Prince of Wales

Amis Gizmo wins the 2016 Prince of Wales Stakes. Photo by Michael Burns Photography 

2024 Prince of Wales Stakes

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Niagara’s most prestigious sporting event, the Prince of Wales Stakes, will hit the border oval at Fort Erie Race Track on Sept. 10 for its 89th running. The second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, will see the fastest three-year-old thoroughbreds in the country compete for a $400,000 prize on Fort Erie’s historic dirt oval.

Doors open at 11 a.m on Tuesday, first race post time is 1 p.m. The Prince of Wales Stakes runs towards the end of the day's race around, usually around 5 p.m. 

Racing highlights will include two $100,000 Ontario Sire Heritage Series Stakes- The Rondeau Bay Stakes and The Lake Erie Stakes- as well as two Fort Erie Stakes -The Molson Cup and Le Cinquieme Essai Cup.

In addition to racing, fans can enjoy live music and food trucks. Admission and parking are free, all ages welcome. 

Prince of Wales Stakes Draw

The Draw for the 89th Prince of Wales Stakes will be held on Thursday, September 5 at noon.

Click here to watch live.

Wager Online  

Wagering is available in Ontario through HPIBet.com.  Membership is free and secure.

Home of the Prince of Wales Stakes

Fort Erie Race Track is home to the Second Jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown. Every Summer crowds converge on the Border Oval to take in the excitement of live thoroughbred racing, but the crowds really swell when the majesty of Canada's premier horses take to the stage and compete for one of racing's most sought after prizes.

Since 1959, The Prince of Wales Stakes has been Fort Erie's premier race. The second jewel in Canada's Triple Crown of Racing. The Prince of Wales is a glowing centrepiece to the Queen's Plate and The Breeders' Stakes, both of which are contested at Woodbine. The Prince of Wales Stakes features Canada's top three year olds at a distance of one mile and three-sixteenths on the main track.

Many past Canadian champions have performed at Fort Erie in the classic event. Mr. E.P. Taylor's New Providence won the first running at Fort Erie in 1959. That year, The Canadian Triple Crown was introduced and New Providence won the inaugural series. Four years later, Canebora was hailed a Triple Crown champion. Canebora was also a product of Mr. Taylor's Windfields Farm.

Twenty-six years passed before another Triple Crown champion emerged. Kinghaven Farms' brilliant grey, With Approval, survived two photo-finishes to win The Plate, then The Prince of Wales, before he cake-walked to victory in The Breeders' Stakes.

Triple Crown winners came in quick succession after With Approval ended the drought. In 1990, another grey from Kinghaven Farms, Izvestia was named the top three-year-old in the country winning the three-race series. The most popular winner of the Prince of Wales waltzed to victory in 1991, super filly Dance Smartly, 'kicked sand at the boys' as she became the first and only lady to win the Canadian Triple Crown. In 1993, the immensely talented Peteski peaked in all three races. There was not another Triple Crown winner until Wando completed the trick in 2003.

In 1959, the Prince of Wales Stakes became the marquis event on the Fort Erie racing calendar. That was also the year the race became the second jewel in Canada's Triple Crown of Racing.

The first edition of the Prince of Wales Stakes was held at Thorncliffe Park in Toronto on June 3, 1929. During the 1930's, the race was restricted to 3 year olds foaled in Canada, utilizing the same format as both the Queen's Plate and the Breeders' Stakes, the other two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Over the years the purse structure has soared to over $500,000 from its initial running in 1929, which was worth $7,500. Until 1953, the race was known as the Prince of Wales Plate, but the size of the purse was dramatically less. After the first two runnings, the purse for the Prince of Wales was dropped to just $2,500 added as the country was in the midst of a depression.

1959 New Providence
1960 Bulpamiru
1961 Song of Evan
1962 King Gorm
1963 Canebora
1964 Canadillis
1965 Good Old Mort
1966 He's A Smoothie
1967 Battling
1968 Rouletabille
1969 Sharp-Eyed Quillo
1970 Almoner
1971 New Pro Escar
1972 Presidial
1973 Tara Road
1974 Rushton's Corsair
1975 L'Enjoleur
1976 Norcliffe
1977 Dance in Time
1978 Overskate
1979 Mass Rally
1980 Allan Blue
1981 Cadet Corps
1982 Runaway Groom
1983 Archdeacon
1984 Val Dansant
1985 Imperial Choice
1986 Golden Choice
1987 Coryphee
1988 Regal Classic
1989 With Approval
1990 Izvestia
1991 Dance Smartly
1992 Ben Burb
1993 Peteski
1994 Bruce's Mill
1995 Kiridashi
1996 Stephanotis
1997 Cryptocloser
1998 Archers Bay
1999 Gandria
2000 Scatter the Gold
2001 Win City
2002 Le Cinquieme Essai
2003 Wando
2004 Bit O'Gold
2005 Ablo
2006 Shillelagh Slew
2007 Alezzandro
2008 Harlem Rocker
2009 Gallant
2010 Golden Moka
2011 Pender Harbour
2012 Dixie Strike
2013 Uncaptured
2014 Coltimus Prime
2015 Breaking Lucky
2016 Amis Gizmo
2017 Cool Catomine
2018 Wonder Gadot
2019 Tone Broke
2020 Mighty Heart
2021 Haddassah