Queen's Plate
|
|
The Queen's Plate is North America's oldest thoroughbred horse race, run at a distance of 1 1/4 miles for 3-year-old thoroughbed horses, foaled in Canada, run annually in July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke (Toronto), Ontario. It is the first race in the Canadian Triple Crown. Since 1995, the race has been limited to a maximum of 17 starters.
Initiated in 1859 by the then president of the Toronto Turf Club, Sir Casimir Gzowski, a distinguished Polish engineer and ancestor of the popular Canadian broadcaster, Peter Gzowski, the Queen's Plate was inaugurated on June 27, 1860, at the Carleton racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The prize of 50 guineas was originally awarded by Queen Victoria.
Horses owned by Windfields Farm have won the Queen’s Plate 11 times, but the most successful were members of the Seagram family of distillers from Waterloo, Ontario. They won it on 20 occasions between 1891 and 1935 including 8 times in a row between 1891 and 1898, and 10 times in 11 years from 1891 to 1901.
The record time for the race since 1957 when it was run at 1 1/4 miles is 2:01 4/5 set by Izvestia in 1990.
Winningest Jockeys:
- Avelino Gomez: 4 - 1957, 1960, 1966, 1969
- Sandy Hawley: 4 - 1970, 1971, 1975, 1978
- Robin Platts: 4 - 1972, 1974, 1977, 1984
Winningest Trainers:
- Harry Giddings, Jr.: 8 - 1911, 1913, 1914, 1920, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1942
- Roger Attfield: 7 - 1976, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995
Race winners:
- Year -- Winner
- 1860 -- Don Juan
- 1861 -- Wild Irishman
- 1862 -- Palermo
- 1863 -- Touchstone
- 1864 -- Brunette
- 1865 -- Lady Norfolk
- 1866 -- Beacon
- 1867 -- Wild Rose
- 1868 -- Nettie
- 1869 -- Bay Jack
- 1870 -- John Bell
- 1871 -- Floss
- 1872 -- Fearnaught
- 1873 -- Mignonette
- 1874 -- The Swallow
- 1875 -- Young Trumpeter
- 1876 -- Norah P.
- 1877 -- Amelia
- 1878 -- King George
- 1879 -- Moss Rose
- 1880 -- Bonnie Bird
- 1881 -- Vice Chancellor
- 1882 -- Fanny Wiser
- 1883 -- Roddy Pringle
- 1884 -- Williams
- 1885 -- Willie W.
- 1886 -- Wild Rose
- 1887 -- Bonnie Duke
- 1888 -- Harry Cooper
- 1889 -- Colonist
- 1890 -- Kitestring
- 1891 -- Victorious
- 1892 -- O' Donohue
- 1893 -- Martello
- 1894 -- Joe Miller
- 1895 -- Bonniefield
- 1896 -- Millbrook
- 1897 -- Ferdinand
- 1898 -- Bon Ino
- 1899 -- Butter Scotch
- 1900 -- Dalmoor
- 1901 -- John Ruskin
- 1902 -- Lyddite
- 1903 -- Thessalon
- 1904 -- Sapper
- 1905 -- Inferno
- 1906 -- Slaughter
- 1907 -- Kelvin
- 1908 -- Seismic
- 1909 -- Shimonese
- 1910 -- Parmer
- 1911 -- St. Bass
- 1912 -- Heresy
- 1913 -- Hearts of Oak
- 1914 -- Beehive
- 1915 -- Tartarean
- 1916 -- Mandarin
- 1917 -- Belle Mahone
- 1918 -- Springside
- 1919 -- Ladder of Light
- 1920 -- St. Paul
- 1921 -- Herendesy
- 1922 -- South Shore
- 1923 -- Flowerful
- 1924 -- Maternal Pride
- 1925 -- Fairbank
- 1926 -- Haplite
- 1927 -- Troutlet
- 1928 -- Young Kitty
- 1929 -- Shorelint
- 1930 -- Aymond
- 1931 -- Froth Blower
- 1932 -- Queensway
- 1933 -- King O' Connor
- 1934 -- Horometer
- 1935 -- Sally Fuller
- 1936 -- Monsweep
- 1937 -- Goldlure
- 1938 -- Bunty Lawless
- 1939 -- Archworth
- 1940 -- Willie the Kid
- 1941 -- Budpath
- 1942 -- Ten to Ace
- 1943 -- Paolita
- 1944 -- Acara
- 1945 -- Uttermost
- 1946 -- Kingarvie
- 1947 -- Moldy
- 1948 -- Last Mark
- 1949 -- Epic
- 1950 -- McGill
- 1951 -- Major Factor
- 1952 -- Epigram
- 1953 -- Canadiana
- 1954 -- Collisteo
- 1955 -- Ace Marine
- 1956 -- Canadian Champ
- 1957 -- Lyford Cay
- 1958 -- Caledon Beau
- 1959 -- New Providence
- 1960 -- Victoria Park
- 1961 -- Blue Light
- 1962 -- Flaming Page
- 1963 -- Canebora
- 1964 -- Northern Dancer
- 1965 -- Whistling Sea
- 1966 -- Titled Hero
- 1967 -- Jammed Lovely
- 1968 -- Merger
- 1969 -- Jumpin Joseph
- 1970 -- Almoner
- 1971 -- Kennedy Road
- 1972 -- Victoria Song
- 1973 -- Royal Chocolate
- 1974 -- Amber Herod
- 1975 -- L' Enjoleur
- 1976 -- Norcliffe
- 1977 -- Sound Reason
- 1978 -- Regal Embrace
- 1979 -- Steady Growth
- 1980 -- Driving Home
- 1981 -- Fiddle Dancer Boy
- 1982 -- Son of Briartic
- 1983 -- Bompago
- 1984 -- Key to the Moon
- 1985 -- La Lorgnette
- 1986 -- Golden Choice
- 1987 -- Market Control
- 1988 -- Regal Intention
- 1989 -- With Approval
- 1990 -- Izvestia
- 1991 -- Dance Smartly
- 1992 -- Alydeed
- 1993 -- Peteski
- 1994 -- Basqueian
- 1995 -- Regal Discovery
- 1996 -- Victor Cooley
- 1997 -- Awesome Again
- 1998 -- Archers Bay
- 1999 -- Woodcarver
- 2000 -- Scatter the Gold
- 2001 -- Dancethruthedawn
- 2002 -- T J's Lucky Moon
- 2003 -- Wando
- 2004 -- Niigonja:クイーンズプレート