#HORSERACING: THE 157TH QUEEN’S PLATE TAKES PLACE SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016!

There’s just TWO days to go till the Queen’s Plate! Have you got your tickets yet? The 157th edition of North America’s most historic race takes place on Sunday, July 3, 2015 at Woodbine Racetrack. Canada’s top three-year-old horses compete for both glory and a shot at that $1-million purse money!

As announced prior, there will be three headlining acts following the race card including Hedley, Matthew Good and The Strumbellas! Alx Feliz will also be performing the National Anthem. The day will see no shortage of fashion, glamour and fun at the Hats & Horseshoes Party hosted by the hosts of CTV‘s The Social including Lainey Lui, Melissa Grelo, Traci Melchor and Cynthia Loyst! There will be plenty of amazing cocktails including the return of the signature cocktail of the Queen’s Plate, The Blue Diamond and amazing food trucks! With its summer festival vibe, the Queen’s Plate truly has it all.

Post positions were drawn and the field is looking highly competitive with 12 males and one female set to go to post on the big day. Let’s take a quick look at the contenders, organized by Post Position:

The field for the 157th running of the Queen’s Plate is set! #QP16

A photo posted by Woodbine Racetrack (@woodbineracing) on Jun 29, 2016 at 7:34am PDT

What makes this year unique is that many of the contenders have taken an unconventional path to the Queen’s Plate.  ALL ON RED, ESPOSITO, SIR DUDLEY DIGGES and SCHOLAR ATHLETE  all come with strong credentials, preparing in the U.S.  The latter two have specialized on the turf, while the big race itself will be run on a synthetic dirt surface, newly installed at Woodbine this year called Tapeta.

Local faves are headed by AMIS GIZMO whom after an uncharacteristically poor race in the Wando Stakes earlier this year, bounced back to score authoritatively in the definitive prep race for the Queens Plate, the Plate Trial about three weeks ago.

SHAKHIMAT focused on turf racing with success in the U.S. earlier this year after being named champion two-year-old male of 2015 in Canada. He was second in the Plate Trial and his rider Emma-Jayne Wilson, the first ever Canadian female jockey to win the Queen’s Plate, will seek her second.

GAMBLE’S GHOST is from the same connections as AMIS GIZMO and suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the $500k Woodbine Oaks, the definitive race for three-year-old fillies in Canada. She will appreciate the added distance of the Queen’s Plate. Jockey Luis Contreras faced the tough decision of whom to ride, having been on board both. Patrick Husbands who won the 2014 edition of the Queen’s Plate on the filly Lexie Lou (she races in the Dance Smartly Stakes on Plate Day), picks-up the ride.

Big, eye-catching LEAVEM IN MALIBU is owned in part by Hollywood film producer Gary Barber and Conrad Farms, and trained by leading Mark Casse. His long strides and disposition suggest he will handle the Queen’s Plate distance well.

MIKE, an expensive purchase, comes highly-regarded and is rounding into form with each start.

The final entries will be known this time next week. Who is your Queen’s Plate pick?

There’s only a little bit of time left to buy your Queen’s Plate tickets. Do so here.

We expect to see you there in your best summer attire!

More details including directions, can be found here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)