Fort Erie: Prince of Wales favorite was 61-1 in Queen's Plate

FORT ERIE, Ontario – Hippolytus, runner-up in Woodbine’s Queen’s Plate at 61-1, has been made the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Sunday’s $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie.

A field of seven was announced here Wednesday at the ceremonial draw for the Prince of Wales, the 1 3/16-mile dirt race which is the second leg of Canada’s Triple Crown for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds

Hippolytus, trained by Mark Casse and to be ridden by Tyler Pizarro, drew post 3 and is one of five horses returning from the June 26 Queen’s Plate, which was run over 1 1/4 miles of Polytrack.

Missing from that list is Inglorious. She won the Woodbine Oaks three weeks prior to her Queen’s Plate victory and is scheduled to make her next start in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Alabama on Aug. 20.

Pender Harbour, the 3-1 second choice in Fort Erie oddsmaker Jennifer Morrison’s morning line, finished third in the Queen’s Plate for trainer Mike DePaulo.

Luis Contreras, the regular rider of Inglorious, had piloted Pender Harbour to a third-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Victoria Park in his start prior to the Queen’s Plate and will be back in the saddle from post 2.

“I don’t think it really matters but I’m a big guy on saving ground,” DePaulo said. “The two-hole doesn’t bother me a bit.”

Check Your Soul, who finished seventh in the Queen’s Plate as the favorite, is the 7-2 third choice and drew the outside post.

Patrick Husbands retains the mount on Check Your Soul, who earlier had won Woodbine’s Wando and Plate Trial for trainer Roger Attfield.

Bowman’s Causeway, fourth in the Queen’s Plate, returns to Ontario from his Saratoga base for trainer Chad Brown and will begin from post 6.

Eurico Rosa da Silva, who rode Bowman’s Causeway in the Queen’s Plate and to a second-place finish in the Plate Trial, retains the mount.

Oh Canada finished 13th in the Queen’s Plate after dueling for the early lead. He will be removing the blinkers he wore for the first time that day and will break from the rail.

Trainer Bob Tiller has recruited popular local rider Krista Carignan for the ride on Oh Canada, who is listed at 12-1.

Rounding out the field will be Oban and Welloiledmachine, both of whom are trained by Mike Keogh.

Oban, pegged at 12-1, will start from post 5 under Emile Ramsammy while Welloiledmachine, listed at 15-1, picked up the 4-hole and will have jockey Jim McAleney in the irons.

◗ Daniel Girardi, a native of nearby Welland, Ontario, who plays for the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers, was the guest drawmaster for the Prince of Wales.