Coltimus Prime leads gate to wire in Prince of Wales

Coltimus Prime rebounded from a lackluster performance in the Queen’s Plate to make all the running in Tuesday’s $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, at Fort Erie.

With Eurico Da Silva riding for trainer Justin Nixon, Coltimus Prime set moderate fractions of 24.03 seconds and 48.11 while being pressed by the Parx Racing invader Lynx. Coltimus Prime began to draw off near the eighth pole and got home on top by 3 1/2 lengths over Lynx, in 1:54.58. Coltimus Prime returned $12.80 for the win.

“Justin was very confident,” Da Silva said. “He told me to do whatever I wanted. I looked at the form, and it looked like my horse was the speed of the race. He broke sharp, went to the lead, and never looked behind. I made him run early, because I had so much horse, I could afford to do that.”

Queen’s Plate runner-up Ami’s Holiday, the 8-5 favorite, rallied belatedly for third after being crowded along the inside in the early stages of the race. The 62-1 maiden Smart Spree finished fourth in the 10-horse field of Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.

Coltimus Prime, a well-beaten ninth in the Queen’s Plate, earned $300,000 in his first stakes victory for Cabernet Racing Stable, which boosted his bankroll to $421,300.

Queen’s Plate winner Lexie Lou bypassed the Prince of Wales. The final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes, will be contested on the grass at Woodbine on Aug. 17.