Prince of Wales Stakes

This article is about the Canadian Thoroughbred race. For the Group 1 race in England, see Prince of Wales's Stakes. For the race in Australia, see Prince of Wales Stakes (Australia).

The Prince of Wales Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Fort Erie Race Track in Fort Erie, Ontario. Restricted to only three-year-old horses bred in Canada, it is contested on dirt over a distance of 1+3⁄16 miles (1.9 km; 9+1⁄2 furlongs). In 1959, the Prince of Wales Stakes became the second race in the Canadian Triple Crown series. It follows the August running of the King's Plate and precedes the Breeders' Stakes in October.

Prince of Wales Stakes

Norcliffe, winner of the 1976 race
Class	Restricted
Location	Fort Erie Race Track Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
Inaugurated	1929 (96 years ago) (1929)
Race type	Flat / Thoroughbred
Website	forterieracing.com/prince-of-wales
Race information
Distance	1+3⁄16 mi (1.9 km)
Surface	Dirt
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds (foaled in Canada)
Weight	Scale Weight
Purse	CDN$400,000

The race was inaugurated in 1929 at the now defunct Thorncliffe Park Raceway in today's Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood of central east Toronto.

Historical notes

In 1959, the E.P. Taylor colt New Providence emerged as a Triple Crown champion in its first year of existence. In the ensuing years, six more three-year-olds have equaled the feat. In 2014, it was decided to grandfather the five horses who had won the series prior to 1959 as well.^[1]

According to the racetrack's website, for fans, the most popular winner of the race was the Canadian and American Hall of Fame filly Dance Smartly who went on to win the 1991 Triple Crown.

In 1995 Barbara J. Minshall became the first woman to train the winner of a Canadian Triple Crown race when the Minshall Farms colt Kiridashi won. To date, no female jockey has won the Prince of Wales Stakes, although Francine Villeneuve and Autumn Snow lost the 2005 running by a nose to Ablo.

Uniquely, the 2003 edition featured the first "father vs. daughter" match up in a Canadian Triple Crown race, when jockeys David Clark and Cory Clark competed against one another.^[2] He finished third aboard Shoal Water, while she brought her horse, Sonofawac, home in sixth position.

From 1959 through 1987 the Prince of Wales Stakes was run on turf. Since inception, it has been contested at four different Ontario racetracks and at various distances:

• 1+1⁄8 miles : 1929–1930 at Thorncliffe Park Raceway, 1957–1958 at Woodbine Racetrack
• 1+1⁄16 miles : 1932–1942 and 1947–1952 at Thorncliffe Park Raceway, 1944–1945 and 1953–1955 at Old Woodbine Racetrack, 1956 at Woodbine Racetrack
• 1+3⁄8 miles : 1959–1975 at Fort Erie Racetrack
• 1+1⁄2 miles : 1976–1987 at Fort Erie Racetrack
• 1+3⁄16 miles : 1988–present at Fort Erie Racetrack

Records

Speed record: (at current distance of 1+3⁄16 miles)

• 1:53.80 – Bruce's Mill (1994)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 5 – Hugo Dittfach (1960, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 7 – Gordon J. McCann (1951, 1952, 1954, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1967)

Most wins by an owner:

• 9 – E. P. Taylor and/or Windfields Farm (1951, 1952, 1954, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1967, 1972, 1988)

Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2024	Vitality	Jose Campos	Harold Ladouceur	Adena Springs	1:55.72
2023	Velocitor	Justin Stein	Kevin Attard	Al & Bill Ulwelling	1:55.24
2022	Duke of Love	Justin Stein	Josie Carroll	MyRaceHorse Stable	1:58.07
2021	Haddassah	Gary Boulanger	Kevin Attard	Al and Bill Ulwelling	1:56.15
2020	Mighty Heart	Daisuke Fukumoto	Josie Carroll	Lawrence P. Cordes	1:55.59
2019	Tone Broke	Ricardo Santana Jr.	Steve Asmussen	L and N Racing	1:56.56
2018	Wonder Gadot	John Velazquez	Mark E. Casse	Gary Barber	1:58.71
2017	Cool Catomine	Luis Contreras	John Ross	Jack of Hearts Racing / J.R. Racing Stable Inc.	1:55.63
2016	Amis Gizmo	Luis Contreras	Josie Carroll	Ivan Dalos	1:56.76
2015	Breaking Lucky	James S. McAleney	Reade Baker	Gunpowder Farms	1:56.59
2014	Coltimus Prime	Eurico Rosa da Silva	Justin J. Nixon	Cabernet Racing Stables	1:54.58
2013	Uncaptured	Miguel Mena	Mark E. Casse	John C. Oxley	1:55.49
2012	Dixie Strike	Patrick Husbands	Mark E. Casse	John C. Oxley	1:57.54
2011	Pender Harbour	Luis Contreras	Mike De Paulo	Denny Andrews & Robert Giffin	1:55.74
2010	Golden Moka	Anthony Stephen	Brian A. Lynch	Good Friends Stable	1:56.45
2009	Gallant	Corey Fraser	Mark E. Casse	Woodford Racing LLC	1:56.74
2008	Harlem Rocker	Eibar Coa	Todd Pletcher	Adena Racing Venture	1:56.46
2007	Alezzandro	Todd Kabel	Kevin Attard	Knob Hill Stable	1:55.04
2006	Shillelagh Slew	Dino Luciani	Michael P. DePaulo	David H. T. James	1:55.87
2005	Ablo	Gerry Olguin	Roger Attfield	Michael & Phyllis Canino	1:56.90
2004	A Bit O'Gold	Jono Jones	Catherine Day Phillips	Kingfield Racing Stables	1:57.69
2003	Wando †	Patrick Husbands	Mike Keogh	Gus Schickedanz	1:55.84
2002	Le Cinquieme Essai	Brian Bochinski	Paul Nielsen	William A. Scott	1:56.53
2001	Win City	Constant Montpellier	Robert P. Tiller	Frank Di Giulio Jr.	1:56.14
2000	Scatter the Gold	Todd Kabel	Mark Frostad	Sam-Son Farm	1:56.01
1999	Gandria	Constant Montpellier	James Cheadle	Arosa Farm	1:56.20
1998	Archers Bay	Robert Landry	Todd Pletcher	Melnyk / Bristow	1:55.20
1997	Cryptocloser	Willie Martinez	Mark Frostad	Mack / Sorokolit	1:56.00
1996	Stephanotis	Mickey Walls	Barbara J. Minshall	Minshall Farms	1:55.20
1995	Kiridashi	Larry Attard	Barbara J. Minshall	Minshall Farms	1:55.00
1994	Bruce's Mill	Craig Perret	Mark Frostad	Earle I. Mack & partners	1:53.80
1993	Peteski †	Dave Penna	Roger Attfield	Earle I. Mack	1:54.40
1992	Benburb	Larry Attard	Phil England	Knob Hill Stable	1:57.40
1991	Dance Smartly †	Pat Day	Jim Day	Sam-Son Farm	1:56.60
1990	Izvestia †	Don Seymour	Roger Attfield	Kinghaven Farms	1:56.40
1989	With Approval †	Don Seymour	Roger Attfield	Kinghaven Farms	1:56.80
1988	Regal Classic	Sandy Hawley	Jim Day	Sam-Son/Windfields	2:00.20
1987	Coryphee	Brian Swatuk	Sam DiPasquale	S. Carnevale	2:39.60
1986	Golden Choice	Vincent Bracciale, Jr.	Michael Tammaro	Sanderson / Belanger	2:44.40
1985	Imperial Choice	Irwin Driedger	Jim Day	Sam-Son Farm	2:34.60
1984	Val Dansant	John LeBlanc	Gerry Belanger	Sanderson / Norman	2:48.60
1983	Archdeacon	Vincent Bracciale, Jr.	John J. Tammaro, Jr.	Kinghaven Farms	2:32.00
1982	Runaway Groom	Robin Platts	John DiMario	Albert J. Coppola	2:38.40
1981	Cadet Corps	Robin Platts	W. Granger	FNR Stable	2:34.80
1980	Allan Blue	Joey Belowus	Gil Rowntree	Stafford Farms	2:34.40
1979	Mass Rally	George HoSang	Duke Campbell	D. Mann	2:33.40
1978	Overskate	Robin Platts	Gil Rowntree	Stafford Farms	2:34.40
1977	Dance In Time	Gary Stahlbaum	Frank H. Merrill, Jr.	Viscount Hardinge	2:31.80
1976	Norcliffe	Jeffrey Fell	Roger Attfield	Norcliffe Stable	2:30.20
1975	L'Enjoleur	Sandy Hawley	Yonnie Starr	Jean-Louis Lévesque	2:32.40
1974	Rushton's Corsair	James Kelly	Glen Magnusson	Aubrey W. Minshall	2:23.40
1973	Tara Road	Sandy Hawley	Gil Rowntree	Stafford Farms	2:16:80
1972	Presidial	John LeBlanc	Roy Johnson	Windfields Farm	2:16.60
1971	New Pro Escar	James Kelly	Andrew G. Smithers	E. Lieberman	2:15.20
1970	Almoner	Sandy Hawley	Jerry G. Lavigne	Parkview Stable	2:19.80
1969	Sharp-Eyed Quillo	Heliodoro Gustines	Horatio Luro	J. Hood	2:16.60
1968	Rouletabille	Richard Grubb	Yonnie Starr	Jean-Louis Lévesque	2:18.60
1967	Battling	Hugo Dittfach	Gordon J. McCann	Windfields Farm	2:21.20
1966	He's A Smoothie	Hugo Dittfach	Warren Beasley	William R. Beasley	2:19.00
1965	Good Old Mort	Sam McComb	Jerry C. Meyer	Dane Hill Acres	2:22.80
1964	Canadillis	Avelino Gomez	M. Long	Viscount Hardinge	2:35.00
1963	Canebora †	Hugo Dittfach	Gordon J. McCann	Windfields Farm	2:30.60
1962	King Gorm	Hugo Dittfach	Richard Townrow	Lanson Farm	2:21.20
1961	Song of Even	Jim Fitzsimmons	Gordon J. McCann	Windfields Farm	2:29.00
1960	Bulpamiru	Hugo Dittfach	Red Barnard	Shermanor Farm	2:19.80
1959	New Providence †	Avelino Gomez	Gordon J. McCann	Windfields Farm	2:18.00
1958	White Apache	Don Hale	F. Russell	Four L's Stable	1:52.20
1957	Our Sirdar	E. Roy	F. Cook	Shermanor Farms	1:59.60
1956	Canadian Champ †	David Stevenson	John Passero	William R. Beasley	1:46.20
1955	Ace Marine †	George Walker	Yonnie Starr	Larkin Maloney	1:45.20
1954	Queen's Own	B. Albert	Gordon J. McCann	E. P. Taylor	1:46.20
1953	Chain Reaction	Nick Combest	Richard Townrow	Mrs. Elodie S. Tomlinson	1:44.40
1952	Acadian	Jose Vina	Gordon J. McCann	E. P. Taylor	1:44.80
1951	Major Factor	Alf Bavington	Gordon J. McCann	E. P. Taylor	1:52.20
1950	Nephisto	Johnny Dewhurst	Arthur Brent	Parkwood Stable	1:48.80
1949	Victory Arch	Pat Remillard	Robert K. Hodgson	North Downs Farm	1:45.60
1948	Lord Fairmond	L. Kerr	Harry Giddings, Jr.	Whittier Park Stock Farm	1:48.40
1947	Burboy	Robert Fisher	Robert Rushton	Bur-fit Stable	1:48.20
1946	no race
1945	Uttermost †	Robert B. Watson	Cecil Howard	Harry C. Hatch	1:45.00
1944	Ompalo	Robert B. Watson	Cecil Howard	Harry C. Hatch	1:47.00
1943	no race
1942	Ten to Ace	Charles W. Smith	Harry Giddings, Jr.	Harry Giddings	1:50.40
1941	no race
1940	Hood	Pat Remillard	C. Mitchell	J. R. McIntyre	1:49.40
1939	Archworth †	Sydney Denny Birley	Mark Cowell	C. George McCullagh	1:46.40
1938	no race
1937	Cease Fire	Charley Critchfield	M. Maciver	H. R. Bain	1:47.80
1936	Samoan	Frankie Mann	Johnny Thorpe	Edward Frowde Seagram	1:47.20
1935	no race
1934	no race
1933	Syngo	John "Red" Pollard	Jack Whyte	R. E. Webster	1:47.40
1932	Queensway †	Frankie Mann	Harry Giddings, Jr.	Robert W. R. Cowie	1:52.00
1931	no race
1930	Spearhead	Earl Steffen	George Strate	Tedluc Stable	1:55.20
1929	Lion Hearted	Henry Little	R. Emmett Potts	Mrs. W. J. Giblin	1:54.60

A † designates a Triple Crown winner.

Broadcasting

TSN owns broadcast rights to the event. It has carried the race intermittently due to the lack of consistent sponsorship; the race aired on TSN in 2018 through a sponsorship with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.^[3]