Prince of Wales Stakes to proceed on September 10 as scheduled

Brent Jones
August 18, 2024 at 8:49 PM

The Prince of Wales Stakes, a prominent event at Fort Erie Race Track, will proceed on its originally planned date of September 10, despite the recent rescheduling of the King’s Plate due to severe weather in the Toronto area.

The decision was confirmed by Fort Erie Race Track’s general manager, Drew Cady, who emphasized that the track’s schedule was designed with extra flexibility this year, allowing for sufficient rest between the first and second legs of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.

Cady noted that even with the King’s Plate postponed by six days, the horses will still have an 18-day recovery period before the Prince of Wales Stakes. This interval is deemed adequate to ensure that horses competing in the King’s Plate can participate in the upcoming race at Fort Erie.

The post positions for the 89th running of the Prince of Wales Stakes will be drawn on September 5. The draw will be conducted by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva, setting the stage for the race on September 10.

Eurico Rosa da Silva, the 2024 Prince of Wales Stakes drawmaster, is pictured winning the Stakes back in 2014 with Coltimus Prime. Credit: Michael Burns Photography

The final leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, the Breeders’ Stakes, will take place 19 days later at Woodbine.

In addition to the Prince of Wales Stakes, the race day will feature two $100,000 Ontario Sire Heritage Series stakes races: the Lake Erie Stakes and the Rondeau Bay Stakes. The day’s card also includes two $30,000 cup races, the Molson Cup and the Le Cinquieme Essai Cup.

The first race on September 10 is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the Prince of Wales Stakes expected to start at approximately 5:30 p.m.