(Photo at top is AMIS GIZMO captured by Cindy Pierson Dulay at horse-races.net winning the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie is boss fashion)
BREAKING NEWS – Prince of Wales winning jockey LUIS CONTRERAS has been handed down a 20-day suspension (calendar days) by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission stewards for an incident at Woodbine on Sunday.
“We gave him 20 days for running up into horses in a dangerous situation and causing an accident, “said steward Gunnar Lindberg.
Contreras was riding the mare D C Love Bug in a race on Sunday and down the backstretch near the half mile pole, had steadied his mare when squeezed out by rival rider Gerry Olguin on his horse Kentuckiana.
On the turn, Contreras tried to send his horse through rivals but she clipped heels and fell, causing Buckden House to fall and Omar Moreno to tumble to the ground.
“He was driving his horse into there, it was out of character for him, one of the top riders but it was reckless,” said Lindberg.
Contreras was still sore for the fall when he rode Amis Gizmo to win the Prince of Wales.
It is expected that he will submit an appeal to the Appeal Panel for the 20-day suspension. The suspension is set to begin August 10.
Meanwhile, Olguin received 3 days for the Kentuckiana incident before the accident, having allowed his horse to drift in after looking behind him.
On Wednesday evening, Contreras aboard Regal Mark drifted in and bumped around Salsa Bay, with Olguin up, in a battle to the finish. Regal Mark won but was disqualified and placed second and that incident will be reviewed by the stewards tomorrow morning at Woodbine.
Lindberg also mentioned that another, much-talked about rough riding event, which occurred last weekend in the Grade 2 Nijisnnky Stakes, when Patrick Husbands was trying to get Kaigun to switch leads and kept Contreras hemmed in aboard the mare Button Down, did not result in any punishments.
Husbands can be seen pushing his left elbow up and into Contreras’ face in the stretch run.
“We could not discern if there was any contact but we made the riders aware; owners pay a lot of money for these horses and we ask that they settle their issues away from the racetrack.”
AMIS GIZMO gets it done – 88 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form
Robert King shared this image of Fort Erie on Prince of Wales day – record wagering and a great crowd
It was an absolutely packed 100+ year-old grandstand at Fort Erie that cheered on the field for the 81st Prince of Wales Stakes on Tuesday night and the roar was deafening as AMIS GIZMO, the predictable favourite, stormed clear to win the 2nd leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.
There will be no Triple Crown chance again as Sir Dudley Digges, the Plate winner, seemed to have trouble handling the dirt at Fort Erie while Gizmo was exacting his revenge after just failing to hold his lead late in the Plate.
Here is more from Fort Erie on Tuesday:
“We’re ecstatic about the day” said Tom Valiquette, chief operating officer of the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium. “With a record crowd, and a new record of over $2,000,000 in wagering, it was our best Prince of Wales Day to date.”
Wagering of $635,074 in the 81st running of the Prince of Wales Stakes beat the 2014 record of $463,571. Total day wagering of $2,188,171.82 also beat the all-time record of $1,768,500.18 set in the same year.
Amis Gizmo, runner-up to Sir Dudley Digges in the Queen’s Plate, flourished on the dirt at Fort Erie with a dominating score in the 81st edition of the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, second jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown of Racing.
The victory marked the first Prince of Wales win for trainer Josie Carroll and owner-breeder Ivan Dalos, as Amis Gizmo exacted revenge on his Plate rivals with a tour de force under rider Luis Contreras, who narrowly escaped injury after being dismounted from D C Love Bug in Sunday’s ninth race at Woodbine.
Cleared to ride for Tuesday night’s classic at Fort Erie, Contreras made a winning return on the undercard by guiding Dancing On Fire to victory in the Rainbow Connection Stakes and completed the added-money double with mutuel favourite Amis Gizmo in the Prince of Wales.
All On Red and Narrow Escape battled through splits of :22.79 and :46.48 in the 1 3/16-mile Prince of Wales with Amis Gizmo tracking their early pace. Approaching the final turn, Contreras asked Amis Gizmo for more and the colt responded with a tremendous turn of foot to open up an insurmountable lead. Clear by five lengths at the top of the lane, Amis Gizmo surged past the wire a no-doubt winner by 5 1/2-lengths. Leavem in Malibu, last of eight in the early running, closed to earn second money by 3 3/4-lengths over Niigon’s Edge. Amis Gizmo stopped the clock in 1:56.76.
Contreras pointed to his colt’s ability to settle as a key factor in the impressive performance.
“My horse was so nice and relaxed,” said Contreras after the race. ”At the turn, I opened up a little to start to run and I had so much horse. I was handy the whole way. I was looking back to see where everybody was and they were a long way back. He finished very strong.”
The veteran rider, who won this event in 2011 with Pender Harbour, noted that the quick early fractions helped Amis Gizmo on the day.
“Today there was more speed. They went in :22 (.22.79) and :46 (46.48). If we had the same fractions in the Queen’s Plate, I think it would have been completely different. I’m happy with the way he ran last time, but I’m happier today,” said Contreras.
An ebullient Contreras was no worse for wear following his fall at Woodbine.
“I was a little sore in my lower back. I’m a little bruised, but it doesn’t bother me when I ride,” said Contreras. “No nerves. I love to be on a horse and once I jump on the horse everything feels better.”
The Plate winner, Sir Dudley Digges, failed to fire under regular pilot Julien Leparoux.
“I had a good trip. I dropped in on the first turn and saved ground and was right behind the winner on the backside, but I was kind of empty by the second turn. He didn’t take me anywhere today,” said Leparoux.
Leavem In Malibu, a closing fourth in the Queen’s Plate after a troubled beginning, showed a strong closing kick in the Prince of Wales while making just his fifth career start.
“He broke well today, got away clean. The dirt coming back at him got him a little further back,” said Boulanger. “He jumped up and down quite a bit, but he didn’t give up. He tried and kicked in. He didn’t run second to a bad horse and he’s probably got a lot more education than our horse does. He’s a nice colt.”
Amis Gizmo, a chestnut son of Giant Gizmo, was perfect in four starts as a juvenile winning the Simcoe, Bull Page, Frost King and Kingarvie Stakes. Following a flat fifth-place run in the Wando Stakes to start his sophomore campaign, Amis Gizmo bounced back with an impressive 2 ½-length score in the Plate Trial.
The Prince of Wales marked the sixth win from eight starts for Amis Gizmo who now boasts career earnings of $787,423.
He paid $4.70, $3.10 and $2.70, combining with Leavem in Malibu ($4.90, $4.50) for a $25.90 (4-1) exactor. A 4-1-7 triactor (Niigon’s Edge, $8.70 to show) was worth $252.20, while a $1 Superfecta [4-1-7-2 (All On Red)] came back $325.95.
PRINCE OF WALES WINNERS AND BEYER FIGURE (PLATE WINNER AND PLATE WINNING BEYER)
2016 AMIS GIZMO 88 SIR DUDLEY DIGGES 87
2015 BREAKING LUCKY 93 SHAMAN GHOST 88
2014 COLTIMUS PRIME 93 LEXIE LOU 90
