Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer BOB TILLER is pointing Dr. Rolph Davis’ HUMBER RIVER to the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on September 9.
The Prince of Wales is the second jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown and it is the only leg of the series on dirt, and it is run at 1 3/16 miles. The King’s Plate, which was on Aug. 16, was 10 furlongs on Tapeta and the final jewel, the Breeders’ Stakes, is at 12 furlongs on turf at Woodbine next month.
Plate winner MANSETTI (Collected) is expected to be in the ‘Wales’ for Al and Bill Ulwelling and trainer Kevin Attard. They have won two of the last three Prince of Wales Stakes with Velocitor and Haddassah.
Mansetti worked on the dirt at Woodbine on Aug. 26 in 49.20 for half a mile and will work again on Sept. 2. Named for a series of pizza restaurants near the Ulwellings’ home base of Elk River, Minnesota, the dark bay colt has now won two straight races after being somewhat of an in-and-outer throughout his career.
Attard noted that when Mansetti tried the dirt at Aqueduct this winter in the Jerome Stakes, the surface was very deep and tiring and not to Mansetti’s liking.
Attard also worked Plate fifth-place finisher Dewolf on the dirt (48.80) and Faber (50.20) who was sixth in the Plate.
Tiller, who sent out Win City to win the 2001 Prince of Wales in a mild upset over the sharp filly Dancethruthedawn, is planning on starting Humber River in Fort Erie’s big race.
Dr. Davis, who received his doctoral degree in avian ecology, has been president of LGL Limited — an environmental research consulting company — and a specialist in aircraft-related bird hazard issues, has raced horses for more than 25 years.
Humber River, bought at the 2023 CTHS Ontario yearling sale in 2023 for $43,000, comes off his second career win on Aug. 3, a very impressive score in a 1 1/16 miles optional $40,000 claiming race in which he was extremely wide throughout. Despite the poor trip, the grey gelding went around rivals and won by 1 1/2 lengths with a 73 Beyer Speed Figure. Humber River, by Frac Daddy from the stakes-placed mare Miss Sea, had a fast workout on Tapeta on Aug. 30, five furlongs in 59.20.
SCORCHING, fourth in the Plate, is also expected to run in the Wales, although his scheduled rider, Jose Lezcano, was injured last week and is on the shelf.
Four horses have won the Prince of Wales after having won the Plate since 2000: Mighty Heart, Wonder Gadot, Wando and Scatter the Gold.
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