August 14, 2025
TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon
The 166th running of the King’s Plate is on the horizon. This year’s 13-horse field is loaded with interesting storylines and characters alike. To help you narrow down which horse or horses you’ll want to key in on, we’ve drawn up pro athlete comparisons for each entrant in the race.
Horse: Ashley’s Archer (12-1)
Athlete Comp: Corey Crawford, Former NHL Goaltender
Stepping up under the bright lights is a tall task, and one that some prefer to shy away from.
Ashley’s Archer and former Chicago Blackhawks netminder Corey Crawford are the exact opposite.
After an encouraging rookie campaign, headlined by a third in the Coronation Futurity, Ashley’s Archer has come back strong in anticipation of the Plate, finishing second twice from three starts.
Crawford, of Chateauguay, Quebec, was between the pipes when the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2013 and 2015.
In those combined 12 games it took to lift the Cup, Crawford posted a .931 save percentage and 1.90 Goals Against Average.
Horse: Dewolf (30-1)
Athlete Comp: Yandy Diaz, MLB Player (Tampa Bay Rays)
Every baseball fan is well aware of the Tampa Bay Rays ability to bring the best out of their players, just like every horse racing fan understands the same with trainer Kevin Attard.
Dewolf, a stakes-winning Silent Name colt, is one of the latter’s latest success stories. After exploding onto the scene as a rookie – two firsts, including the Bull Page Stakes, and three thirds from six starts, Dewolf enters the Plate under the radar following a sixth in the Plate Trial.
Diaz, like Dewolf, has cultivated an excellent career, but only has one All Star nod (2023) to show for it.
Hard work is done in the shadows.
Horse: Faber (30-1)
Athlete Comp: Brock Faber, NHL Player (Minnesota Wild)
Owners Al and Bill Ulwelling already did the leg work for us here, naming their King’s Plate contender after Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber.
A native of Maple Grove, Minnesota, Faber, the rearguard, was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy after his first professional season, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team and later the United States Four Nations roster.
Ontario-bred Faber, the equine athlete, scored in his professional debut on August 30, 2024, at Woodbine. The 3-year-old gelding trained by Kevin Attard has been dependable like his namesake in 2025, hitting the board twice in four attempts (0-2-0-0).
Horse: Mansetti (10-1)
Athlete Comp: Mike Piazza, former MLB Player
Mansetti, the second Al and Bill Ulwelling-owned Plate hopeful is named after a popular Italian restaurant in their home state of Minnesota.
The sophomore colt has been excellent for his connections through seven starts, collecting three stakes wins, including the Marine (G3) last time out at Woodbine.
Mansetti has certainly outperformed his billing ($40,000), much like MLB Hall of Famer Mike Piazza.
Famously known for being selected in the 62nd round of the 1988 MLB Draft as a favour to his father, Piazza evolved into one of baseball’s most revered backstops.
No matter how you slice it, Piazza and Mansetti can’t be put in a box.
Horse: Mythical Man (50-1)
Athlete Comp: Luca Nardi, Tennis Player
Being an underdog isn’t the dreaded curse it’s built up to be, just ask Luca Nardi.
If that name rings a bell but you still can’t quite place it, Nardi is the one, who in 2024, defeated World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the third round of Indian Wells.
Just 20 at the time, the young Italian took the tennis world by storm – something Mythical Man will aim to do in the Plate.
Standing at 2-0-0 through four starts with both wins at the lower levels, the Danny Gargan charge will be making his first career start at Woodbine.
Perhaps he was just waiting for the right time to make a splash.
Horse: No Time (7-2)
Athlete Comp: Mo’ne Davis
As the only filly vying for the King’s Plate, No Time made waves with a commanding 3 ¾-length triumph of the Woodbine Oaks on July 20.
Trained by Mark Casse for owner Gary Barber, the explosive competitor will be right at home Saturday, just like star pitcher Mo’ne Davis was during the 2014 Little League World Series.
The now 24-year-old Davis became the first girl in LLWS history to earn a win and throw a shutout – she even struck out current Washington Nationals outfielder Robert Hassell III, who went eighth overall in the 2020 MLB Draft.
Like Davis then, No Time is ready to make a statement.
Horse: Notorious Gangster (9-2)
Athlete Comp: Matthew Stafford, NFL Player (Los Angeles Rams)
Notorious Gangster’s rise to fame has coincided with a clever knack for striking before the clock hits zero, or in this case, before the wire.
The patient Jose Carroll charge, with two stakes scores under his saddle, engineered late comebacks in both races, starting with a two-length tally in November’s Coronation Futurity, and most recently, a half-length decision in June’s Queenston.
Lombardi Trophy-hoisting quarterback Matthew Stafford also knows a thing or two about prevailing in the late stages.
The former Georgia Bulldog and his 38 career fourth-quarter comebacks are the most among active signal-callers.
Pro tip: Hold off on calling curtains for Notorious Gangster or Stafford.
Horse: Runaway Again (12-1)
Athlete Comp: Nick Kurtz, MLB Player (Athletics)
Making a lasting impression in a short window has been the MO for both Runaway Again and (Oakland? Sacramento? Las Vegas) A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz.
Both budding stars made their professional debuts this year, each to resounding success.
Runaway Again has made just one start before the Plate but emerged a winner by 9 ¼ lengths. Kurtz, on the other hand, played in just 32 minor league games before joining the big club and becoming one of baseball’s most feared sluggers.
Although the samples are small, neither one has scratched the surface.
Horse: Scorching (10-1)
Athlete Comp: Joe Burrow, NFL Player (Cincinnati Bengals)
While “Joe Cool” has seemingly soared past superstar status, it’s often forgotten that Burrow is a two-time Comeback Player of the Year Award recipient (2021, 2024).
The two-time Pro Bowler has battled through his fair share of adversity en route to claiming his place among the NFL’s elite signal-callers.
Scorching, a two-time stakes winner (Simcoe and Cup and Saucer), has built a sterling resume while also contending with a few missed starts due to scratches.
The John Charalambous trained colt has been brilliant on the track, collecting a 2-2-1 record across five starts.
“Adversity doesn’t build character – it reveals it.” – James Lane Allen.
Horse: Sedburys Ghost (6-1)
Athlete Comp: Manny Machado, MLB Player (San Diego Padres)
If availability is the best ability, then what is availability plus consistently outstanding performance?
In Thoroughbred racing, the answer is Sedburys Ghost. In Major League Baseball, it’s Manny Machado.
The former, conditioned by Barb Minshall, can have anything thrown his way and still be the same sharp horse. Sporting a 3-0-1 line from five starts, Sedburys Ghost recently reached a new high, winning the Plate Trial 1 ¼ lengths.
Machado, with five seasons of at least 30 home runs and 90 RBI, is the model of consistency.
Fun fact: Machado owns the ninth-highest WAR (FanGraphs) among hitters since 2010 – he debuted in 2012.
Horse: Tom’s Magic (5-1)
Athlete Comp: Mike Renfro (former NFL Player)
Tom’s Magic’s comes from an elite pedigree but wasn’t viewed as a first-round pick.
The son of Justify – the last Triple Crown Winner (2018) – fetched a lower-than-usual price tag of $200,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
The group who footed the bill, CJ Thoroughbreds, just so happens to include someone who was cast in a similar light: former NFL wide receiver, Mike Renfro.
A fourth-round pick of the Houston Oilers in 1978, Renfro’s father Ray was a two-time world champion and three-time Pro Bowl receiver for the Cleveland Browns.
Both Renfro, who played 11 professional seasons, and Tom’s Magic, a two-time stakes winner, have made careers of defying expectations.
Horse: Watsonville Red (50-1)
Athlete Comp: Pascal Siakam, NBA Player (Indiana Pacers)
Patience is many things – a virtue, key, scarce. It is also the name of the game for Watsonville Red and two-time All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam.
For the gelding trained by Mike De Paulo, first allowing the race to come together before inserting himself into the equation has been the strategy.
The very same goes for former Toronto Raptors great Pascal Siakam, who’s impeccable understanding of timing and situations has allowed him to forge a stellar career that started with minimal expectations.
Horse: William T (20-1)
Athlete Comp: Hunter Renfrow, NFL Player (Carolina Panthers)
When William T lines up in the gate donning his signature purple and orange colors, college sports fans will make the connection to Clemson University instantly.
The Tigers were owner Michael Lay’s inspiration behind the silks, so it’s only fitting that his reliable colt draws a comparison to the safety net during Clemon’s 2017 National Championship season, Hunter Renfrow.
William T, having never missed the money thus far (4: 1-1-2), has been a steadying force like Renfrow, who always found ways to get open and make the big play.