Prince of Wales Stakes gallops back into Fort Erie

89th running of the second jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown at Fort Erie Race Track on Sept. 10

Niagara’s most prestigious sporting event, the Prince of Wales Stakes, will hit the border oval at Fort Erie Race Track on Sept. 10 for its 89th running. The second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, will see the fastest three-year-old thoroughbreds in the country compete for a $400,000 prize on Fort Erie’s historic dirt oval.

With $1.05 million in total wagering on the Stakes – nearly double the previous record of $650,000 – the 2023 race was one for the history books, with the full race day reaching a new high of $3.48 million. There were 11 horses in the gate, making it the largest Prince of Wales field in 20 years.

“We’re looking forward to following up on the success of last year’s incredible Prince of Wales Stakes, where wagering topped $1 million for the first time ever, by once again delivering a high quality product that will make horse racing fans across the globe want to tune in and watch,” said Jim Thibert, CEO of the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium.

This year, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown will kick off at Woodbine with the King’s Plate on Aug. 17, followed by the Prince of Wales Stakes about three weeks later on Sept. 10. Before the big stakes in the fall, Fort Erie will kick things off with live racing starting May 28, running regular races most Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the summer. Popular weekend events like Father’s Day at the track (June 16) and the Wiener Dog Races (July 21) will return on select Sundays, joined this year by the new Corgi Races on Sunday, Aug. 18. For more information about the 2024 season at Fort Erie Race