He’s done it again.
MY BOY PRINCE, the sales-topper at the CTHS Ontario yearling sale four years ago, put in a thrilling stretch run to win the $154,000 Van Clief Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf, Saturday, August 1 at Colonial Downs.
Gary Barber’s amazing grey gelding, the champion two-year-old in Canada who almost held on to win the King’s Plate in 2024, has won three sprint stakes races this year for trainer Mark Casse at three different tracks. The busy son of Cairo Prince, bred by Murray Smith and foaled at Minshall Farrms in Hillsburgh, ON, has a career record of 10 wins in 27 races and $1.5 million in earnings. He was a $110,000 yearling purchase.
My Boy Prince broke alertly in the Van Clief before losing some momentum entering the turn and settling toward the rear. Angled to the center of the course in the upper stretch, he closed with a powerful late rally to win by a head. Victory Achieved, who battled with Governor Sam early before taking over in the stretch, was a game second, another neck ahead of Governor Sam.
“He broke well, but before the turn he sucked back a little bit,” jockey John Velazquez said. “I had to nudge him to get him going, but once I put him out in the center, he picked it up really fast.”
The fast fractions of the Van Clief, :22.15, :44.21, helped My Boy Prince’s rally. The final time of 1:01.84 was good for a 94 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.
Murray Smith recently talked to the CTHS Ontario about the dam of My Boy Prince, Hopping Not Hoping; check it out here.
~ with files from Colonial Downs Media
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