July 12, 2009
Gallant by a Nose

FORT ERIE, July 12...Gallant, sent off at 15-1 in a field of six, was a nose winner in a thrilling renewal of the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes here at Fort Erie on Sunday.

Gallant had passed on the Queen’s Plate, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown series at Woodbine on June 21 in which his five Prince of Wales rivals had competed.

The Prince of Wales, at 1 3/16 miles, is the second leg of the Triple Crown and Gallant was full value for his driving win over the filly Milwaukee Brew, who had finished third in the Queen’s Plate.

Eye of the Leopard, the Queen’s Plate winner, finished a half-length back in third with Keino West closing for fourth money.

Mr. Foricos Two U, the Queen’s Plate runner-up, and Flip for the Coin completed the order of finish.

Corey Fraser, riding Gallant for the first time, recorded the biggest win of his career. “It’s like a dream,” said Fraser. “I hit the wire and it was just like a dream. It was too wild.”

Assistant trainer Ricky Griffith was here to saddle Gallant as trainer Mark Casse had a number of runners at Woodbine. Casse watched the race from Toronto. “At first I thought we won. Then we weren’t so sure. Then we saw Cory go crazy and we figured it out,” he said.

***Drunken Love, ridden by Gerry Olguin, won the five-furlong Daryl Wells Sr. Memorial, one of two $50,000 turf stakes on the Prince of Wales undercard.

Bent Attorney, with Stewart Elliot in the irons, won the Ernie Samuel Memorial over five furlongs on the turf course.

Daryl Wells
Media and Communications
1-800-295-3770 ext. 3204
e-mail: dwells@forterieracetrack.ca