 In 1859, while Upper Canada was still a colony of Great Britain, the then-president of the Toronto Turf Club, Sir Casimir Gzowski, petitioned Queen Victoria to grant a plate for a new race in the territory.Upon royal assent, the first Queen's Plate was run on June 27, 1860, at the Carleton racetrack in Toronto, with the prize of "a plate to the value of 50 guineas".Despite the name of the race, the winning owner is presented with a gold cup rather than a plate.