The Play the King Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. A Grade II sprint race, it is open to horses age three and older and is run over a distance of seven furlongs on turf. It currently offers a purse of CAN$200,000.

Grass Stakes
Grade II race
LocationWoodbine Racetrack
Toronto, Ontario
Inaugurated1987
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Websitewoodbineentertainment.com
Race information
Distance7 furlongs
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds & up
WeightAssigned
PurseCAN$200,000 (since 2005)[1]

Inaugurated in 1987 as the Toronto Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap, it was competed at a distance of six furlongs on dirt until 1996 when it was shifted to the turf and set at its current distance of seven furlongs. At the same time, the race was renamed in honor of Kinghaven Farms' 1988 Canadian Horse of the Year, Play the King.

The race was run in two divisions in 2000.

Records

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Speed record:

  • 1:19.77 - Just Rushing (2008) (at current distance of 7 furlongs)
  • 1:09.20 - Play the King (1987)
  • 1:09.20 - Apelia (1993)

Most wins:

Most wins by an owner:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Winners of the Play The King Stakes

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Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Time
2020 Not run due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2019 Silent Poet 4 Gary Boulanger Nicholas Gonzalez Stronach Stables 1:29.22
2018 Mr Havercamp 4 Eurico Rosa da Silva Catherine Day Phillips Sean & Dorothy Fitzhenry 1:23.94
2017 Conquest Panthera 5 Patrick Husbands Mark E. Casse Gary Barber 1:21.20
2016 Glenville Gardens 4 Gary Boulanger Sid C. Attard Janice Attard 1:20.82
2015 Reporting Star 5 Luis Contreras Pat Parente Copper Water Thoroughbred 1:20.66
2014 Kaigun 4 Patrick Husbands Mark E. Casse Quintessential Racing/Horse'n Around/Barber 1:20.71
2013 Dimension (GB) 5 David Moran Conor Murphy Riverside Bloodstock 1:19.89
2012 Big Band Sound 5 Tyler Pizarro Daniel J. Vella Kendel D. Standlee 1:21.62
2011 Havelock 4 Jermaine Bridgmohan Darrin Miller Silverton Hill 1:21.56
2010 Smokey Fire 5 J C Jones Sid Attard Jim Dandy Stable 1:20.83
2009 Jungle Wave 4 Todd Kabel Sid Attard Tucci Stables 1:23.06
2008 Just Rushing 7 James McAleney Sid Attard Tucci Stables 1:19.77
2007 Le Cinquieme Essai 8 Steve Bahen Paul Nielsen William A. Scott 1:26.28
2006 Le Cinquieme Essai 7 Steve Bahen Paul Nielsen William A. Scott 1:22.79
2005 Vanderlin 6 Martin Dwyer Andrew Balding J. C. Hitchins et al. 1:21.18
2004 Soaring Free 5 Todd Kabel Mark Frostad Sam-Son Farm 1:20.97
2003 Soaring Free 4 Todd Kabel Mark Frostad Sam-Son Farm 1:23.52
2002 Zone Judge 4 Constant Montpellier Dave Dwyer Winston W. Penny 1:20.42
2001 Mr. Epperson 6 James McKnight Scott H. Fairlie R. & S. Fairlie et al. 1:21.84
2000 Solitary Dancer 4 Mickey Walls David R. Bell John A. Franks 1:22.00
2000 Olympian 3 Na Somsanith John Cardella Rexdale Stable et al. 1:21.68
1999 Dawson's Legacy 4 Constant Montpellier Norman McKnight J. M. Stritzl Stable 1:21.87
1998 Skybound 4 Robert Landry Mark Frostad Sam-Son Farm 1:21.00
1997 Randy Regent 3 Sandy Hawley Mark Frostad Sam-Son Farm 1:23.40
1996 Jilin 4 David Clark John MacKenzie Greenoaks Farm 1:23.80
1995 King Ruckus 5 Todd Kabel Daniel J. Vella Frank Stronach 1:09.80
1994 Premier Angel 5 Sandy Hawley Dennis M. Erwin William Sorokolit 1:10.00
1993 Apelia 4 Larry Attard Phil England Knob Hill Stable 1:09.20
1992 King Corrie 4 Dave Penna Sherry Noakes Aubrey W. Minshall 1:09.40
1991 King Corrie 3 Pat Day John A. Ross Aubrey W. Minshall 1:09.40
1990 Cardel's Ruckus 3 Ray Sabourin Joseph Attard C. & D. Arnone 1:11.60
1989 Confederate Bill 4 James McAleney David C. Brown F. McDonnell 1:10.00
1988 Play the King 5 Don Seymour Roger Attfield Kinghaven Farms 1:10.40
1987 Play the King 4 Don Seymour Roger Attfield Kinghaven Farms 1:09.20

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Play the King Stakes Profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 22 August 2016.