An Ontario-sired Queen's Plate winner?

The Queen’s Plate is restricted to Canadian-bred runners, but their sires can reside anywhere in the world. The sires of this year’s contenders have a decidedly U.S. leaning, but a trio of hopefuls are by current or former Ontario residents.

The only stallion in that group still active in Canada is 2007 Queen’s Plate winner Mike Fox, sire of maiden winner Spirit of Caledon.

Mike Fox, a 13-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway, stands at Firestone Farms in Caledon. He has sired three small crops of racing age, with three winners. Leading the way is Copper Fox, who is a three-time winner, including two allowance races.

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Allowance winner Watch Me Strut is by Strut the Stage, a five-time Grade 2 winner who stood the bulk of his career at Sam-Son Farm in Milton, and is now pensioned.

The 19-year-old son of Theatrical sired eight crops, with 46 winners and combined progeny earnings in excess of $5 million. His most notable runner is Strut the Course, Canada’s champion older female of 2014.

Other successful runners by Strut the Stage include stakes winner and Breeders’ Stakes-placed Celtic Conviction, and stakes winners Isabella Bay and Strut N Stomp.

King and His Court, last year’s Canadian champion 2-year-old male, is by Court Vision, who began his stallion career at Park Stud in Mono. He stood there for his first three seasons before relocating to Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky for a year, then moving to Louisiana.

Court Vision, a 12-year-old Gulch horse, racked up four Grade 1 wins, including the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Mile.

He has sired three crops of racing age, with 57 winners and progeny earnings over $3.2 million. His other runners of note include stakes winners Crumlin Spirit and Conquest Vivi, as well as Grade 2-placed Hammers Vision.