August 17, 2025
TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon
Oh Man(setti)
Mansetti etched his name into Canadian sporting history with a royal triumph in the 166th edition of the $1 million King’s Plate on Saturday at Woodbine.
Entering the nation’s most prestigious horse race off a strong one-length Marine (G3) victory last time out, Mansetti looked the part of champion once again.
Under the confident hand of apprentice rider Pietro Moran, the 3-year-old colt sped out to an early lead and never looked back for the decisive 2 ½-length score.
The stunning victory gave trainer Kevin Attard his third King’s Plate title and the 20-year-old Moran his first.
At 18-1, Mansetti paid a healthy $38.70.
She Does it Again
She Feels Pretty had to work for it, but the brilliant mare did just enough to lock down Saturday’s $750,000 E. P. Taylor (G1T) at Woodbine.
Working alongside Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, the 5-year-old mare endured a tough start but rebounded tremendously to regain the lead and thwart a late charge from the board’s second choice, Diamond Rain (GB (2-1).
Now standing at 8-2-2 from 12 starts, She Feels Pretty’s fifth career Grade 1 title pushed her lifetime earnings total above $2 million and punched her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).
As the 2-5 choice, She Feels Pretty paid $2.90.
Attard All Day
Fresh off a King’s Plate triumph with Mansetti, Gas Me Up kept the good times rolling for trainer Kevin Attard Saturday’s $200,000 King Edward (G2) at Woodbine.
Paired with 2024 Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat, the 4-year-old gelding exercised great patience before exacting a late surge to beat 10-1 foe Wyoming Bill to the wire by three-quarters-of-a-length.
The horse responsible for the second half of Attard’s unforgettable weekend is now 2-0-0 across three starts this season and 4-1-0 through eight overall.
Gas Me Up, at 5-2, paid $7.60
How Sweet it is
Closing as the second choice was all the motivation Nitrogen (2-1) needed to prevail in Saturday’s $600,000 Alabama (G1) at Saratoga.
Sent off at 2-1 behind 7-5 favorite Good Cheer, the Mark Casse charge ran with great poise after some jostling out of the gate to take the 1 ¼-mile Alabama by 1 ½ lengths.
Getting back in the win column was important for Nitrogen, who was undefeated through five starts this season before a second in the Belmont Oaks (G1) last time out.
The 3-year-old’s sixth career victory, and first at the Grade 1 rank, paid $6.10.
Sneaky Speed
Velocity stunned her contemporaries and the Del Mar faithful winning Saturday’s $300,000 Del Mar Oaks (G1T) at 35-1.
Competing in her first career Grade 1 contest, the 3-year-old filly found herself in tough with top choices Thought Process (even money) and Lush Lips (8-5) lurking.
Not intimidated one bit, Velocity sped past her rivals for the show-stopping half-length tally.
The impressive trip under rider Ricardo Gonzalez pushed the sophomore to 3-0-0 through five starts and her career earnings total just shy of $275,000.
Velocity’s longshot win paid a whopping $72 even.