For those who bet on horses, the King’s Plate is one of the most important events of the year! The $1 million race, contested at 1 ¼ miles on the Tapeta at Woodbine, is coming up Sunday, August 20 at Woodbine. The race is the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, and it drew a field of 17 talented three-year-olds (plus two also-eligibles) for that rich purse and historic honours.
No sporting event has been running continuously in North America for as long as the King’s Plate: the race has been run every year since 1860. Stars like Bunty Lawless, Flaming Page, Northern Dancer, Awesome Again, and Shaman Ghost have won the race over the years. Keep on reading to find out who has the best chance to join their company this year, and find out the best places to bet the King’s Plate online!
Betting the King's Plate Online
Actually going to Toronto for the race is an exciting horse racing adventure, but we cannot all make it there. Fortunately, you can be part of the action from anywhere by betting the King’s Plate online! Thanks to top online racebooks, you can play the King’s Plate and major races all year long from home, or from anywhere with an internet connection!
Choosing the right online betting site can feel like a daunting task because there are so many out there, but our trusted betting site reviews make the choice easy. Every site we recommend has the fundamentals of a great experience: a smooth user interface, market-leading odds, and trusted deposits and payouts.
Online racebooks also feature great betting offers like sign-up and deposit bonuses, horse racing rebates, and referral benefits. Taking a few minutes now to find out which sites offer the best bonuses for your wagering style can mean hundreds or even thousands of dollars for your bankroll, so you cannot afford to miss out on these great benefits!
2023 King's Plate Field
This is the official field for the 2023 King's Plate including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds:
- Stanley House (Michael De Paul/Javier Castellano) - 4/1
- Elysian Field (Mark Casse/Sahin Civaci) - 8/1
- Philip My Dear (Kevin Attard/Daisuke Fukumoto) - 30/1
- Twin City (Stuart Simon/Gary Boulanger) - 30/1
- Morstachy’s (Renico Lafond/Leo Salles) - 50/1
- Kalik (Chad Brown/Kazushi Kimura) - 3/1
- Velocitor (Kevin Attard/Justin Stein) - 30/1
- Wickenheiser (Kevin Attard/Rafael Hernandez) - 12/1
- Silent Miracle (John Mattine/Ryan Munger) - 30/1
- Midnight in Malibu (Sid Attard/Adam Beschizza) - 30/1
- Touch’n Ride (Layne Giliforte/Jose Campos) - 12/1
- Cool Kiss (Michael de Paulo/Emma-Jayne Wilson) - 30/1
- Paramount Prince (Mark Casse/Patrick Husbands) - 10/1
- Twowaycrossing (Roger Attfield/Antonio Gallardo) - 30/1
- Kaukokaipuu (Ted Holder/Rico Walcott) - 6/1
- El Cohete (Michael De Paulo/Eswan Flores) - 50/1
- Moon Landing (Kevin Attard/Luis Contreras) - 20/1
- Enjoythesilent (Kevin Attard) - 50/1 - ALSO ELIGIBLE
- Runaway Charlie (Michael J. Doyle) - 50/1 - ALSO ELIGIBLE
Keep in mind that these morning-line odds are Woodbine’s best estimate for what the tote board will look like come post time. If you bet the King’s Plate from the track, you are not guaranteed these odds, but rather have to settle for whatever the odds are at post time. Protect yourself from late odds swings by betting the King’s Plate online: online sportsbooks offer fixed-odds betting on major races!
These are the odds on leading contenders for the King’s Plate:
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalik | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Stanley House | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Kaukokaipuu | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Elysian Field | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Paramount Prince | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Wickenheiser | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Touch'n Ride | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
King's Plate Handicapping
With your online racebook account all set up, it is time to get to know the main contenders for the 2023 King's Plate.
King's Plate Top Play
Elysian Field takes a step up in class, as she beat Canadian-bred fillies last out and now steps up to tackle males. But, good fillies often step up in the King’s Plate: four of the last ten winners have been fillies. She has tactical speed, and she proved in the Woodbine Oaks that she can handle a relatively inside post in a large field -- something she’ll have to do again in the Plate. She also has a good pedigree for the stretch out.
King's Plate Contenders
Kalik races in Canada for the first time. He has been able to hold his own against good horses in the United States: two back, the Chad Brown trainee won the Pennine Ridge (G2) gate to wire. He still has to prove himself on Tapeta, but turf form often translates there, and his troubled trip against much better in the Belmont Derby (G1) last out does not preclude him handling 1 ¼ miles against this restricted company.
Wickenheiser is the other runner, other than Elysian Fields, who comes out of the Woodbine Oaks. She rallied from near the rear in that field of fourteen. There is a good chance she gets a sharp pace to close into once again for Woodbine big-race rider Rafael Hernandez, and judging from both the top and bottom of her pedigree, she is going to love 1 ¼ miles, perhaps more than anyone.
King's Plate Exotics Horses
Touch’n Ride cedes experience to the rest of the field: he has raced just twice, both times against maiden company. However, he stepped forward nicely second-time out: his first time on Tapeta and his first time past a mile. From a pace perspective he is tractable, and the barn pops up nicely with runners coming in off of maiden wins (as well as all-weather runners).
It’s a bit of a concern that Kaukokaipuu flattened a bit in the Marine (G3) last out, as it was his first race past a mile and now he goes 1 ¼ miles. However, that came against graded company and now he drops back against Canada-breds. He is experienced and tractable enough to be able to work a trip in a big field, and his pedigree suggests that the step up in trip ultimately will work for him.
King's Plate Best Bets
You have your betting account set up, and you have gotten to know the contenders. There is only one thing left to do, and it is the most fun part: place your bets on the 2023 King's Plate!
These are your expert best bets for the race:
- $20 to win - #2 Elysian Field
- $1 exacta box - #2 Elysian Field, #6 Kalik, #8 Wickenheiser
- $0.50 trifecta box - #2 Elysian Field, #6 Kalik, #8 Wickenheiser, #11 Touch’n Ride
- $0.20 superfecta key - #2 Elysian Field, #6 Kalik, #8 Wickenheiser, #11 Touch’n Ride, #15 Kaukokaipuu
