Ivan Dalos' Amis Gizmo avenged a half-length loss in the Queen's Plate, first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, with a powerful victory in the Prince of Wales Stakes July 26 at Fort Erie Race Track. Video: Prince of Wales S.
The Prince of Wales, at 1 3/16 miles on dirt, is the second leg of the triple for 3-year-olds foaled in Canada. The 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate, won by Sir Dudley Digges on the Tapeta surface at Woodbine July 3, was the first leg; the final race in the series is the Breeders' Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on the turf at Woodbine Aug. 21.
Bred in Ontario by Dalos' Tall Oaks Farm, Amis Gizmo, trained by Josie Carroll and ridden by Luis Contreras, had the lead until deep stretch in the Queen's Plate but was passed late by Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Sir Dudley Digges. Even though the Gio Ponti colt won the Queen's Plate, he was the third choice in the Prince of Wales and checked in sixth in an even effort.
The early pace in the Prince of Wales, contested on a fast track, was set by Queen's Plate third-place finisher All On Red, who laid down quick fractions of :22.79 for the opening quarter-mile and :46.48 for a half-mile while tracked by Narrow Escape and Amis Gizmo. The latter exploded to the front approaching the far turn through six furlongs in 1:10.96, opened a commanding advantage, and wasn't threatened thereafter.
Amis Gizmo, who entered the Fort Erie race with five wins—all of them stakes—in seven starts in restricted company at Woodbine, won the Prince of Wales by 5 1/2 lengths over Leavem in Malibu, who rallied from eighth and last. Niigon's Edge finished 3 3/4 lengths behind in third, while All On Red faltered to fourth.
Amis Gizmo paid $4.70 as the favorite. The 3-year-old colt by Giant Gizmo out of the Victory Gallop mare Galloping Ami covered the distance in 1:56.76 after passing the one-mile mark in 1:36.22.
"I knew he'd run well on this surface," Contreras said of Amis Gizmo, who never had raced on dirt but turned in a solid five-furlong work in 1:00 at Fort Erie July 19. "(On the backstretch) I was waiting and waiting, looked back, and had so much horse. I felt so much power in my hands."
When asked if the colt can handle turf in the Breeders' Stakes, Contreras said: "I don't know, but if he can, I feel like it will be no problem (to win)."
Amis Gizmo was entered in the Canadian-bred select yearling sale in 2014. He went through the ring and brought a bid of $124,200 but wasn't sold. He has now earned $714,403 on a record of six wins and a second in eight starts.