It is the racetrack where the great Northern Dancer launched his illustrious career with a maiden victory in 1963, and where generations of Canadian champions have raced for one of the country’s most historic prizes.
On Labour Day, September 7, Fort Erie Race Track will host the 91st running of the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown ($500,000 including a $100,000 bonus for eligible Ontario-breds). The Prince of Wales is carded as race nine with a post time of 4:36 p.m.
King’s Plate winner Luster, the fabulous filly by Knicks Go, will not continue on the Triple Crown trail. Instead, she is getting a break before embarking on an American campaign. That leaves the door open for five horses who finished behind her in the Plate, along with three newcomers to the series, to chase one of the biggest victories of their careers.
The 1 3/16-mile race on dirt has a history stretching back nearly a century. The first Prince of Wales was held at Thorncliffe Park in Toronto in 1929. Before settling permanently at Fort Erie in 1959, the race was contested at several Ontario tracks and at different distances.
Five horses who won the Prince of Wales before the Canadian Triple Crown was formally established in 1959 also captured the King’s Plate and Breeders’ Stakes: Queensway in 1932, Archworth in 1939, Uttermost in 1945, Ace Marine in 1955 and Canadian Champ in 1956. In 2014, they were officially recognized as Triple Crown champions.
Since the Triple Crown was established, seven horses have swept all three races: New Providence in 1959, Canebora in 1963, With Approval in 1989, Izvestia in 1990, Dance Smartly in 1991, Peteski in 1993 and Wando in 2003.
The Prince of Wales was run on turf from 1959 through 1987 before returning to the main track in 1988. That change of surface is significant because many horses arriving from Woodbine will be racing on a traditional dirt track for the first time.
Three trainers in this year’s field, Mark Casse, Kevin Attard and Harold Ladouceur, already know what it takes to win the Prince of Wales.
Military Time the One to Beat
Casse has won the race three times, most recently with Wonder Gadot for Barber in 2018, and returns this year with the favourite, Military Time.
A son of leading American sire Gun Runner, Military Time has been something of a work in progress for Casse and his Woodbine team.
A two-time sprint winner, Military Time finished second in the Queenston Stakes in June and third in the Plate Trial, each time showing plenty of ability without always appearing fully focused on racing.
Casse added blinkers for the King’s Plate and the equipment change appeared to help.
Military Time made a bold, wide move to challenge before Luster accelerated away from the field. He held second, finishing three lengths clear of third-place Fire and Wine. “I was very proud of him,” said Casse. “That filly is amazing.”
Military Time completed his final major workout for the Prince of Wales on Woodbine’s dirt training track, covering four furlongs in a bullet 47.80 seconds.
Imyourmedicineman Looking For a Clean Trip
Harold and Jessie Ladouceur will be looking for redemption with Imyourmedicineman.
Co-owned by Jaime Rionda of Mexico, the Shaman Ghost gelding endured a nightmarish journey in the King’s Plate, repeatedly running into the back of tiring horses while trying to launch his rally.
“With a cleaner trip, he would have been second or third,” said Jessie Ladouceur.
Imyourmedicineman had shown his ability before the Plate when he finished second in the Plate Trial.
The Ladouceurs know their way to the Prince of Wales winner’s circle. They won the 2024 edition with Stronach Stables’ Vitality.
Highwaytothemoon Returns to Niagara
A Prince of Wales victory would carry special significance for Highwaytothemoon’s owner, Dominic DiLalla, who hails from Niagara Falls. It would also be the biggest victory of DiLalla’s 25 years as a Thoroughbred owner.
DiLalla paid a $12,500 supplementary fee to enter Highwaytothemoon in the race. Trained by Dale Desruisseaux, the Ransom the Moon gelding stamped himself as a serious three-year-old when he won the Plate Trial but failed to reproduce that effort when finishing ninth in the King’s Plate.
Highwaytothemoon gets a new rider Monday in Jose Campos and is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line.
Fire and Wine, Brachetto Return From Plate
Fire and Wine ran arguably his best race of the season in the King’s Plate, racing prominently before holding on for third for owner Paul Ryder and veteran trainer Zeljko Krcmar. The colt won last year’s Coronation Futurity and is 5-1 on the morning line.
Marine Stakes (G3) winner Brachetto also returns from the Plate, where he finished eighth for owners Ross and Brenda McKague and trainer Julia Carey. The son of Vekoma is 8-1 and brings a pedigree that suggests the switch from Woodbine’s Tapeta surface to dirt could suit him.
Three New Faces Join the Triple Crown
Perhaps the most intriguing newcomer is Keepmypowderdry, owned by Woodbine director Michael Lay and trained by Don MacRae.
The imposing son of Omaha Beach made an eye-catching career debut Aug. 15 at Woodbine, winning a 1 1/8-mile maiden race by 1 1/4 lengths and earning an 80 Beyer Speed Figure.
Keepmypowderdry had been training impressively before his debut and now makes an enormous jump in class in just the second start of his career. He is 8-1.
Trainer Kevin Attard and owners Al and Bill Ulwelling have teamed up to win two of the last five Prince of Wales Stakes, with Haddassah in 2022 and Velocitor in 2023. This year they return with Buium, pronounced “boo-yum,” a half-brother to Haddassah.
Named for NHL hockey player Zeev Buium, the Uncle Mo gelding remains a maiden but has finished second or third five times in nine career starts. He is 12-1.
The final newcomer is Auntie’s Bambino, whose owner and co-breeder Vern Vandenberg also paid the $12,500 supplementary fee to enter. The Abarta gelding has placed four times in eight starts this season for Fort Erie-based trainer Lou Capi and is the 20-1 outsider.
A Big Day at Fort Erie
The Prince of Wales headlines a stakes-packed Labour Day card at Fort Erie. Among the supporting races is the popular Puss n Boots Cup, named after the horse who famously veered from a turf race at Fort Erie in 1961 and ended up in the infield pond.
The incident has inspired one of Canadian racing’s more unusual traditions. The winning connections of the Puss n Boots celebrate by jumping into the same pond.
For the eight Canadian-bred three-year-olds lining up in the Prince of Wales, however, the celebration they are hoping for will take place in Fort Erie’s winner’s circle.
$400,000 PRINCE OF WALES STAKES
($500,000 including a $100,000 bonus for eligible Ontario-breds)
Monday, September 7, 2026
1 3/16 miles, dirt
Race 9, post time 4:36 p.m.
Post / Horse / Jockey / Trainer / Odds
1. BUIUM – Emma-Jayne Wilson, Kevin Attard 12-1
2. MILITARY TIME – Fraser Aebly, Mark Casse 2-1
3. BRACHETTO – Ryan Munger, Julia Carey 8-1
4. KEEPMYPOWDERDRY – Pietro Moran, Don MacRae 8-1
5. AUNTIE’S BAMBINO – Xarel Forde, Lou Capi 20-1
6. FIRE AND WINE – Jalon Samuel, Zeljko Krcmar 5-1
7. IMYOURMEDICINEMAN – Luis Contreras, Harold Ladouceur 6-1
8. HIGHWAYTOTHEMOON – Jose Campos, Dale Desruisseaux 3-1
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