Fourth behind Paramount Prince in both the Plate Trial and King’s Plate stakes on Woodbine‘s synthetic track, Al and Bill Ulwelling’s homebred Velocitor experienced a change in fortune with a change in surface in winning the second leg of Canada’s Triple Crown.
Racing in the slop at Fort Erie Race Track in the CA$400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes Sept. 12, Velocitor rated in third early under Justin Stein before advancing to catch pacesetter Paramount Prince and withstand a late charge from runner-up Kaukokaipuu . The Kevin Attard trainee completed 1 3/16 miles under Justin Stein in 1:55.24, returning $17.70 to win.
Paramount Prince held third after setting hot splits, a neck behind the runner-up. Stanley House , the 3-2 favorite off his third-place finish in the King’s Plate, raced in mid-pack early and weakened to finish seventh.
Velocitor raced for the first time on dirt in the Prince of Wales, as did the second- and third-place finishers.
The final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown is the Oct. 1 Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine at 1 1/2 miles on turf.
What His Rider Said
- “The plan was to be forwardly positioned. … I had a ton of horse and I just waited for a chance to pull the trigger when we had some running room (on the second turn),” said Stein, who also won the Prince of Wales last year with Duke of Love .
Velocitor is the top earner for second-crop sire Mor Spirit, a grade 1-winning son of Eskendereya who stood this year at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington for $5,000.
