King’s Plate Stakes Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2023 King’s Plate Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2023 King’s Plate is set for August 20 at Woodbine race track in Toronto, ON. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
King’s Plate Stakes Preview
- Race: King’s Plate
- Purse: $1 million
- Track: Woodbine Race Track
- Date: August 20
- Post Time: 5:39 PM (ET)
- Live: King’s Plate Stakes Odds: Click Here
2023 King’s Plate Stakes Racebooks / Betting Apps We Like!
Before we can give you our expert 2023 King’s Plate Stakes free pick, we have to break down the entries! In fact, we’d love to hear from you after you’ve given this post a read to see if you see an angle that we don’t!
2023 King’s Plate Stakes Handicapping
For the first time in 70 years, North America’s oldest continuously run stakes race has a new name. Run in honour of the reigning monarch, which since 1952 was Queen Elizabeth, with her passing and the ascension of her son Charles to the throne the former Queen’s Plate is now the King’s Plate.
What hasn’t changed is that the race marks the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown series. Open to horses age three and foaled in Canada, the 2023 King’s Plate has drawn a large field of 17 – including a pair of fillies – and offers excellent betting value if you like anyone outside of the top one or two ML favourites.
The race will be run at 1 1/4 miles on Woodbine’s all-weather track.
Odds listed here are provided by the Woodbine track oddsmaker.
2023 King’s Plate Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Kalik Race Odds: 3-1
An Ontario-bred that has been doing all his running stateside, Kalik was a disappointing eighth last out in the 1 1/4 mile (G1) Belmont Derby, but two back was the winner of the 1 1/8 mile (G2) Pennine Ridge Stakes also at Belmont. There he finished one length ahead of the horse that would come back to win the Belmont.
Outside of his career debut, he has been doing all of his running on the turf, so it’s a question as to how he will handle the surface switch to the all-weather. That being said, the trainer is hitting at 32% wins and 64% in-the-money when switching from turf to AW.
That trainer is Chad Brown, while Woodbine’s leading jockey Kazushi Kimura is tapped to ride.
2023 King’s Plate Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Kaukokaipuu Race Odds: 6-1
An ultra-consistent runner with an impossible name, Kaukokpiapuu (a Finnish word meaning ‘wanderlust’) has won two races and finished second seven other times in 11 lifetime starts.
Last out he was second but beaten by just a half-length in the (G3) Marine Stakes at Woodbine behind a very good US-based runner that had been a previous stakes winner. The concern for him, however, is distance as 10 of his 11 starts have been at 7 furlongs or less, and he actually led the 1 1/16 mile Marine before being run down late.
Tedston Holder trains, jockey Rico Walcott retains the mount.
Paramount Prince Race Odds: 10-1
An easy five-length winner of the Plate Trial Stakes in preparation for this, Paramount Prince is a speedy front-runner who took the field wire-to-wire for that win going 1 1/8 miles at Woodbine.
Another one that has shown lots of consistency, he’s had five lifetime starts and has never been out of the money in those, with two wins, two seconds and a third.
Trainer Mark Casse has two previous Plate wins, as does jockey Patrick Husbands.
Touch’n Ride Race Odds: 12-1
The least experienced runner in the field, Touch’n Ride has only made two lifetime starts but has looked very good in both. After just missing in his maiden debut by a length going one mile on the the Woodbine turf, he switched to the all-weather next out and won by 5 1/4 lengths going 1 1/16 miles.
He’s a half-brother to Geaux Rocket Ride, who recently won the (G1) Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park over Kentucky Derby winner Mage. His damsire won the Queen’s Plate in 2004.
He’s trained by Layne Giliforte, Jose Campos will be in the irons.
Here’s My 2023 King’s Plate Stakes Free Pick.
There’s a good argument to be made that class-wise Kalik is the best horse in the race and would be the obvious choice if the race was on the turf. However, notwithstanding Chad Brown’s statistics with the surface switch, it does remain to be seen how he’ll handle the footing, and at low odds it seems worthwhile to try and beat him.
I really like the Plate Trial effort of Paramount Prince, but I think there’s other speed in here that may give him some trouble and it may set up for one that can stalk the pace. With that in mind I’m willing to take a shot at a price with the lightly raced Touch’n Ride. He drew a good post and has enough early speed that he should be able to stay within striking distance as they turn for home, and pedigree suggests the distance shouldn’t be a problem.
While neither Elysian Field or Wickenheiser are including in the picks above, it is worth noting that historically fillies have done very well in this race, winning four times in the past 10 years, including in 2022.
Full Field: 2023 King’s Plate Stakes Odds
By post position
- #1 – Stanley House 4-1
- #2 – Elysian Field 8-1 (f)
- #3 – Phillip My Dear 30-1
- #4 – Twin City 30-1
- #5 – Morstachy’s 50-1
- #6 – Kalik 3-1
- #7 – Velocitor 30-1
- #8 – Wickenheiser 12- 1 (f)
- #9 – Silent Miracle 30-1
- #10 – Midnight In Malibu 30-1
- #11 – Touch’n Ride 12-1
- #12 – Cool Kiss 30-1
- #13 -Paramount Prince 10-1
- #14 – Twowaycrossing 30-1
- #15 – Kaukokaipuu 6-1
- #16 – El Cohete 50-1
- #17 – Moon Landing 20-1
King’s Plate Tweet of the Day
“King’s Plate draws field of 17, plus two also-eligibles”@DRFGierkink has more on the draw & the field for Sunday’s King’s Plate @WoodbineTB .https://t.co/ToHSSqqpki
— Daily Racing Form (@DailyRacingForm) August 16, 2023
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