Queen's Plate Postponed Due to Coronavirus
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Photo: Michael Burns
One Bad Boy leads throughout in the 2019 Queen's Plate at Woodbine
The 161st running of the Queen's Plate Stakes will be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Woodbine Entertainment announced April 1.
The event had been scheduled for June 27. A new date has not been confirmed, but Woodbine Entertainment intends to host the Queen's Plate at Woodbine this year, subject to recommendations and restrictions from government and health officials.
"The Queen's Plate is the oldest continuously run race in North America, and we have every intention of keeping it that way," Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson said. "Once we postponed the start of our season, it likely meant that the Queen's Plate would also be postponed as certain races are required leading up to it so the 3-year-old horses competing are ready for the longer distance. As soon as we receive clarity on when the season will start, we will create a new stakes schedule and finalize a new date for the Queen's Plate."
The official postponement of the Queen's Plate came a day after Toronto canceled all major city-led and permitted events through June 30.
On March 23, Woodbine Entertainment announced that the start of the 2020 Thoroughbred meet, which was scheduled to open April 18, was postponed. The decision was made to follow the government of Ontario's orders to close all nonessential businesses to help stop the spread of COVID-19. A new stakes schedule will be announced later.
All ticket purchasers have the option of keeping their seats or receiving a full refund (including fees) at any time between now and the new date of the event through Ticketmaster.ca. Fans are encouraged to visit QueensPlate.com for the latest information and updates regarding the Queen's Plate.