Skywire moving on to Prince of Wales after rough trip in Queen's Plate

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Skywire, who went off as the favorite in the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 29, will run back in the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes on dirt July 23 at Fort Erie, trainer Mark Casse said.

Skywire won the Wando Stakes on April 28 and came into the Queen’s Plate off of a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes on May 25. He was bet down to 2-1 in the Queen’s Plate, but lost all hope just a few strides out of the gate when he was sandwiched between Tone Broke and Suitedconnected. He also encountered traffic trouble on the far turn and finished 11th in the 14-horse field.

Casse had already experienced a troubled trip in a Triple Crown race earlier this year when War of Will was checked in the Kentucky Derby after Maximum Security veered out on the far turn.

“My wife said [Skywire] was ‘War of Willed,’ ” Casse said. “Obviously, it was an entirely different situation. [Jockey] Eurico [Da Silva] said he got the air knocked out of him for about the first half-mile. He said [Skywire] couldn’t breathe. You could see him trying to get him to go, and he said he just wouldn’t go. He said he was struggling and he could hear him breathing. He said he finally caught his air and then he got stopped again.”

Skywire already has experience over a dirt track, although the Gulfstream Park track was rated sloppy when Skywire raced over it Feb. 13. Despite the track condition, Skywire went on to defeat allowance company by six lengths, earning a 77 Beyer Speed Figure. Casse said he thought the performance was impressive.

Nominations for the Prince of Wales Stakes close July 9, and the post-position draw is set for July 19.