A filly came through again in the $1 million King’s Plate.
Caitlinhergrtness rallied past 3-5 favorite My Boy Prince in the final strides and won the first leg of Canada’s Triple Crown at Woodbine on Friday.
It’s the 39th time a filly has won the King’s Plate, first run in 1860, and the second time in three years trainer Kevin Attard has done it. Attard-trained Moira won in 2022 and went on to be voted Canada’s Horse of the Year.
The 1 ¼-mile King’s Plate, postponed six days due to heavy rains, featured a field of 12 3-year-olds, with Caitlinhergrtness the only filly.
Perhaps the result is a prelude for Saturday’s $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, when Thorpedo Anna takes on the boys in an attempt to become the first filly to win the race since 1915.
My Boy Prince, trained by Mark Casse, took the lead from early pacesetter and stablemate Essex Serpent with about a quarter-mile to go. The lead grew to about 2 ½ lengths before Rafael Hernandez, aboard Caitlinhergrtness, timed his move well and edged away for a three-quarter length victory.
“She’s obviously all class and all racehorse. She’s handled everything really well,’’ Attard said of his filly named for WNBA Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. “She’s withstanding everything we’ve thrown at her.
“My Boy Prince, kudos to him. He put in a gallant effort. He proved what kind of class horse he is. I think our filly’s pretty special, and it took everything she had to run him down, and she’s the champ.”
Sent off at 9-1, Caitlinhergrtness returned $20.70 on a $2 win bet (winner selected by usracing.com ).
The Canadian Triple Crown is unique in that it is contested over three different surfaces: the Kings’s Plate on an all-weather track; the 1 3/16-mile Prince of Wales at Fort Erie on dirt (Sept. 10); and the 1 ½-mile Breeders’ Stakes on turf at Woodbine (Sept. 29).
Attard had two others in the race: Pierre ran fourth and Jokester fifth. Trainer Mark Casse also sent out three: My Boy Prince, Midnight Mascot (third), and Essex Serpent (10th).
A daughter of Omaha Beach, Caitlinhergrtness began her career in the U.S., winning at second asking at Aqueduct. She ran fourth her next two times out, once at Aqueduct and then at Gulfstream Park. Purchased for $375,000 at the Ocala sale for 2-year-olds, owners Siena Farms and Maverick Racing moved her to Woodbine and Attard’s barn after the race at Gulfstream in February.
She won an allowance at Woodbine in July, then ran second in the Woodbine Oaks, losing by a neck to Kin’s Concerto. Attard said she deserved a chance in the King’s Plate, and he was right.
Now owned by Siena Farms and WinStar Farms, the filly has a record of 7-3-1-1 and earnings of $627,069.
Winning time was 2:03.45.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
