The forecast is clear and confidence is high that wagering on this year’s King’s Plate will surpass the handle for previous runnings of Canada’s biggest horse race.
- Woodbine expects a major rebound in betting for the 166th King’s Plate.
- Several stakes races and competitive fields, including a wide-open King’s Plate and the $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (a Breeders’ Cup qualifier), are likely to attract increased betting interest.
- Partnerships with OLG and bet365, along with guaranteed Pick 5 pools and the expanded online wagering options, are expected to draw in more bettors, including younger and casual fans.
“Saturday’s going to be a huge day,” said David Vivenes, executive vice president, revenue, brand and experience for Woodbine Entertainment Group, in an interview with Covers earlier this week.
“I am highly confident we’re going to see significant growth over recent years,” Vivenes added.
The mention of “recent years” is significant, as Woodbine had to reschedule last year’s King’s Plate to a Friday because of heavy rains in the Greater Toronto Area. This year, the race is on a Saturday at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack, sandwiched between some other intriguing contests.
As a result, it may not prove too challenging for wagering on the 166th running of the King's Plate to best the 165th edition. Woodbine is likely aiming for much more.
In 2024, the Friday King’s Plate card generated a total handle of $11.6 million. To compare, in 2023, the 164th King's Plate card attracted approximately $18.1 million in betting, which Woodbine called "the largest single-card handle in Woodbine Racetrack history."
Opening odds for the 166th running of the King’s Plate. Looks like it’s gonna be a pretty good betting race. pic.twitter.com/cp7iDVSEC4
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) August 12, 2025This year, conditions are setting up to be much clearer. The betting conditions are also looking very favourable as well, as the $1-million King’s Plate looks to be a relatively wide-open race
The morning line favorite for this year's race, which always aims to feature the best Canadian-born 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, is the 7/2 shot (+350) No Time, a filly trained by Mark Casse and ridden by John Velazquez.
So, while the odds will surely fluctuate before the gates open, there will at the very least be some longer shots there for the taking.
There are also several stakes races to catch the eyes of bettors, most notably the $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes. That turf race, run at a mile-and-a-quarter, is now a “win and you’re in” contest for the Breeders’ Cup.
Whoever emerges victorious (and there is a short favorite for that honor, the 3/5-priced She Feels Pretty) gets a fees-paid entry into the US$2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
To further entice bettors, Woodbine announced at the end of July its "official wagering menu" for the 166th King's Plate, which includes $1 million in guaranteed Pick 5 pools.
Betting buds
Woodbine can count on a new friend as well to help juice wagering on Saturday’s race card.
The horse racing operator announced this week a partnership with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. The team-up has made it possible for the government-owned iGaming operator to offer online betting on horse racing on its site.
That partnership, along with the preexisting one Woodbine formed with bet365, means pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing is now available via two of Ontario’s biggest online gambling operators. Those wagering options are in addition to the ones offered by Woodbine itself, such as its HPIbet platform.
“Being able to integrate with either sports betting operators ... gives us an expanded reach,” Vivenes said. “And brings a lot of new, younger, casual fans.”
