As the Woodbine Oaks draws near, here are the most recent updates on the contenders for both the Oaks and the King's Plate from Canadian Thoroughbred. Recently, the MARINE STAKES (G3) saw the emergence of ESSEX SERPENT as a strong contender for the upcoming King's Plate on August 17. Trained by Mark Casse, Essex Serpent put on a solid performance under jockey Patrick Husbands, earning an 89 Beyer Speed Figure. Midnight Mascot, another contender from the same stable, also showed promise with a third-place finish in the same race.
On the other hand, Piper’s Factor, who was expected to be a strong contender in the Marine, faltered and finished fifth. Despite this, the colt will still proceed to the Plate. Additionally, Babbo, the Coronation Futurity winner, struggled and finished in sixth place.
Meanwhile, Casse's MY BOY PRINCE was impressed with a strong half-mile workout and will be competing in the PLATE TRIAL on Woodbine Oaks day. With 53 horses currently eligible for the Plate, My Boy Prince looks to be a formidable contender, although his ability around two turns remains unproven. Other top contenders include Essex Serpent and Midnight Mascot.
Trainer Kevin Attard also has a few potential starters for the Plate, including colts like PIERRE and JOKESTAR, as well as maidens like Friendly Ghost and COOLER MAN. Among the fillies, BA DEE YAH and DAZZLING MOVE are considered top contenders, with WAR PAINTER also showing strong potential.
Overall, the Oaks field is shaping up to be competitive, with fillies like HURRICANE CLAIR, BRAVO KATE, and KIN'S CONCERTO looking to make their mark. With the Woodbine Oaks and King's Plate fast approaching, the excitement and anticipation continue to build in the Canadian Thoroughbred racing community.
WOODBINE OAKS TOP 10:
1. DAZZLING MOVE
2. BA DEE YAH
3. WAR PAINTER
4. INUDATION
5. HURRICANE CLAIR
6. KIN’S CONCERTO
7. BRAVO KATE
8. CAITLINHERGRTNESS
9. MORE MONEY HUNNY
10. MY GIRL DELLA
KING’S PLATE TOP 15:
1. MY BOY PRINCE (Casse)
2. ESSEX SERPENT (Casse)
3. MIDNIGHT MASCOT (Casse)
4. NO MORE OPTIONS (Krcmar)
5. PIPER’S FACTOR (Vassilieva)
6. PIERRE (K Attard)
7. JOKESTAR (K Attard)
8. DAZZLING MOVE (M Trombetta)
9. BA DEE YAH (T Amoss)
10. WAR PAINTER (K Attard)
11. INUDATION (k Attard)
12. ROSCAR (R Halden)
13. FRIENDLY GHOST (E Chartrand-Hoek)
14. HURRICANE CLAIR ( M Drexler)
15. KIN’S CONCERTO ( J Carroll)