie. Article content 'To win this with Pietro Moran, a young up-and-coming rider, is that much more special for me,' Attard said. 'He's a great kid. He's worked hard in our stable. And to get this kind of success this early, it makes it that much more special to me.' Article content Scorching ended fourth. David Moran also rode in the race and finished eighth aboard Willian T. Woodbine Oaks winner No Time was a disappointing ninth, while Plate Trial winner Sedbury's Ghost was 11th.
CBC
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
Apprentice jockey Pietro Moran guides Mansetti wins $1-million King's Plate race
Apprentice jockey Pietro Moran rode Mansetti to a wire-to-wire win in the $1-million King's Plate on Saturday in Toronto. Moran, 20, earned trainer Kevin Attard his third Plate victory as Mansetti, an 18-1 pick, covered the 1 1/4-mile race in two minutes 3.38 seconds. Tom's Magic was second, 2 1/2 lengths back, while Notorious Gangster finished third in the 13-horse field. Moran earned the Plate victory in just his second start in the race. His father, David, also rode in the race aboard William T. The second jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown is the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, which goes Sept. 9 at Fort Erie Racetrack. Earlier, She Feels Pretty took the lead on the final turn then held off a hard-charging Diamond Rain to win the $750,000 E.P. Taylor turf event by a head. That earned She Feels Pretty an an automatic berth into the US$2-million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf event Nov. 1 at Del Mar. She Feels Pretty, the 2/5 favourite ridden by John Velazquez, won the 1 1/4-mile race in 2:00.80. Ready for Shirl came on late to finish third ahead of Valencia.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
An eastern Ontario hat maker has heads covered at the King's Plate
An eastern Ontario hat maker is on her way to Canada's oldest and most prestigious thoroughbred race as the official milliner. Ranelle Larocque, owner of Queen Bee Millinery in Perth is returning to the King's Plate at Woodbine for the second time. 'It's like our Christmas. This is the best day of the year. I am so excited about it, I've been working on this since January,' she tells CTV News Ottawa. The King's Plate takes place on Saturday, and many in attendance will dress up, with particular attention paid to what's on their head. 'It just fills me with joy to see people embracing hat culture, especially at the races. This is the oldest thoroughbred race in North America, which is amazing. And yeah, just to see the fashion and people expressing themselves through what they're wearing, it's really about self-expression and feeling your best,' she said. It's not the only race Larocque is involved with, and she said she's sent pieces to the Kentucky Derby and the Royal Ascot also. What is a milliner? 'A milliner is a hat maker,' Larocque said. 'Normally it is a women's hat maker; however, we come in all styles and shapes and sizes and techniques. It's amazing. We have a really massive breadth of talented people here in Canada who are creating fine millinery and hats.' Months of preparation Larocque said she has been working with clients on many of the pieces for months. 'I like to get to know you and your personality. That helps inspire what I'm going to create for you. Then we think about your wardrobe and what you're wearing on the day,' she said. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, and handmade. Larocque says a lot of work can go into each one. 'Depending on the complexity of the design, a fascinator could take a couple of hours, but the more ornate racing hats, they can take anywhere from 40 to 60-plus hours to create by hand.' After all the hard work comes the moment of anticipation. 'I cannot wait to see the fashion, the horses, just the excitement of everybody getting together,' Larocque said. 'This is the pinnacle of the racing year for Woodbine, and it's so exciting to see everybody engaged with the races and they're wagering, and they're dressed, and they're just having such a good time.'
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
OLG says live horse race bets now available ahead of King's Plate
Mighty Heart with jockey Daisuke Fukumoto rides to victory during the running of the 161st Queen's Plate at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto on Saturday, September 12, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette TORONTO — Sports bettors will have a second option Saturday for the $1-million King's Plate. Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation players can now bet on live horse races across Ontario. Proline will be accepting bets for the Plate, which goes Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack. Bettors can access Woodbine Entertainment Group's horse racing wagering product through and the OLG app. OLG becomes the first Canadian provincial lottery and gaming agency to provide access to a horse racing wagering product to its digital players. Through WEG's product -- which is powered by HPIbet -- players on and the OLG app can bet on live races around the world and at Ontario tracks. Proline joins bet365 as the only operators in Ontario's regulated sports-betting market to include horse racing in its products. Racing wagers through both Proline and bet365 will go through Woodbine's tote system and remain exclusively parimutuel. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2025.
National Post
21-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
No Time leads Casse parade in Woodbine Oaks
No Time had a good time at the Woodbine Oaks on Sunday. Could she have an even better time when Canada's biggest horse race rolls around? Article content The three-year-old filly was sharp in victory in the $500,000 Oaks, spearheading a 1-2-3 finish for trainer Mark Casse and placing herself squarely in the field for the King's Plate on Aug. 16. Article content Ridden by John Velazquez, No Time raced close to the early pace in the 1 1/8-mile race, tracking on the outside while stablemate Winterberry had command. Approaching the stretch, No Time was three wide but had found the gear she needed to take command early in the stretch and draw off at odds of 6-1. Article content Article content Winterberry was third while Casse's most-fancied runner, 2-1 favourite Shifty, ended second. Article content 'We knew there was going to be a lot of pace in the race so I wanted to see how it would develop,' Velazquez said. 'By the time we got to the half-mile pole, I just kept it nice and easy. I didn't want to make a premature move.' Article content 'The quarter-pole came and she found another gear.' Article content A daughter of Not This Time, No Time broke her maiden last September and opened her 2025 season with a win before finishing fourth in the Selene Stakes. The energy she had after the race proved to his hall-of-fame rider that the 1 1/4 miles of the Plate should be to her liking. Article content 'She galloped out very nicely,' Velazquez said. 'If she can do that again and she can relax in the early part of the race, she has a very good chance.' Article content The Plate gained another new contender one race earlier when Sedbury's Ghost emerged from a bunched pack to win the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes. Article content Ridden by Ryan Munger, Sedbury's Ghost was smartly taken near the back of the 10-horse field with a scorching pace up front. The pack closed up around the turn and Munger took his runner to the outside where he was able to get the lead in mid-stretch at odds of 7-1. Article content Article content Trained by Barbara Minshall, Sedbury's Ghost broke his maiden in his second attempt last year and started this season with a win before finishing fourth in the Marine Stakes. Article content 'He had a bit of a troubled trip in the Marine. I thought he could have won that,' Minshall said. Article content Second-place finisher Notorious Gangster, who won the Queenston Stakes earlier in the year, is also expected to go to the Plate along with third-place runner Scorching. Others pointed to the August 16 Plate are Marine Stakes winner Mansetti and U.S.-based runner Tom's Magic. Article content Two other stakes were run Sunday. In the $200,000 Canadian Stakes, Ready for Shirl made a strong late charge to nail favourite Gimme a Nother and post a 6-1 upset. Article content The win gave jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson a high point in an otherwise tough year. The veteran rider recovered from a late-season injury during the winter to make it back to the races in June. She's had a couple of small mishaps since but she was at her best Sunday. Article content 'It's fun to be back in the tack. It's fun to be back in the winner's circle. It's fun to be here,' Wilson said. Article content And in the $175,000 Connaught Cup, 9-1 shot Cruden Bay overtook heavily favoured Kehoe Beach in mid-stretch for a decisive score and a repeat of the stake he won a year ago. Fraser Aebly rode the seven-year-old gelding for trainer Don MacRae. It was Cruden Bay's eighth career score in 24 starts.
