ETOBICOKE, Ont. 鈥� Kin's Concerto won't be running in the $1-million King's Plate.
The winner of last month's $500,000 Woodbine Oaks will run Saturday in the $250,000 Bison City Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack. She'll be with eight other horses in the second leg of the Triple Tiara for three-year-old fillies foaled in Canada.
The King's Plate, the first jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, is slated for Aug. 17, also at Woodbine.
Kin's Concerto will look for a third win in six career starts in the 1 1/16-mile Bison City. Sofia Vives, Canada's reigning champion apprentice, will ride Kin's Concerto and has been aboard the Chiefswood Stables filly for all but one of her five starts.
"Every race she鈥檚 in, she continues to improve and always gives it her best effort," said Vives. "What has impressed me the most was the way she was able to come off the bridle when sitting behind horses in the Oaks, but turning for home, she was game to catch all the horses in front of her."
Kin鈥檚 Concerto made her debut last November at Woodbine. She finished second but was elevated to first in a six-furlong main track race.
The field will also include Hurricane Clair, which rallied from ninth to finish third in the Oaks, 1 1/2 lengths behind Kin's Concerto. Hurricane Clair has two wins, two seconds and two thirds from eight starts.
"I thought it was a great effort," said trainer Martin Drexler. "We went into the race with the idea that we had a chance to win it.
"Getting jammed up on the first turn might have cost us, but that isn鈥檛 taking away anything from the winner and the second-place horse (Caitlinhergrtness, who'll race in the Plate).鈥�
Hurricane Clair will have leading rider Sahin Civaci in the irons.
"Sahin loves her,鈥� said Drexler. 鈥淲e are going into the race optimistically and if the trip works out, we can hopefully be right there."
The final leg of the Triple Tiara will be the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes on Sept. 8 at Woodbine.
Champion jockeys Frankie Dettori (aboard Ontario) and Jose Ortiz (riding My Girl Della) will also be in Saturday's race.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2024.
The Canadian Press
