Luster brilliant in King’s Plate

Favored at 1-5, Luster made her move on the far turn and blitzed rivals through the stretch in Saturday’s C$1,002,000 million King’s Plate at Woodbine, drawing off to a 7 1/4-length victory in the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. John Velaquez piloted his second King’s Plate winner, and trainer Josie Carroll earned her fourth victory.

The gray filly is campaigned by Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen. A 5 1/2-length winner of the Woodbine Oaks in her previous outing, Luster continued to dominate while improving to 5-for-6 in her career, and she became the 40th filly to win the prestigious Canadian three-year-old fixture in its 167th running.

By Knicks Go, Luster completed 1 1/4 miles in 2:01 over the Tapeta track. She’s won two of her last three starts on synthetics, including the Selene (G3) two starts previously in late June, and Luster opened her racing career with a pair of convincing turf wins, breaking her maiden at Woodbine last year and winning an entry-level allowance at Keeneland in April.

Connections will have the option to pursue the Canadian Triple Crown, with the Prince of the Wales on dirt at Fort Erie on Sept. 7 and the Breeders’ S. on turf at Woodbine on Sept. 27. Or they could target major turf races in the United States, including the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland for three-year-old fillies on Oct. 10.

Luster saved ground a few lengths off the pace as 61-1 outsider Fire and Wine showed the way on a clear lead. Velazquez angled her a few paths out rounding the far turn and Luster powered her way to the front while turning for home, quickly drawing clear with little encouragement from the rider. And she rolled home masterfully while being geared down late.

Military Time, third in the Plate Trial in mid-July, made a move on the far turn to challenge before being dusted in the stretch, but he easily held second at 22-1, three lengths better than Fire and Wine. It was another neck to Woodbine Oaks runner-up Dixie Law in fourth, and Don Ique, Bond Market, Imyourmedicineman, Brachetto, Highwaytothemoon, Baaeed Alynna, Magical Factor, and Very Special completed the order.

Connections will have the option to pursue the Canadian Triple Crown, with the Prince of the Wales on dirt at Fort Erie on Sept. 7 and the Breeders’ S. on turf at Woodbine on Sept. 27. Or they could target major turf races in the United States, including the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland for three-year-old fillies on Oct. 10.

Luster saved ground a few lengths off the pace as 61-1 outsider Fire and Wine showed the way on a clear lead. Velazquez angled her a few paths out rounding the far turn and Luster powered her way to the front while turning for home, quickly drawing clear with little encouragement from the rider. And she rolled home masterfully while being geared down late.

Military Time, third in the Plate Trial in mid-July, made a move on the far turn to challenge before being dusted in the stretch, but he easily held second at 22-1, three lengths better than Fire and Wine. It was another neck to Woodbine Oaks runner-up Dixie Law in fourth, and Don Ique, Bond Market, Imyourmedicineman, Brachetto, Highwaytothemoon, Baaeed Alynna, Magical Factor, and Very Special completed the order.

Bred in Ontario by Mr. Ravi Sugrim and Ms. Joannie Dass, Luster passed through the sales ring twice, bringing $50,000 as a weanling before selling for $80,000 as a yearling at the 2024 Keeneland September sale. She’s the first stakes winner out of the unraced The Factor mare Ruby Frost, a half-sister to Swear by It, who placed in a trio of Grade 3 events at either 1 3/8 or 1 1/2 miles.

Woodbine offered a pair of graded turf stakes on the undercard, the Canadian (G2) and King Edward (G2). 

Patricia Mosley’s homebred Proctor Street got up late to score by a neck in the Canadian, edging Eponine in the one-mile affair for fillies and mares. Brendan Walsh trains the five-year-old mare, who registered her first stakes win last fall and had placed in a trio of graded events earlier this season, and Pietro Moran was up.

Gas Me Up made a successful title defense in the one-mile King Edward, prevailing by a nose over pacesetter Piper’s Factor. Named champion male turf horse in Canada last year, the Kevin Attard-trained six-year-old gelding finished second in the Thunder Road (G3) and fourth in the Frank Kilroe Mile (G2) at Santa Anita in his first two outings this season. Fraser Aebly picked up the mount.