The Kings Plate ($1,000.00 Purse)
WO- For Three Year Olds Foaled In Canada
One Mile and One Quarter on the Dirt
August 15, 2026

The annual Kings Plate up at WO gives us one of the best opportunities to watch some elite Canadian horses do battle, and it will take place again on Friday. $1,000.00 will be on the line, and we have seen on some great winners in the past, going back to Rancho Ruler and Vouvray in the old days to Anoush Command more recently. We have a quality field this year, and looking to steal the show will be not only a filly, but the one that won the KYO last May in Monarchy. The aforementioned Vouvray is one previous filly that has won the, then Queens Plate, and Monarchy’s trainer, Mo Mentum Farm, has led a filly to victory here in the past with Appreciate. Mo Mentum takes a lot of pride in breeding in Canada, and that shows with his four wins in the Kings Plate, matching another one-time great Canadian breeder, Australia Wide. Mo Mentum stands a strong chance to win his fifth, given he fields three of the seven but will run into strong opposition. The 2025 race was won by Asgar’s Sweet Caviar, who is still active but hasn’t raced since November. Here’s the field looking to be the race’s next winner!

1- Justified (Alydar Stables, ridden by J L Ortiz)- We have two horses in the field who ran last month in the $150.00 Plate Trial, and Justified took home the victory in that race while starting from the rail. He’ll be in the same starting spot for the Kings Plate, and even though he has only won two career races, he has had some promising other results over the course of his career. In January, he ran second in the Grade 3 Holy Bull, and while he was not in the KYD, he raced at CD that day in the Grade 2 Day Mile and came from way off the pace to run third. He’s a traditional closer, but did not run like that in the Plate Trial, so how he tactically treats this is anyone’s guess.

2- Open Invitation (Mb Stables, ridden by A Fresu)- This is the only horse in the field who was seen in any of the TC races, running in the PRK and the BEL. In both, he finished in the middle of the field, so while he did not earn anything, he was not terrible either. Still, the trainer dropped him into an optional claimer for his last start, at SAR, perhaps as a way to get his form heading back in a positive direction. That would work out, as Open Invitation picked up the win. His only other career win was not in a maiden, but in the Grade 3 Southwest. It was part of a busy spring at OP for him.

3- Flop (Mb Stables, ridden by L Seaz)- Flop has run with the Canadian-bred condition here in the past, as you may remember seeing him in a pair of races here as a two year old. Both resulted in wins, taking the $100.000 Frost King and the $250.000 Coronation Futurity. He has not been back to the winner’s circle in any of his five starts as a three year old, but has run off three third place finishes in those races. Doing that in the LA Derby seems to be the best of that bunch. However, he comes into the Kings Plate off quite a flat effort in a CD optional claimer, so what better place to turn it around than on the track where he is 2-for-2 in his career.

4- Mayor Of Win City (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by L Salles)- During his career, the Mayor has mostly been a turf sprinter, and had a very successful two year old campaign doing exactly that. Almost a year ago, he ran third in the $1,000.00 KD Juvenile Sprint and two starts later, he would finish in that same spot for the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint. Thus far this year, we have seen Mo Mentum try different styles of racing for him, and it really remains to be seen whether or not going long is where he at his best. The last time he was near this distance, he was a non factor in the Grade 1 BG Stakes. There’s been time, but I’ll get back to him in a turf sprint.

5- Monarchy (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by V Espinoza)- As mentioned in the opening, it is not unprecedented for a filly to win the Kings/Queens Plate, and it’s even been done by Mo Mentum Farm himself. As the trainer looks for his fifth win in the race, Monarchy does seem to be the best of his three options. She started her career by winning seven consecutive races, with the SA Oaks in April leading in to her massive KYO victory in May. Monarchy would reign again afterwards, doing so in the DEL Oaks with regular rider V Espinoza to start a perfect 7-for-7 in her career. All undefeated streaks will come to an end eventually, and for Monarchy that would be true last time out when she was only fourth here last month in the $500.00 WO Oaks. What a perfect way, then, for her to get redemption for that, as she returns to WO. Getting a five pound weight allowance will certainly help her cause, and I do think she will get back to the winner’s circle here after a short time away.

6- Senter (Glorfiy Stables, ridden by L Contreras)- Got his picture taken at the wire with Justified last time out here in the Plate Trial Stakes, but the edge went to his rival in that one. While there is no reason to think that Senter can’t turn the tables on Justified here, there is also the matter of taking on much stronger competition. Senter isn’t going to back down from that, as after all, he went into the Plate Trial off his $17.00 maiden win at ALB and did not look out of place in that race by any means. This is only his fifth start, so we don’t really know where Senter’s ceiling is yet. Even if he doesn’t win this one, keep an eye out for him.

7- London (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by R M Hernandez)- Looked strong in a couple of seven furlong races recently, winning both the $100.00 King Corrie here in May before heading to CD to take the Grade 3 Maxfield Stakes. Last time, he was poor in the Grade 2 Amsterdam at SAR, but we can probably blame the sloppy track for that. When going longer, London has also stepped up, with three wins in five starts, but none of those victories have come at the stake level. So far, the LA Derby is his only attempted stake at a longer distance, and while it was a disaster, he certainly deserves another shot.

Prediction: 5-2-1-6

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded