Beware of the improving three-year-old. VITALITY was just such a horse heading into the 89th Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on Tuesday, the second jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown. Owned by Stronach Stables and trained by Harold Ladouceur, who only started training for Stronach and the team a year ago, Vitality was hit-and-miss as a two-year-old last year, placing in every second outing in that five-start season.
The Stronach team and Ladouceur made a big move with the son of Street Boss – Bellisimo by Awesome Again after one drab outing in May – they gelded him and put him on Lasix. The gelding promptly went out and won his maiden by 3 1/4 lengths with jockey Jose Campos at the controls.
Vitality tried the King’s Plate on Aug. 23 off that maiden win and didn’t do too badly, as he beat half the field. More was expected from his camp as he had some good workouts heading into the 1 1/4 race on Tapeta so Ladouceur kept on with the leggy gelding and pointed him to the Prince of Wales.
With Plate winner Caitlinhergrtness and runner-up My Boy Prince both passing on the ‘Wales, a 1 3/16 mile tour of the dirt track at Fort Erie, the 10-horse field was made up of five horses from the Plate and a promising filly.
It was the filly, Airosa, who had been posting incredible workout times on the dirt getting ready – such as 57 seconds flat for 5 furlongs on the Woodbine training track on Aug. 27 – who went straight to the lead under Rafael Hernandez. The Uncle Mo gal, trained by Kevin Attard, the Plate-winning conditioner this year, was making only her second start of the year. She won a stakes race at 2, the Catch a Glimpse on turf, but got sick in the fall and had a long recovery time.
Bettors didn’t know who to make favourite of a Mark Casse-trained pair. They settled on Essex Serpent at 3-to-1, which was a surprise since that gelding was 10th in the Plate. Midnight Mascot, third in the Plate, was 7-to-2 and Airosa was 6-to-1, as was the maiden Bedard, her workmate during the Wales prep weeks.
Airosa never had an easy lead, however, as she was pressed throughout by recent maiden winner Wyoming Bill and jockey Ryan Munger. Essex Serpent was three wide and tracking the leaders while Vitality and Campos were hugging a very favourable rail path for that day just about four lengths behind. After fractions of 23.22, 47.19 and 111.40, Airosa continued to lead.
Into the stretch, Airosa was hanging on but Campos worked his way off the rail and his gelding was full of run. Vitality swung wide and flew past the filly, initially on his wrong lead and lugging in, perhaps from the crowd. Campos merely waved his crop on the horse’s left side as Vitality put his ears up and won easily by 4 lengths. Airosa was a brave second while Bedard grabbed third. Passioned was a neck back in fourth.
The remainder of the field was strung by a total of some 28 lengths. The final time was 1:55.72.
It was the biggest win for Ladouceur and for Campos, who came to Woodbine from Mexico City in 2022. His first full season was last year but he was badly injured in the fall. He won 38 races last season and is on track to pass that number easily in 2024.
Ladouceur, in his 20th year of training, had a big season in 2013 when he trained the graded stakes-winning filly Paladin Bay. Along with his wife Jessie, the couple have maintained a small stable for years. Harold, who landed in the racing headlines a decade ago, was again in the media this year when Woodbine recognized him as a member of the Moosomin and Kikino Metis settlements. The trainer is nearing his 100th career win.
Vitality, the star of the show, is now 2-1-1- from nine races and he has earnings of just over $313,000. The Stronach team was represented by Sean Smullen in the winner’s circle. This was the first win in the Prince of Wales for Stronach Stables, which won in 2006 with Malakoff but that 3-year-old was disqualified.
His sire Street Boss, a graded stakes-winning California sprinter by Street Cry (Ire) is a duel hemisphere stallion for Darley and Darley Australia. He has sired a variety of stakes stars including Cox Plate (G1) winner Anamoe and American graded stakes winners Cathyrn Sophia, winner of the Kentucky Oaks, and Capo Bastogne.
Vitality is the second foal to race for his unraced dam. The mare’s first foal is $233,000 winner Holy Foley. Belissimo is a daughter of Selene Stakes winner Smart Sting. Third dam Perfect Sting won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) among other major races and $2.2 million.
Belissimo has a two-year-old by Point of Entry named Royal Entry. The mare was sold last fall at the Keeneland November sale for $25,000 in foal to Goldencents to Dan Churilla of Kentucky.
The Breeders’ Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on the turf will wrap up the Canadian Triple Crown on Sept. 29 back at Woodbine.
Wagering at Fort Erie on Wales day was $2.8 million plus just over $200,000 on-track. That is down about $300,000 from last year’s Prince of Wales day.
Vitality after his Prince of Wales win with Harold Ladouceur and groom Teon Walker. (Jessie Ladouceur photo)
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