161st Queen’s Plate horse race won by Mighty Heart

Written By ROBERT BELARDI

You read the headline right. It was the 161st Queen's Plate at Woodbine this past weekend. 

Not much has changed. There was lucrative prize money at stake, competitive racing from the horses and jockeys. Oh, maybe just one thing. A lack of fans. The stadium, usually riveting with noise was all but loud in this competition. Maybe it gave all jockey's a better chance to focus and maybe for those select individuals in the stands, it gave them a better chance to listen to the hooves of the horses clashing on the track. 

In race 10 on the day, after many featured events from noon, the stage was set. Jockeys, trainers and fans had to wait out a 77-day delay due to COVID-19. 

The $1-million-dollar purse prize race; the first leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown was set to commence. 

Right out of the gate in this thoroughbred affair, Mighty Heart and Tecumseh's War immediately began fighting for the lead. Truebelieve and Clayton were in third and fourth. Mighty Heart led by a length around the first turn and the horse and jockey Daisuke Fukumoto. 

Around the final turn, Mighty Heart was chased by Clayton and Tecumseh's War. But once the turn completely finished and a straight shot to the finish line was in sights, Mighty Heart galloped all the way to finish line in stunning fashion, winning by 7 ½ lengths to secure the prize. 

The horse was set in the booking with 13/1 chances of winning and the one-eyed horse, completed the race in 2:01:98; the second fastest time at Queen's Plate next to Izvestia's record time in 1990 at 2:01 4/5 in 1990. 

“It was unbelievable. I can't express too much. He (Mighty Heart) was feeling good today. We both felt good,” Fukumoto said. 

“He just kept going. He didn't stop.” 

Entering the race, Clayton was the favourite at 2-1 odds while Curlin Voyage was listed at 5-2. 

The mile and a quarter competition has been running since 1860.