Queen's Plate Stakes 2013 at Woodbine Racetrack

Las Vegas, NV - The 154th running of the still ungraded Queen's Plate Stakes - the first jewel in Canada's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and the longest continuously run stakes race in North America goes down Sunday, July 7 from Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Three-Year-Olds foaled in Canada will be after their share of the $1 million purse when they go 1 1/4 miles on Woodbine's dirt tack.

The Queen's Plate is the first leg in the Canadian Triple Crown. The second leg is the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, at one mile and three-sixteenths on Tuesday, July 30 at Fort Erie, while the $500,000 Breeders' Stakes, at one mile and one-half on the grass, August 18 at Woodbine, comprises the third and final leg.

A field of 12 has been confirmed for the Queen's Plate - race 10 on Woodbine's Sunday card. Post time is approximately 5:38 PM ET. Lets' meet the 12 contenders for the first jewel of Canada's Triple crown and see what brought them to this prestigious yet-to-be-graded race.

2013 Queen's Plate Stakes Race Favorites

Up With the Birds - 2/1 - has six career starts with four wins, a second (in the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland in April) and a third place finish. He is coming off an impressive 4 3/4 length win over Winning Cause in the minor Marine Stakes on this track May 26. He also won the Coronation Futurity, one of Canada's richest races on this track in November to add to his impressive résumé. Last year's Plate winner Strait of Dover also won the Marine en route to winning the Plate wire-to-wire. Up With the Birds is the 2/1 morning line favorite and will break from Post 7.

Nipissing - 7/2 - is second choice on the morning line at 7/2 odds and is coming off a nice win in the Woodbine Oaks over Spring in the Air. She won her first four career starts on this track including the prestigious Princess Elizabeth and South Ocean Stakes before a failed attempt in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland April 6 where she finished sixth. Nipissing returned to her preferred Woodbine May 19 and finished second in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes before her Woodbine Oaks score.

Queen's Plate Stakes 2013 | Remaining Field Entries

Dynamic Sky 4/1 - won the Plate Trial Stakes here over His Race to Win in impressive fashion June 9 after some unflattering results - a third in the minor Queenston Stakes in May, a ninth in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in April and a fourth in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in March. He had been on the Kentucky Derby trail before those results. He will have North America's leading jockey Joel Rosario in the saddle and is the morning line third choice at 4/1.

Pyrite Mountain - 6/1 - finished fourth most recently to Dynamic Sky in the Plate Trial Stakes June 9 after an impressive win in the minor Wando Stakes over Uncaptured, Canada's Horse of the Year in 2012 here May 5. He also won the Kingarvie Stakes on this track in November and has two wins and two third place finishes in six career starts. He will have Woodbine's leading rider Luis Contreras guiding him

His Race to Win - 10/1 - finished a very good second in the Plate Trial Stakes behind Dynamic Sky here June 9 to follow his first and only career victory - a MSW on this track May 12. He has one win, three seconds and two third place finishes and has placed in his last two stakes races on this track. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez takes the call on His Race to Win, who breaks from post 11.

Queen's Plate Stakes betting at Woodbine Racetrack with OffTrackBetting.com

Spring in the Air - 10/1 - Canada's champion two-year-old filly last year is the field's leading money winner with $641,510. She was a decent second last time out in the Woodbine Oaks to Nipissing after a win in the minor Fury Stakes on this track May 4. Spring in the Air broke onto the scene with a second in the Grade 2 Natalma Stakes in September and won the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades in October and went on to an OK fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She also raced to a ninth in April in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes. She is no stranger to top competition and looks like decent value at 10/1 odds.

Midnight Aria - 15/1 - puts a string in four third place finishes on the line Sunday including the Plate Trial Stakes last time out here June 9 and the minor Wando Stakes also on this track May 5. He has just one win (a MSW at Gulfstream in February), a second and five third place finishes in eight career starts. He likes this distance and is expected to set the pace Sunday.

Kaigun - 20/1 - Mark Casse trained colt makes just his fourth career start and is coming off a pedestrian seventh in the Plate Trial Stakes. He did break maiden May 18 in his second career start but was fifth in his only other race - a MSW in his debut April 7 at Keeneland.

Jagger M - 20/1 - Another Mark Casse trainee was sixth most recently in the Plate Trial Stakes here June 9. He did finish second in the Queenston Stakes May 11 after a MSW score and has one win and three second place finishes in six career starts.

River Seven - 20/1 - won the Grade 3 Grey Stakes over Uncaptured, Canada's Horse of the Year in 2012here in October for by far his best career result but hasn't been spectacular in his minor stakes action since - a fourth in the Queenston Stakes was followed by an eighth after stumbling at the start in the Plate Trial Stakes here June 9.

County Lineman - 30/1 - makes his stakes debut Sunday for trainer Mark Frostad after six career starts produced two wins, a second and a third place finish. Last time out was a third in an Allowance May 24 after an Allowance score May 3.

Rackman - 50/1 - has nine career starts, eight of which are MSW races with a win, a second and a third place finish - his only win coming last time out June 1 here. He is the longest shot on the board at 50/1 - not a whole lot is expected.

---

2013 Queen's Plate Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 10 on Woodbine Racetrack's Sunday card with a Post Time of 5:38 PM.