Canadian Triple Crown opens with King's Plate on Aug. 17 at Woodbine Racetrack

TORONTO — The $1-million King's Plate will open the 2024 Canadian Triple Crown on Aug. 17, Woodbine Entertainment Group announced Wednesday.

The King's Plate is North America's oldest continuously run race. It will highlight Woodbine's 2024 meet, which begins April 27 and runs through Dec. 15, a total of 129 race dates.

The second jewel of Canadian thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown will be the $400,000 Prince of Wales at Fort Erie Racetrack on Sept. 10. The final event will be the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 29.

Wando, with jockey Patrick Husbands, was the last Canadian Triple Crown winner in 2003.

The 2024 meet will feature 38 graded stakes races. The $1-million Woodbine Mile is slated for Sept. 14 and will be one of four Grade 1 events on a card that will also feature the $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes, $500,000 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes and $500,000 bet365 Summer Stakes.

The Mile, Natalma and Summer winners will all secure automatic Breeders' Cup entries.

However, the Canadian International Stakes won't be run this year.

The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, the opening leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, will be held July 20 at Woodbine. The $150 Plate Trial will also be on that card as both races are key King's Plate prep events.

The other Triple Tiara races include the $250,000 Bison City Stakes on Aug. 10 and $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes on Sept.8.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2024.