| Restricted race | |
 Caitlinhergrtness, 2024 King's Plate winner | |
| Location | Woodbine Racetrack Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1860 |
| Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Website | woodbine |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1+1⁄4 mi (2 km) |
| Surface | Tapeta |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | 3-year-old Canadian-bred |
| Weight | Colt/Gelding: 126 lb (57 kg) Filly: 121 lb (55 kg) |
| Purse | CDN$1 million |
The King's Plate (known as the Queen's Plate from 1860 to 1901 and 1952 to 2022) is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race and the oldest continuously run race in North America,[1] having been founded in 1860.[2] It is run at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles (2 kilometres) for a maximum of 17 three-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada.
The race is the first in the Canadian Triple Crown, typically taking place each summer at Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke, Ontario. The event was scheduled in June or July until 2020, when it was postponed to September, due to government-imposed restrictions in place through the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4] Since 2021, Woodbine ran the Queen's Plate, and now runs the King's Plate, in August.[5][6]
The race's name reflects the title of the reigning Canadian monarch, following on Queen Victoria's donation of the first cup. The Woodbine Entertainment Group, which owns and operates the event, announced in December 2022 the race will be renamed the King's Plate, following the accession of King Charles III on 8 September 2022.[6]
- ^ "Thoroughbred Report > Frequently Asked Questions > Horse Racing History, etc.", www.thoroughbredreport.com, retrieved 14 July 2016
- ^ "Condensed History Of The Longest Established Race Of North America". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 17 May 1912. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ Queen's Plate Postponed Due to Coronavirus, Blood Horse, retrieved 16 April 2020
- ^ Mighty Heart Leads Throughout in Queen's Plate Romp, Blood Horse, retrieved 13 September 2020
- ^ Queen's Plate 2022 Announced, Woodbine Entertainment Group, 1 December 2021, retrieved 22 August 2022
- ^ a b Canadian Press (7 December 2022), Queen's Plate to be known as King's Plate starting in 2023, Sports Net, retrieved 21 April 2023