Mighty Heart keeps Canadian Triple Crown bid alive with win in Prince of Wales

Mighty Heart, the popular one-eyed Queen’s Plate winner, took a giant step toward a Canadian Triple Crown bid with a handy score in Tuesday’s $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie.

Mighty Heart ($3.70) won the 1 1/4-mile Queen’s Plate on Tapeta in front-running style, but jockey Daisuke Fukumoto rated him into an inside stalking position in the Prince of Wales, a dirt route.

Truebelieve was pressed by Dotted Line through quick fractions of 23.48 seconds, 47.39, and 1:11.42 in the 1 3/16-mile event. Clayton, the 3-1 second choice, went four wide on the first turn before making a four-wide bid to the lead on the far turn.

Fukumoto angled Mighty Heart outside around the five-sixteenths pole, and they took dead aim at Clayton entering the stretch. Mighty Heart went by Clayton while on his left lead at the eighth pole and then drew off late on his right lead to prevail by 2 1/2 lengths, in a time of 1:55.59.

Dotted Line finished another 5 1/4 lengths back in third in the nine-horse field of Canadian-breds. He was followed by Bold Victory, Muskoka Giant, Enchant Me, Truebelieve, Red Mercury, and Tecumseh’s War.

“I took a hold today,” Fukumoto said. “I knew he’d finish strong. I’m so happy to win this race. It’s one of my favorite races.”

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A homebred owned by Larry Cordes, Mighty Heart earned $240,000. He is the leading contender for this year’s Sovereign Award as Canadian champion male 3-year-old.

All being well, trainer Josie Carroll said Mighty Heart will contest the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on the grass, which is the final leg of the Triple Crown on Oct. 24 at Woodbine. The son of Dramedy blew the first turn and never fired the only time he tried the turf on March 21 at Fair Grounds.

“This is just a wonderful little horse,” said Carroll, who won her second Prince of Wales. “He gets better every time. I think he’ll take to the grass. Certainly, he’s bred to. Fingers crossed. As always, I wait and see how the horse comes out [of the race]. That’s the key.”

The last Canadian Triple Crown winner was Wando in 2003.