Kings Plate and Longacres Mile: Best of the Rest Weekend Betting Guide
Saratoga and Del Mar own the headlines every August weekend, but Aug 15 and 16 also deliver two of the oldest and most historic races in North American racing, well away from the big circuits. Woodbine runs the 167th Kings Plate on Saturday, the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown and the oldest continuously run race on the continent. Emerald Downs closes out its Championship Sunday card the next day with the 91st Longacres Mile, Washington states signature event since 1935. Here is our best of the rest weekend betting guide, covering the fields, the favorites, and the value plays at both tracks.
The 167th Kings Plate Headlines Woodbines Saturday Card
Founded in 1860, the Kings Plate is run at 1 1/4 miles on Woodbine’s main track and restricted to Canadian bred three year olds. The $1 million race kicks off the Canadian Triple Crown, followed by the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on Sept 7 and the Breeders Stakes back at Woodbine on Sept 27. Post time for the feature is 6:12pm ET, with first race post at 12:30pm and the card carrying five additional stakes worth more than $2 million combined.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Last Race | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luster | Josie Carroll | John Velazquez | Woodbine Oaks (1st) | 1/1 |
| 2 | Fire and Wine | Zeljko Krcmar | Jalon Samuel | Plate Trial (8th) | 30/1 |
| 3 | Baaeed Alynna | Kevin Attard | Sahin Civaci | Plate Trial (6th) | 30/1 |
| 4 | Imyourmedicineman | Harold Ladoceur | Luis Contreras | Plate Trial (2nd) | 20/1 |
| 5 | Dixie Law | Dale Deruisseaux | Pietro Moran | Woodbine Oaks (2nd) | 10/1 |
| 6 | Don Ique | Josie Carroll | Emma Jayne Wilson | Plate Trial (5th) | 30/1 |
| 7 | Magical Factor | Rachel Halden | Jose Campos | Grade 3 Marine (2nd) | 10/1 |
| 8 | Highwaytothemoon | Dale Desruisseaux | Rafael Hernandez | Plate Trial (1st) | 6/1 |
| 9 | Brachetto | Julia Carey | Ryan Munger | Grade 3 Marine (1st) | 5/1 |
| 10 | Very Special | Kevin Attard | Romero Maragh | Maiden Special Weight (3rd) | 30/1 |
| 11 | Bond Market | Carlos Grant | Xarel Forde | Maiden Special Weight (1st) | 30/1 |
| 12 | Military Time | Mark Casse | Fraser Aebly | Plate Trial (3rd) | 12/1 |
Luster Sits Atop the Best of the Field
Luster heads the 12 horse field at even money after a five and a half length romp in the Woodbine Oaks on July 19, backing up her Grade 3 Selene win a month earlier. Trainer Josie Carroll already has two Kings Plate wins on her resume and sends out Don Ique as well at 30/1, while jockey John Velazquez looks to add a second Plate win to the one he took on Wonder Gadot in 2018. Highwaytothemoon enters off a Plate Trial win at 6/1 for trainer Dale Desruisseaux, who doubles up with Dixie Law at 10/1. Brachetto and Magical Factor, the one two finishers in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes, sit at 5/1 and 10/1 respectively and give the field its two biggest speed threats outside the favorite. Military Time rounds out the top tier of interest at 12/1 for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.
The 91st Longacres Mile Wraps Championship Sunday at Emerald Downs
The Longacres Mile dates back to 1935 and has run continuously at Emerald Downs since the original Longacres Park closed in 1992. Sundays 91st edition anchors a six race Championship Sunday card that also features the Emerald Distaff, the Muckleshoot Derby, and the Washington Oaks, with first post at 1:50pm following the Railbird Rally at noon.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Touchy | Wesley Ward | Yedsit Hazelwood | 7/5 |
| 2 | Slews Tiz Whiz | Tom Wenzel | Frank Alvarado | 4/1 |
| 3 | Si That Tiger | Blaine Wright | Silvio Amador | 2/1 |
| 4 | Adios Jojo | Howard Gibson | Kevin Orozco | 15/1 |
| 5 | Executive Chef | Mike Puhich | Isaias Enriquez | 15/1 |
| 6 | Catch a Breeze | David Martinez | Pablo Castillo | 50/1 |
| 7 | Hes Not Talking | Doug McPhee | Kevin Krigger | 12/1 |
| 8 | J.B. Books | Jorge Rosales | Alex Anaya | 20/1 |
Touchy Sets the Pace in the Longacres Mile Field
Touchy broke from post 1 as the 7/5 favorite after running 1:33.93 to win at Churchill Downs on June 10, giving trainer Wesley Ward a live shot at a race he has chased since his 2015 induction into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame. Si That Tiger sits second choice at 2/1 under jockey Silvio Amado, the current Emerald Downs riding leader, and brings a seven from eight record into his first try around two turns after building his form entirely as a sprinter. Slews Tiz Whiz, the 2022 Longacres Mile winner and runner up in both 2023 and 2024, returns at 4/1 off an Aug 1 win at the track and bids to become the fifth eight year old to take the race. Adios Jojo and Hes Not Talking round out the second tier of interest at 15/1 and 12/1.
Betting Angles for the Weekend
Both cards reward staying live late. At Woodbine, Lusters price makes her tough to single at even money in exactas or trifectas, so we like spreading underneath with Highwaytothemoon and Brachetto rather than boxing the favorite outright, and using Military Time as a price play underneath in multi race wagers that carry through the Kings Plate. At Emerald Downs, Si That Tigers class edge over a field that has not faced this kind of speed makes him a fair option to use on top of exactas beneath Touchy, while Slews Tiz Whizs course form makes him nearly impossible to leave off any Longacres Mile ticket regardless of price. Treat Sundays undercard, particularly the Emerald Distaff and Muckleshoot Derby, as pieces of the same ticket rather than standalone bets, since the smaller fields at Emerald Downs often produce square prices on the tracks best horses.
Where to Bet This Weekend’s Racing
Whether you are backing Luster at Woodbine or taking a shot with Si That Tiger at Emerald Downs, both Kings Plate day and Longacres Mile day carry deep enough undercards to build out full day tickets.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing and Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 167th Kings Plate runs Saturday, Aug 15, 2026 at Woodbine Racetrack, with the feature race going off at 6:12pm ET.
Luster is the even money favorite, trained by Josie Carroll and ridden by John Velazquez, after winning the Woodbine Oaks by five and a half lengths on July 19.
The 91st Longacres Mile runs Sunday, Aug 16, 2026 at Emerald Downs, with Championship Sunday racing starting at 1:50pm following the noon Railbird Rally.
Touchy is the 7/5 favorite for trainer Wesley Ward after running 1:33.93 to win at Churchill Downs on June 10.
Woodbines Saturday card adds five more stakes worth over $2 million, while Emerald Downs Championship Sunday also features the Emerald Distaff, the Muckleshoot Derby, and the Washington Oaks.
