TORONTO — American trainer David Hofmans, who won the ’97 Queen’s Plate, died Wednesday. He was 81.
The cause of death was not immediately known.
The Los Angeles native earned the Plate victory with Awesome Again for Stronach Stables at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack. The year prior, Hofmans was victorious at the venue when Alphabet Soup, a 19-1 longshot, defeated Cigar in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The Queen’s Plate was first run in 1860 and named after Queen Victoria after she gave her royal assent for “a plate to the value of 50 guineas” be awarded to the winner of the 1 1/4 mile race in Toronto. It was renamed the King’s Plate in 1901 when Edward VII succeeded Victoria on the throne but became the Queen’s Plate again in 1952 upon Elizabeth II’s ascension.
But it reverted back to the King’s Plate for the ’23 running after Elizabeth’s death in 2022 and accession of Charles III.
Hofmans also won the ’97 Belmont with Touch Gold, denying Silver Charm the American Triple Crown.
He also captured the ’03 Breeders’ Cup Distaff with 40-1 pick Adoration and the ’08 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint with Desert Code at 36-1 odds.
Hofmans won over 1,000 races, the first coming in 1974 at Santa Anita. Ironically, his last victory came there May 11 with Seventeen Black, a four-year-old gelding.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2024.
