Skip to main content

Strait of Dover with jockey Justin Stein in the irons wins the 153rd running of the Queen's Plate horse race aboard Strait of Dover in Toronto, June 24, 2012.SUE STEEDMAN/Reuters

The 2012 Queen's Plate winner, Strait of Dover, has been euthanized due to complications following surgery.

According to a statement released Monday, the horse had surgery for a twisted large colon at Milton Equine Hospital.

Strait of Dover was trained by Dan Vella and ridden by Justin Stein. The Canyon Farms homebred won the $1-million Queen's Plate, Canada's most famous horse race, in record time.

"I'm shocked and heartbroken that he's gone," said Stein. "He had a true racehorse heart. He knew how to win. He was getting better and better with every start."

Strait of Dover posted 4-0-1 record from seven careers starts and banked $765,449 in career earnings.

Bred in B.C., the dark bay son of English Channel-Bahrain Star was shipped from Hastings in Vancouver to Woodbine, where he won four of five starts, including the first jewel of the Triple Crown.

Strait of Dover's sophomore campaign came to a halt after suffering a soft-tissue injury while training for the Breeders' Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Interact with The Globe