It was a barrier-breaking moment when Vitality bested a field of 10 to capture the 89th Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie Race Track Sept. 10. The win sent trainer Harold Ladouceur into the history books.
"This is huge," said Ladouceur. "I believe I'm the first Indigenous trainer to win the Prince of Wales."
As a member of the Moosomin and Kikino Metis settlements, Ladouceur said winning a big race like the Prince of Wales is a major step forward for the Indigenous community.
"I'm so proud to be Indigenous. I'm just a kid from tiny little Lac la Biche, but I feel like I've joined a very elite group, and to do that as an Indigenous man, it feels amazing."
Winning jockey Jose Campos said Ladouceur was the key ingredient in the winning recipe that helped him eke out victory against a tough field that included three other horses favored to win.
"This is a nice horse," said Campos after the race. "So going in, I just listened to everything the trainer told me, and tried to keep that in mind."
On the wagering side of the equation, it was the second biggest Prince of Wales Stakes in history, with more than $700,000 wagered on the Stakes race, while total wagering on the 11-race card reached $3.03 million.
The three-year-old Vitality by Street Boss out of Belissimo was bred by Adena Springs for owners Stronach Stables, returned $20.10 for the win.
Heavy favorite Midnight Mascot was off pace and did save some ground on the far turn, but was never a real threat, meanwhile, Pierre, another favourite, was in the mix early on but couldn't rally down the stretch and dropped back.
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.VITALITY wins the 2nd leg of the Canadian Triple Crown 🇨🇦
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 10, 2024
The 3-year-old son of Street Boss takes the 89th running of the Prince of Wales Stakes @Forterieracing with jockey Jose Luis Campos in the irons for trainer Harold Ladouceur and owner Stronach Stables.
🎙️ @LDMcPherson… pic.twitter.com/aYSsuIcQN7
