Filly goes the distance over two miles and 70 yards
Auntie Katherine also won Puss n Boots Cup and Molson Cup races
Auntie Katherine, the winner in the Tour de Fort at Fort Erie Race Track on Tuesday, was also a tour de force throughout the season at the thoroughbred track.
Owned by Big Boy Racing and trained by Jennifer Davis, she also finished the Puss n Boots Cup and Molson Cup in the winner’s circle. Auntie Katherine was Fort Erie’s leading horse in 2020, with four victories in five starts.
In the Tour de Fort, a race on the main dirt track over two miles and 70 yards featuring a $24,108 purse, Auntie Katherine took an early lead and remained the front-runner for both laps under jockey Emile Ramsammy’s guidance. A field of seven competed following a late scratch.
Juan Crawford led all jockeys this season with 48 wins, including victories aboard Auntie Katherine in the Puss n Boots and Molson cups. “I try to make use of every shot that I get, whether it’s a long shot or a favourite,” he said. “I just want to give every horse a fair chance and do my best for the people that I’m riding for.”
Melanie Pinto was second this year with 37 wins, followed by Kirk Johnson.
Julie Mathes, with 29 victories, was the leading trainer, while her husband, David Mathes, earned the title of leading owner at the track this year.
Fort Erie’s 39-day program was highlighted by the running of the 85th Prince of Wales Stakes.
Queen’s Plater winner Mighty Heart set the pace in the second leg of Canadian thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, putting him in a position to become the first horse to sweep all three races since Wando in 2003.
The Triple Crown wraps up with the Breeders’ Stakes on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Woodbine in Toronto.
Fort Erie has applied for 40 race days next year, operating primarily on Mondays and Tuesdays, beginning June 1 through to Oct. 19. Fort Erie’s Racebook will continue to remain closed due to COVID-19.