Thorold OHLers lauded

Upwards of $600,000 will be wagered on the 82nd running of the Prince of Wales Stakes next week in Fort Erie if interest in the Triple Crown race last year is any indication.

In 2016, $635,074 was bet on Fort Erie Race Track’s biggest race of the year.

At the Fort Erie track, the Prince of Wales isn’t only its most-prestigious event, but the day of the race is the most popular of the year in terms of interest from bettors.

“Prince of Wales Day is our signature event at Fort Erie Race Track,” Tom Valiquette, the chief operating and financial officer of the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium, said.

“If you’re new to the sport or a seasoned horseracing enthusiast, we encourage you to join us on July 25 for a truly exciting day of racing.”

He pointed out $2,188,171.82 was wagered over the nine races that made up the Prince of Wales program last year.

It’s hard to say at this point whether wagering for the race itself and the overall program will exceed last year’s totals. Valiquette said a lot of factors could affect wagering, including the number of horses in the field.

“Typically, larger field sizes generate more wagering, and we won’t know the field size until the Prince of Wales Draw,” he said.

Draw for Tuesday night’s Triple Crown race will be conducted at a ceremony taking place at noon Friday.

HolyHelena,winneroftheQueen’s Plate and the Woodbine Oaks and Tiz a Slam, the second-place finisher at the Queen’s Plate; are among the early nominees, as is State of Honor, which competed in the Queen’s Plate as well as the Kentucky Derby.

Unlike the Triple Crown south of the border, where the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes are all run in dirt, the Canadian equivalent challenges three-yearolds to compete on different surfaces. The Queen’s Plate is contested at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto on Tapeta, an artificial surface; the Prince of Wales is run on dirt, and the Breeders’ Stakes, also at Woodbine, on turf.

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Two best friends are skating their way to stardom.

Erie Otters forward Christian Girhiny recently won an Ontario Hockey League championship and played in the Memorial Cup final.

His best bud, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds defenceman Conor Timmins, was selected in the second round, 32nd overall; by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Timmins also was one of only 45 playerrs invited to attend Canada’s world junior hockey camp later this month.

The two 18-year-olds shared the spotlight Tuesday night when Thorold Mayor Ted Luciani and Coun. Terry Ugulini presented them with certificates at a meeting of Thorold city council meeting.

“I’m really proud of these guys,” Ugulini said. “I had the pleasure of coaching Conor with his dad, Dan. They’re best friends and they grew up playing hockey all the way with the (triple A) Southern Tier Admirals.”

“We both take a great deal of pride being from Thorold,” Conor Timmins said.

“We always pushed each other to be the best we can be, and for Thorold recognizing us, it’s a pretty big deal,” Girhiny said.

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