Seven horses vying for the 90th Prince of Wales Stakes

The field is set, the oddsmakers have set the morning line, and post positions have been drawn for the 90th Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie Race Track on Sept. 9.

Prolific trainer Kevin Attard has entered Mansetti into the race in a bid to keep the horse’s run at the OLG Canadian Triple Crown going. Having already won the King’s Plate in August, Mansetti enters the race as the horse to beat at 2-1 odds. Piloting the star horse will be Pietro Moran, a rapidly rising star in the world of horse racing, who at just 20 years old, became one of the youngest jockeys to ever win the King’s Plate. On Tuesday, Moran was at Fort Erie Race Track to give Mansetti a feel for the dirt trick. The change of surface from synthetic track at Woodbine, to the more traditional dirt course in Fort Erie, can sometimes prove tricky for horses running for the Triple Crown, but Moran said he thinks it will be a smooth transition for Mansetti.

“It’s a different surface but I don’t think it will matter with him because he’s such a talented horse, he doesn’t seem concerned,” said Moran as he guided Mansetti around the historic border oval in the early morning hours on Tuesday. Owned by father and son duo Al and Bill Ulwelling, the pair are looking for their third Prince of Wales Stakes victory, after winning the races in 2021 and 2023.

As for having an opportunity to take a run at the Triple Crown at such a young age, Moran said he’s trying to take it all in, and rely on the horse to do its job.

“We’re just going to take it one step at a time,” said Moran. “You definitely need a special kind of horse if you want to have a shot at the Triple Crown, and I think we’ve got one here with Mansetti. We’ve already got one race out of the way, now we’re looking for the second, and he’s got a great chance, so we’ll see what happens next Tuesday.”

Two other Attard-trained horses will be running in the Stakes, including Dewolf (7-2) and Faber (5-1). Rounding out the field of seven is Scorching (3-1) trained by John Charalambous; Runaway Again (10-1) trained by Sid Attard; Ashley’s Archer (10-1) trained by Mark Casse; and in the longshot position, Humber River (12-1) trained by Bob Tiller.

The 90th Prince of Wales Stakes, the second jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, will hit Fort Erie Race Track on Tuesday, Sept. 9 with a first post of 1:30 p.m. The race card that day also includes the $100,000 Ontario Sire Heritage Series races — the Rondeau Bay Stakes and Lake Erie Stakes — alongside Fort Erie’s twin $30,000 cup races, Molson Cup and Le Cinquieme Essai Cup.