As a precursor to Thorpedo Anna’s participation in opposition to males within the Aug. 24 DraftKings Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, one other 3-year-old filly, Caitlinhergrtness, upset males north of the border within the historic King’s Plate Stakes at Woodbine Aug. 23.
The lone feminine competing in opposition to 11 males, the Siena Farm and WinStar Farm-owned filly ran down the Sovereign Award-winning juvenile male of 2023, My Boy Prince, to turn into the 39th filly to win the race, with a handbag price $1 million in Canadian foreign money. Caitlinhergrtness is known as after star WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark, who led the College of Iowa to the ladies’s NCAA basketball title sport final spring and is at the moment enjoying for the Indiana Fever.
Caitlinhergrtness’ victory gave her coach, Kevin Attard, who ran three horses within the Plate, a second win within the race and offered a 3rd for jockey Rafael Hernandez. Attard and Hernandez teamed to win the 2022 operating with the fashionable filly Moira, the Canadian Horse of the 12 months that season. Hernandez first received the Plate in 2015 aboard Shaman Ghost for coach Brian Lynch.
The Canadian equal of the Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve and the primary leg of the Canadian Triple Crown for 3-year-olds bred in that nation, Friday’s race was postponed from Aug. 17 after heavy rain canceled racing at Woodbine that afternoon. This marked its 165th operating of the King’s Plate, the oldest constantly run stakes race in North America.
Supplemented to the King’s Plate after a runner-up end within the Woodbine Oaks Offered by Stella Artois, Caitlinhergrtness was effectively positioned all through within the 1 ¼-mile King’s Plate, stalking Mark Casse trainees Essex Serpent and 3-5 favourite My Boy Prince as the previous set fractions of :23.74, :47.23, and 1:11.60 over the all-weather Tapeta fundamental monitor.
Getting into the flip, My Boy Prince spurted forward beneath an early transfer from Sahin Civaci, and he approached the stretch with the lead after a mile in 1:36.14. However a stalking Caitlinhergrtness was in scorching pursuit. She caught him in midstretch and inched away within the ultimate sixteenth to win by three-quarters of a size.
“After I pulled the set off, she simply gave me every part,” Hernandez mentioned.
Caitlinhergrtness lined the traditional distance in 2:03.45, and Hernandez celebrated crossing the wire by pumping his arms a few occasions in pleasure. The filly carried 121 kilos, 5 kilos lower than her male counterparts. She returned $20.70 to win.
“She’s clearly all class and all racehorse,” Attard mentioned.
Midnight Mascot, one other Mark Casse trainee, rallied to point out.
An Ontario-bred daughter of Grade 1 winner Omaha Seashore, Caitlinhergrtness initially raced with Corridor of Fame coach Todd Pletcher, profitable certainly one of 4 begins in the US in grime races, earlier than becoming a member of Attard’s Canadian barn. She received her first race for him on turf in an allowance optionally available claimer July 6 at Woodbine earlier than operating second within the 1 1/8-mile Woodbine Oaks on a two-week turnaround. She grew a bit drained late in that race.
The Canadian Triple Crown continues with the Sept. 10 Prince of Wales Stakes at 1 3/16 miles on grime at Fort Erie and it concludes with the Sept. 29 Breeders’ Stakes at 1 ½ miles on turf at Woodbine.
