TORONTO – Woodbine Entertainment has released the latest nomination numbers for The King’s Plate with 70 three-year-old on the trail to the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown on August 20, 2023 at Woodbine Racetrack.

Below are five interesting Ontario Bred horses eligible for the $1 million race.

KALIK (COLLECTED – CORONATION STREET, BY STREET CRY (IRE))

The Chad Brown trainee is undefeated to start to his sophomore campaign with the most recent of his three wins a one-length score in the G2 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park.

Robert V. La Penta, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Madaket Stables LLC own this well bred son of Collected, who has made over 204,250 (U.S) this year. He is from the first crop of Collected and is a half brother to G3 placed Bringer of Rain.

Anderson Farms and Peter A. Berglar Racing Interests bred the colt.

PHILIP MY DEAR (SILENT NAME (JPN) – INVOLUNTARY, BY CITY ZIP)

Canada’s 2022 champion two-year-old is making his 2023 debut on Sunday in the Queenston Stakes, a traditional King’s Plate prep.

He won the Cup and Saucer as a freshman, and was third in the G1 Summer Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In race for the Juvenile Turf.

He is trained by Kevin Attard for Raroma Stable, and was bred by Adena Springs.

MISSION OF JOY (KITTEN’S JOY – SMART MISSION, BY SMART STRIKE)

With fillies recent run of success in the King’s Plate, Mission of Joy figures to be a major factor in the 2023 running.

Trained by Graham H. Motion, Mission of Joy has a pair of G3 wins this season south of the border, the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs, and the Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Her two wins came at 8.5 and 9 furlong respectively, so by August she should be more than game for the 10 furlong test of the Plate. She was bred by Sam-S0n Farm and is owned by RyZan Sun Racing and Madaket Stables.

VELOCITOR (MOR SPIRIT – POLAR PLUNGE, BY SUCCESSFUL APPEAL)

A homebred for  Al and Bill Ulwelling, Woodbine’s top money earning owners in 2022, Velocitor is attempting to be the first three-year-old to win Canada’s top freshman race the Coronation Futurity, and the King’s Plate since Norcliffe in 1975-76.

He had a troubled trip in his lone three-year-old start on May 21 in the King Corrie, stumbling out of the gate and not quite being able to recover.

He is trained by Kevin Attard and has returned to the work tab after his debut, breezing 4F in 48.60 over the tapeta on June 9.

ANCIENT PEACE (WAR FRONT – DECEPTIVE VISION, BY A.P. INDY)

The second filly on this list, she jumped on the King’s Plate radar when Travis Boersma’s Boarshorts Stables went to $650,000 to acquire her at the 2023 Keeneland January Sale.

In her three starts this season she has a six-length allowance romp, and a second place finish in the G2 Summertime Oaks, both at Santa Anita Park.

John Sadler trains the filly, who was bred by Sam-Son Farm.

Click here to view the full list of nominees.