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Haddassah wins Prince of Wales Stakes

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FORT ERIE — Kevin Attard didn’t quite have the Queen’s Plate he wanted.

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The veteran trainer had never won the race, but had three good chances on Aug. 22 at Woodbine. However, his best finish was third with H C Holiday. He also watched Harlan Estate finish seventh and Haddassah end up eighth.

On Tuesday, a change of location and surface changed his fortunes as Haddassah and Harlan Estate battled through the stretch, with the former taking the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie Racetrack.

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Ridden by veteran Gary Boulanger, who won his first Prince of Wales, Haddassah landed in a perfect position early in the 1 3/16-mile race, sitting second behind long shot Ready At Dawn. Harlan Estate sat a few lengths further back in fourth. Haddassah took the lead from the outclassed pacesetter just before the top of the stretch and Harlan Estate also made his move outside of him. In the stretch, Harlan Estate got to within a head but Haddassah had enough to win by a half-length at odds of 6-1.

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“It was a perfect trip,” Boulanger said. “This horse showed us that he’s really starting to mature. He settled a lot better than he did in the Plate. In the Plate, I had to strangle him back a bit.”

“He swapped his lead late but it didn’t cost him any momentum. He was determined so (Harlan Estate) wasn’t getting by me.”

In four previous starts, the three-year-old son of Air Force Blue had run twice on the turf, including a win in his debut last fall, and twice on Woodbine’s Tapeta, including the Plate run and an earlier third-place finish in the Marine Stakes. The switch to dirt certainly helped him.

“When I worked him here last Tuesday, he went 48 2/5 but he did it so effortlessly,” Boulanger said. “I told Kevin he worked well on the dirt and Kevin said he’d been working well on the dirt at home too.”

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Attard, who previously won the Prince of Wales with Alezzandro in 2007, actually thought Harlan Estate had the better preparation on the dirt.

“I thought (Harlan Estate) worked extremely well,” Attard said. “At Woodbine, he had been average. But when he came here (for a work last week), I thought ‘wow’… I was taken back and I thought he would really run well.”

But it was his stablemate proving best on Tuesday.

“I always thought highly of Haddassah. We were really optimistic going into his three-year-old campaign and thought he had a really good chance in the Queen’s Plate,” Attard said. “At the top of the stretch, he made a move towards (winner) Safe Conduct but he didn’t have enough I guess.”

“He trained well since. He matured since that Queen’s Plate. He was relaxed in his training in the mornings. And he put it all together today.”

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Attard is considering the Breeders’ Stakes on Oct. 3 as Haddassah’s next start, but nothing is determined.

Trainer Kevin Attard holds a trophy after one of his horses, Haddassah, won the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on Sept. 14, 2021.
Trainer Kevin Attard holds a trophy after one of his horses, Haddassah, won the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on Sept. 14, 2021. Photo by Michael Burns /Woodbine Entertainment

ATTARD SWEEP

H C Holiday also ran well, ending fourth, but Attard could also cheer the horse that ended third, which was Keep Grinding. That runner is trained by his father Tino and owned by his son Joshua.

EMOTIONAL WIN

Haddassah is owned by his breeders, the father-and-son team of Al and Bill Unwelling. The Minnesota-based Unwellings, perennially strong at their home track of Canterbury Downs, have been a part of the Ontario racing scene for several years and have built a very impressive breeding operation in the province. They have been clients of Attard’s for a long time and he was emotional talking about that partnership.

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“It was really special. They’re big supporters of me,” Attard said. “I wish they were here. They’ve given me a good chance with some good horses.”

“I think they’re going to be winning more of these big races in the future.”

TOP GUY SCORES

Four other stakes shared the spotlight at the border oval. Christopher Husbands found out on Monday he would be riding Red Equinox in the $80,000 Rondeau Bay Stakes. Then using his vast local knowledge, he won the race as the 5-2 second choice.

Fort Erie’s leading rider had his three-year-old filly at the rail in fourth early in the six-furlong race. He did get into tight quarters around the turn but swung to the outside turning for home and took command, holding off Sunsprite, the race favorite who had broken very poorly from the gate.

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It was Husbands’ 41st winner at the meet, widening his margin in the local jockey standings to 22 over his closest pursuer, Juan Crawford.

“I’m having fun enjoying the track and enjoying the people,” Husbands said.

It was the third win in six starts and first stakes score for the Jamie Attard-trained Red Equinox.

CHASING SPEED

A torrid battle at the front set the table for Red River Rebel to win the $80,000 Lake Erie Stakes. Ridden by Rafael Hernandez, the three-year-old gelding bided his time while three runners set the pace including race favourite Forest Survivor. He passed the weary battlers early in the stretch and drew away to a four-length win.

Trained by Kevin Attard, Red River Rebel is now two-for-six lifetime. He took the Frost King Stakes at Woodbine last year.

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REPEAT WINNER

Seau, with Sunny Singh aboard, took the $30,000 Le Cinquieme Essai Cup for his second consecutive win. Singh tracked the speed of favorite Be Vewy Vewy Quiet before outlasting that one in a good stretch duel to win at odds of 7-2. Trained by John Simms, the seven-year-old gelding now has 10 career wins.

SECOND SCORE

Simms, one of the leading trainers at the Fort Erie meet, scored his second stakes win later in the card when Feature Creature took the $30,000 Molson Cup.

Ridden by Kazushi Kimura, the five-year-old mare sat behind horses early under hard restraint. In the stretch, he found an opening to get to the outside and when the brakes were released, he rolled to a two-length win. It was the fifth career win for Feature Creature.

VAXX NEEDED

As part of the Ontario government’s Proof of Vaccination policy announced Tuesday, Ontario racetracks will require all patrons to show proof of vaccination to enter indoor areas as of Sept. 22. However as part of the exceptions, those who just want to enter the track for a short period to place a bet or cash winnings will not have to show their proof.

PAYOFFS

4 — Haddassah $15.50 $7.40 $4.60

7 — Harlan Estate $5.20 $3.50

8 — Keep Grinding $3.80

Exactor 4-7 $65.00

Triactor 4-7-8 $296.80

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