King’s Plate prep: Plate Trial attracts 12
At 0h02, on July 19, 2026 • By Chris Lomon, Woodbine
The $200,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a key fixture on the road to this year’s King’s Plate (August 15), has drawn 12 hopefuls, including Powell River, Sunday at Woodbine.
The 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial, for 3-year-olds foaled in Canada, will showcase some of the current contenders for the 167th edition of the longest continually run stakes race in North America.
Trained by multiple graded stakes winner Katerina Vassilieva for owner and breeder Chiefswood Stables, Powell River, a son of Justify out of Niigon (Chiefswood’s 2004 Plate winner) mare Niigon’s Eclipse, arrives at his first stakes engagement off an impressive maiden-breaking effort on June 14 at Woodbine.
Sent on his way as the 9-5 choice in the 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight main track race, Powell River took a narrow advantage in the seven-horse field into the first turn and carried on confidently along the backstretch. After briefly yielding the lead, the chestnut colt, pressured throughout most of the race, was back on top en route to a 1 ½-length victory in 1:45.04.
“I was impressed at how he hung tough,” said Vassilieva. “He was hounded by another horse. He made the lead, but there was a horse on his flank pressuring him for three quarters of the race. That’s a real test for a horse because a lot of them might collapse under that type of pressure. The fractions were a little quick – they went :47 and change to the half – so I thought that would really tell us right there if he continues on or stops. But he didn’t stop. He put that horse away and won the race. He galloped out well and showed us that he has that grit and competitiveness about him.
“There has always been a distance question with him. As a 2-year-old, he had some throat issues, and when we first started racing him, we were wondering if that would limit him as far as distance, but that hasn’t been the case so far. Every time we’ve stretched him out, he’s risen to the challenge.”
Unraced at 2, Powell River debuted over the turf at Gulfstream in early March and finished second at 34-1 in the 7 ½-furlong test. One race later, on May 1, this time over one mile on the Churchill Downs turf, he posted another runner-up result, at 22-1.
“Those two races in the U.S. make me confident,” said Vassilieva. “He was dealing with tougher competition, especially at Churchill on Kentucky Oaks day. That was a pretty deep field and I don’t think much was expected of him on that day – he was long odds – but he really showed up and ran a very nice second. Every time I watch this horse go out and run, I find myself having more and more confidence in him.”
