Casse Duo Set for Queen's Plate Run

Trainer Mark Casse was at the Royal Ascot meeting June 23 to saddle La Coronel to a fifth-place run in the Coronation Stakes (G1) and July 2 he'll be at Woodbine to watch King and His Court and State of Honor compete in the 158th running of the $1 million Queen's Plate.

King and His Court and State of Honor both worked five furlongs in preparation for the 1 1/4-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds on Woodbine's Tapeta surface Friday morning, with the former going in 1:00 3/5 and the latter in :59 3/5.

King and His Court, with usual partner Gary Boulanger in the irons, shadowed barn mate Belle de Nuit, a 6-year-old mare who has scored twice under allowance terms and also was clocked in 1:00 3/5.

Regular rider Patrick Husbands was aboard State of Honor, who broke off behind allowance-winning 4-year-old colt Tour de Force (1:00 1/5) and passed his stablemate late under a strong hold.

"They both worked well. Both jocks were very happy with them," said assistant trainer David Adams. "They galloped out OK. It wasn't supposed to be a strong gallop out. They're fit enough."

King and His Court and State of Honor were the respective second- and third-place finishers in the June 11 Plate Trial, a 1 1/8-mile race that was captured by 20-1 longshot Guy Caballero.

Purchased privately in the fall from owner/trainer Alex Patykewich, King and His Court went on to win the 1 1/8-mile Coronation Futurity and 1 1/16-mile Display Stakes, and was named Canada's champion 2-year-old male for owners Adam Wachtel and Gary Barber.

After a pair of disappointing efforts south of the border this year, King and His Court returned to his stomping grounds and won the 1 1/16-mile Wando Stakes before he was beaten just a half-length in the Plate Trial.

State of Honor, owned and bred by Manfred and Penny Conrad, finished second in the Coronation Futurity but blossomed in Florida this winter. He finished second in both the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) and Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

Those efforts earned State of Honor a spot in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), where he set the early pace before he faltered to finish 19th. The colt also showed the way early in the Plate Trial but gave way late and was beaten three-quarters of a length.

Casse is seeking his second Queen's Plate win after he captured the 2014 running with Lexie Lou, who also was purchased privately by Barber.

Husbands rode Lexie Lou and also piloted Wando to win the 2003 Queen's Plate and the Canadian Triple Crown. Boulanger took the Queen's Plate with the filly Dancethruthedawn in 2001.