King’s Plate is moved from Sunday to Saturday in August 2024

The 165th running of the King’s Plate, one of Toronto’s biggest annual sporting events, has been moved from its traditional Sunday date to Saturday, Aug. 17, Woodbine Entertainment announced Wednesday.

“This year’s King’s Plate was a big success, delivering a record handle, sold-out crowd and really exciting racing,” Woodbine CEO Michael Copeland said. “The third weekend in August has been a good spot for attracting a quality field on the track and an energetic crowd off the track.

“Building on our momentum created at this year’s Plate, we are excited to make the event even bigger in 2024 and look forward to welcoming everyone to Woodbine for the 165th King’s Plate on Aug. 17.”

More than US$13 million was bet across all 13 races on the King’s Plate card this year, the first in more than 70 years under the King’s Plate name after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. Since its inception in 1860, the Plate has been named after the reigning U.K. monarch.

A formal invitation to King Charles III to attend the event has been extended to Buckingham Palace.

The King’s Plate is North America’s longest continuously run stakes race and serves as the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown. It is open to Canada-bred 3-year-old Thoroughbreds and is contested at a distance of 1 1/4 miles. The purse is CA$1 million, US$730,405 at the current rate of exchange.