Kevin Attard taking three shots at winning his third King's Plate

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Kevin Attard failed to win the King’s Plate in his first 10 attempts. He has sure made up for that recently.

The veteran trainer had his breakthrough with Moira in 2022 and captured last year’s running with Caitlinhergrtness.

On Saturday, he will take three shots at win No. 3 in the $1-million classic.

His best chance is with Mansetti. Named for a pizza place in Minnesota, the son of Collected already has three stakes wins to his credit, including both the Woodstock and Marine Stakes this season.

‘I thought his effort in the Marine was outstanding,” Attard said. “He was given a great ride and pounced at the perfect time.”

Sandwiched between his good efforts are some poor ones, so Attard hopes Mansetti’s ‘good race. bad race’ trends are a thing of the past.

Faber, on the other hand, comes into the race looking to snap an eight-race losing skid. After winning his debut last year, the son of Improbable was not close in three stakes tries and has spent this season in the optional claiming ranks.

“There’s no doubt at all that he’s a trier,” Attard said of the horse named after Minnesota Wild defenceman Brock Faber. “He’s always been a game horse with ability. The hope is that he can take all his strengths and come up big in the Plate.”

If you’re wondering what’s up with these Minnesota connections, the two horses are owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, residents of Elk River, Minn., and longtime Attard clients who won the 2023 Prince of Wales Stakes with Velocitor.

“They’ve supported Canadian racing and Woodbine for a long time,” Attard said. “They breed a lot of their mares here. So anyone who invests that heavily in the game, you wish them a lot of success.”

Attard’s other entrant is Dewolf, who won twice as a two-year-old, including the Bull Page Stakes. With four other stakes placings, Attard is confident in Dewolf’s ability.

“The Plate is all about a horse being able to put it together at the right moment,” he said. “We believe he has the foundation to be a good one.”

Flavien Prat, the reigning Eclipse Award winner as North America’s top jockey, will ride.

And if you’re wondering how Caitlinhergrtness is doing, fans will get to see her perform on Saturday in the $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes, a ‘win-and-you’re-in’ qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

FATHER-SON DUO TO MAKE HISTORY

Pietro Moran, who currently leads the Woodbine jockey standings, regularly races against his dad, David. But in the Plate, their friendly rivalry reaches a whole new level.

Pietro, 20, will ride Mansetti while David, a mainstay at Woodbine for the past 15 years, will ride William T for trainer Don MacRae. They will be the first father-son duo ever to ride in the Plate and will start from the inside two spots in the gate.

“I grew up watching him and learning from him,” Pietro said. “Now we get to share the moment together on the sport’s biggest stage.”

“To be here alongside my son, both of us with the same ambition to win the Plate is a very special feeling,” said David, who came agonizingly close to a Plate win in 2021 added.

William T has hit the board in all four of his starts, breaking his maiden in his recent outing on July 13. But it was his strides after that race that MacRae was most impressed with.

“The biggest factor was his gallop out,” he said. “He seemed to get stronger with every stride. He has always shown the ability to be a good horse.”