By David Wencer

A one hundred and fifty year-old tradition began in 1860, when the first Queen's Plate took place on what was then a quiet estate near the Toronto suburb of Carlton (sometimes spelled "Carleton").

In the 1850s, horseracing was still in its infancy in southern Ontario. There were very few thoroughbreds in Upper Canada at this time, meaning that the bulk of the racing stock was of inferior quality. The result was an industry lacking in both high-quality races and in credibility.

A solution was sought by the Toronto Turf Club, which had established itself as the Toronto area's chief horseracing concern in the 1840s. Believing that a race with royal import would give the industry a boost and improve the level of competition, the Toronto Turf Club petitioned Governor General Edmund Walker Head in April of 1859, requesting an annual royal horseracing prize from Queen Victoria. On July 18, the response came from the Duke of Newcastle that Victoria had granted a plate in the value of 50 guineas.