Victory tasted twice as sweet for jockey Justin Stein after winning the 88th Prince of Wales Stakes aboard Velocitor at Fort Erie Race Track in Ontario, Canada, on Tuesday evening.
“Deja vu,” said Stein after becoming a back-to-back winner of the Prince of Wales. “It feels awesome to do it again. Winning the Prince of Wales two years in a row is very, very special, and something I'll always remember.”
Stein was aboard the 2022 winner, Duke of Love, for trainer Josie Carroll
Riding Al and Bill Ulwelling's homebred gelding Velocitor, Stein had to play catchup to Paramount Prince, who bolted out to an early lead in the 1 3/16-mile fixture run over a sloppy track. Having won the King's Plate wire to wire last month, Paramount Prince was attempting to capture the second jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, but Velocitor dashed those hopes with a strong ride down the stretch, pulling away late to win by one length. Paramount Prince finished third in the Prince of Wales, a neck behind Kaukokaipuu.
They were followed by Cool Kiss, Tiburon, Twin City, 3-2 favorite Stanley House, Trinity Park, Stayhonor Goodside, Morstachy's, and Ottawa.
Final time was 1:55.24 following fractions of :22.80,: 45.99, 1:10.19 and 1:35.36.
“I sent him out there and made sure we were right in touch with Paramount Prince, that way I had options,” said Stein, who wasn't worried about trailing for the first stretch. “He's got a really high cruising speed.”
Trained by Kevin Attard, the son of Mor Spirit improved on a fourth-place finish in the King's Plate, returning $17.70 to backers.
Attard and the Ulwellings teamed up to win the 2021 Prince of Wales with Haddassah. Attard also won the race in 2007 with Alezzandro.
The 11 runners made this year's Prince of Wales the largest field in two decades, which drove wagering to a record high for the track. For the first time in its history, wagering on the Prince of Wales Stakes topped $1 million, with on-track and off-track wagering combining to reach $1.05 million on the second jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown. The track nearly doubled its previous record of $635,000.
Despite a heavy downpour earlier in the day, the $3.48 million in total wagering on the Prince of Wales card was the largest handle in Fort Erie's 126-year history.
The Prince of Wales undercard featured two $100,000 Ontario Sired Heritage Series Stakes.
One Bay Hemingway and jockey Luis Contreras were victorious after a photo finish in the Lake Erie Stakes for trainer Sid Attard and owner Norseman Racing Stable.
Fashionably Fab was first across the finish line in the Rondeau Bay Stakes. The 3-year-old daughter of Silent Name was guided to victory by jockey Patrick Husbands for Terra Racing Stable and trainer Kevin Attard.
Racing highlights also included two Fort Erie Cup races. Trish the Dish secured this year's Molson Cup. The 7-year-old English Channel mare was piloted by jockey Sunny Singh for Trinity Racing Stables Inc., and trainer Louie Capi.
Vinnie Van Go and jockey Melanie Pinto were victorious in the Le Cinquieme Essai Cup for trainer Julie Mathes and owners Joseph and Charles Loiacano.
Live racing continues at Fort Erie Race Track on Mondays and Tuesday through Oct. 16. The track's final event is a Halloween-themed day, Track-O-Lantern, on Oct. 9 where kids in costume can come trick-or-treat around the historic border oval.
For more information visit www.forterieracing.com.
The post Velocitor Spoils Paramount Prince’s Canadian Triple Crown Hopes With Prince Of Wales Upset appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
