Fort Erie Race Track gears up for Prince of Wales Stakes
With the Queen’s Plate in the rear-view mirror, horse racing fans are now gearing up for the second jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing: the Prince of Wales Stakes.
All eyes will be on Fort Erie Race Track July 23 for the 84th running of the stakes, which is the racetrack’s signature event.
“It’s three weeks away and we’re all focused on getting ready for it,” said Antonietta Culic, manager of marketing and public relations at Fort Erie Race Track.
Restricted to three-year-old horses that have been bred in Canada, the race is contested on dirt over one mile and 3/16ths. Culic said it will be televised, airing on TSN.
For people who prefer to catch all of the action live, there will be festive atmosphere at the racetrack, including live musical entertainment at the Tiki Bar between races, food trucks serving up tasty fare, and a free concert after racing ends for the day featuring Jonesy.
While Culic said some visitors tend to get dressed up, donning big hats and fashion with some flair, it’s not a requirement.
“A lot of people look forward to the casual, fun atmosphere that Fort Erie Race Track is known for,” she said.
The first race that day has a 3:55 p.m. post time.
One Bad Boy won the 160th Queen’s Plate, run Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack, picking up the $1-million purse for his owners. OLG is sponsoring a $500,000 bonus for winning the Triple Crown, meaning all three races: Queen’s Plate, Prince of Wales Stakes, and the Breeders’ Stakes in August.
While the Prince of Wales may be the biggest event of the season at Fort Erie Race Track, it’s hardly the only one.
Culic said it is always trying to find ways to attract a new audience to the track and to do that, it tests out new events like the upcoming inaugural Chicken Wing Festival. Set to take place July 14, the event will feature wings from three local vendors: OMC Foods, The Run Around and Red Line BBQ. Racing starts at 1:20 p.m. that day and wings will be available during the racing.
A popular new addition from last year, wiener dog races return on Aug. 11 with the short-legged canines taking to the racetrack after horse racing ends for the day, at about 5 p.m.
“We had a big crowd last year and there was a lot of interest around it,” said Culic.
They’re hoping to capitalize on the dog races by bringing in a different breed-specific race on Sept. 15: basset hounds.
“We looked at what some of the other racetracks who offer dog races were doing and they have basset hounds, bulldogs and corgi races,” said Culic, noting it was put to a vote on the track’s social media pages. The hounds won.
The annual Puss N Boots Cup returns on Sept. 1, when the winning jockey and trainer make the traditional jump into the infield pond.