Trainer Josie Carroll optimistic Woodbine Oaks winner Luster will run in King’s Plate

TORONTO — Trainer Josie Carroll is very optimistic that Woodbine Oaks winner Luster will run in next month’s $1-million King’s Plate.

Luster won the $750,00 Oaks at Woodbine Racetrack on July 19 in dominant fashion, finishing 5 1/2 lengths ahead of the field in 1:50.99. Moments earlier, gelding Highwaytothemoon captured the $200,000 Plate Trial in 1:52.17.

The Oaks and Plate Trial are key prep events for the Plate and good indicators regarding potential contenders as they’re run over the same distance (1 1/8 miles) and surface (Woodbine’s Tapeta course).

Following the Oaks, Carroll was guarded about Luster’s Plate chances, saying a decision would be made based upon how the filly came out of the race. On Tuesday, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famer was pleased with Luster’s post-race condition.

“She actually came out of this race as well as I could’ve hoped,” Carroll said. “That’s certainly a good indication that we would aim in that direction (King’s Plate).

“Truthfully, based on how she came out of that race, barring any unforeseen glitches, we would be heading in that direction.”

The King’s Plate, the opening jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, is slated for Aug. 15 at Woodbine Racetrack.

Carroll became the first female trainer to win the Plate in 2006 with Edenwold. Five years later, she captured her second title with filly Inglorious before winning again in 2020 with Mighty Heart.

Luster earned Carroll her fourth Oaks win. The others were with Inglorious (2011), Curlin’s Voyage (2020) and Kin’s Concerto (2024).

If Luster runs in the Plate, Carroll said jockey John Velazquez, who rode the grey to victory in the Oaks, would be aboard.

Velazquez guided Luster to a masterful trip in the Oaks, easily moving her into the lead just before the three-quarter mark. With roughly 200 metres remaining, Velazquez glanced over his shoulder to see if any horses were coming, but none were as Luster cruised to her third win in four starts this season.

Velazquez captured a second straight Oaks title after winning last year aboard No Time.

“I really thought that was a brilliant performance she put in,” Carroll said.

Moira is the last horse to capture both the Woodbine Oaks and King’s Plate in the same year, doing so in 2022. In 2024, Caitlinhergrtness captured the Plate after finishing second in the Oaks.

Again, should Luster run in the Plate, having posted a faster time than the Plate Trial winner would buoy Carroll’s race confidence somewhat.

“Obviously, until you put those two groups together you don’t really know,” she said. “But I think more so the way in which she did it in that time would be very promising to me.”

But a big question for the vast majority of Plate runners is the distance. And there’s also the matter of how the horse might respond if pressed early in the race or was forced to come off the pace.

“Until you go a mile and a quarter with one, truthfully, you don’t know,” Carroll said. “But she certainly handled the step up to a mile and an eighth with seeming ease.

“That (how Luster would handle being pushed) is the question that only a race is going to answer.”

Carroll said Luster has resumed her usual routine and expects to step things up with the horse very soon.

“She’ll do something towards the end of this week,” Carroll said. “She’s in her regular routine, she gallops a mile and a half every day, she walks, she grazes.

“Really, I just want to see that she’s happy, she’s eating up all of her food, she’s carrying good weight and training well. That’s all I really look for, nothing different than I’d look for going into any race for a horse. She is doing very well, I’m very pleased.”

And Carroll politely declined any talk about chasing a fourth Plate triumph.

“Let’s wait and see what happens,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2026.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press