Nonna’s Little Boy triumphs in Tour de Fort as Race Track wraps up season

Brent Jones
October 24, 2024 at 1:58 PM

Fort Erie Race Track wrapped up its 2024 live racing season on Tuesday with its traditional end-of-season race, the Tour de Fort.

The two-mile endurance race, a fan favourite, saw Nonna’s Little Boy clinch victory in an exciting conclusion to the season.

The winning horse’s owner, Michael Bellissimo, was elated after the win, which followed a challenging year for Nonna’s Little Boy.

Trainer Willy Armata made a bold decision to enter the horse into the long-distance race after disappointing results in shorter sprints earlier in the season.

“The last two races, he really disappointed me,” Armata said, explaining that the horse had fallen behind when it mattered most.

After discussions with Bellissimo, the team decided to try something different.

“In 11 days we are going in the Tour de Fort, and we took that shot and it worked,” Armata added.

The Tour de Fort, which requires horses to complete two laps of the historic Fort Erie track, is one of the few marathon races still run at racetracks in North America.

Winning jockey Leo Salles spoke of the race’s demands, noting the importance of patience in the opening stages.

Leo Salles rides Nonno’s Little Boy to victory in the Tour de Fort to close out the 2024 season of live racing at Fort Erie Race Track on Tuesday. Credit: Michael Burns Photography

“It’s a long distance, so we gotta just relax for that first lap,” Salles said, adding that the key was staying out of traffic to secure the win.

Salles ended the season with a hat trick of victories on closing day, cementing his reputation after a remarkable season where he earned the nickname “Longshot Leo.”

His surprise win earlier in the year, guiding Gambler’s Pose to victory at 102-1 odds, delivered the biggest longshot payout of the year in North America, with $207.20 returned on a $2 wager.

The 2024 season saw Fort Erie Race Track achieve $42.5 million in total wagering, marking the second-highest total in the track’s history, just behind the previous year’s $46 million.

On-track wagering remained steady at $1.93 million, though off-track wagering saw a slight decline.

The track will reopen on May 27, 2025, for its 128th season of live thoroughbred racing, running through to October 21.

Fans can look forward to the return of popular events such as the wiener dog races, Track-O-Lantern, and the 90th running of the Prince of Wales Stakes, the track’s signature event.