Trainer PHIL SERPE has told Canadian Thoroughbred that Dr. Rovert Vukovich’s Queen’s Plate winner SAFE CONDUCT will skip the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on Sept. 14.
The $400,000 Prince of Wales is at 1 3/16 miles on Fort Erie’s traditional dirt track and Serpe said that the surface was the only reason the colt was not going to be nominated.
“I hate to disappoint anybody,” said Serpe. “But his dirt workouts are barely par. He is just beginning his career and what if something happens and he goes in the wrong direction or gets hurt? Mr. Vukovich was adamant about no dirt.”
Safe Conduct returned to the track to train today, August 31. “We gave him a few extra days off. Today he was bouncing all over the place,” said Serpe.
The son of Bodemeister – Duchess Dancer by Congrats, bred by Mitch Kursner, is a turf ace but handled the Tapeta at Woodbine well enough to win the $1 million Canadian classic under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
Nominations for the Prince of Wales close today. Early possible entrants include the filly Curlin’s Catch, recent Fort Erie turf winner Ready at Dawn and possibly Elgin Stakes winner Secret Reserve and Queen’s Plate fifth-place finisher Keep Grinding.
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