King's Plate hopefuls test waters in Marine Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Five of the six 3-year-olds in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Marine are nominated to the Aug. 15 King’s Plate, which makes the 1 1/16-mile event an important prep for Canada’s most prestigious race.

Magical Factor is picking up Kazushi Kimura, who rode him when he graduated on the grass in April at Keeneland while earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. The Chiefswood Stables homebred finished second here most recently in an allowance route on Tapeta won by his stablemate Saugeen.

“We didn’t really want to run those two horses against each other, but timing-wise it made the most sense,” Chiefswood general manager Robert Landry said. “We needed to run there so all the timing would fall in line with the main goal being the King’s Plate. He ran on the turf just because it was there. I thought he ran a very good race in defeat last time against Saugeen, who I think is a pretty nice horse.”

Casson, a speedy 2-year-old stakes winner for trainer Mark Casse, beat open company last time from off the pace in the seven-furlong King Corrie Stakes. There are questions regarding his ability to handle two turns, but there is ample stamina in his pedigree and he could stay the Marine trip.

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Yukon Striker, unbeaten in two sprints, will be making his second start for trainer Kevin Attard, who got him during the offseason. Yukon Striker, a son of Maclean’s Music, won a May 17 allowance for Attard, earning an 87 Beyer.

“I think both his races were impressive,” Attard said. “His start this year, he broke inwards, but then he settled into stride nicely and showed a lot of good energy down the lane. With any young horse, you hope to see them grow, mentally and physically, from 2 to 3 and he has done that and done it impressively.”

Attard has won the King’s Plate three times, most recently in 2025 with longshot Mansetti.

Yoshii is not King’s Plate-eligible, but the Ontario-bred son of stamina influence Yoshida could be supplemented to the $1 million stakes. He has won both of his races, a pair of Tapeta sprints, from off the pace.

“His numbers aren’t the greatest, but his last race was impressive,” trainer Dale Desruisseaux said. “We either have to run him for the $40,000 because he’s not Ontario-sired, or we have to run him against older horses in [an allowance], so we might as well take a shot” in the Marine.

Desruisseaux feels Yoshii is a wild card when it comes to stretching out.

“Yoshii’s a total crapshoot,” Desruisseaux said. “He could run really good, or run fourth, or whatever. Body-wise, you look at him, you don’t see [stamina], but pedigree-wise a couple of his siblings went long. He’s really rateable – we can put him wherever we want.”

Fire and Wine, victorious in the Coronation Futurity in November, was a non-threatening sixth in his season opener in the King Corrie. The Coronation winner hasn’t won the following year’s Plate since Norcliffe in 1976.

Completing the field is the supplemented Brachetto, who is coming off a third in the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes.

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