FORT ERIE -- Two down, one more to go for Patrick Husbands and Wando. The Queen's Plate champion easily handled a muddy Fort Erie Racetrack yesterday, cruising to a comfortable four-length victory in the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes. The three-year-old chestnut colt can become the seventh Canadian Triple Crown winner -- and first since Peteski in 199 * -- by winning the Breeders' Stakes, a 1 1/2 -mile turf race, Aug. 9 at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack.
And Wando will take a run at the Canadian Triple Crown. Moments after watching Wando romp to his third straight win, owner Gus Schickedanz, 74, said his horse will run in the Breeders' Stakes instead of the $1-million US Travers Stakes in Saratoga, N.Y., Aug. 23 against heralded American horses Funny Cide and Empire Maker.
"The Canadian Triple Crown is on the way," a beaming Schickedanz said from the winner's circle.
It's a decision trainer Mike Keogh keenly supports.
"It would be nice to win the Triple Crown, for sure," Keogh said
If Wando wins the Triple Crown, he will earn a $500,000 bonus.
Wando won yesterday's race with inserts, which are cleats designed to deal with a muddy track.
The win was Wando's second in as many starts under Husbands, who picked up the mount just prior to last month's Queen's Plate when Todd Kabel chose to ride Mobil instead. Mobil finished second in the Queen's Plate, nine lengths behind.
Husbands, 30, credited Wando for yesterday's victory, saying the horse ran with the attitude he was the one to beat.
"I would say that because I don't want you to think I'm that smart as a rider," Husbands said. "I can tell you right now, and I told this to Mike, that I was going to let this horse do whatever he wanted to do.
"He was enjoying himself."
A win in the Breeders' Stakes would earn Husbands his first Triple Crown, too, and be the crowning achievement to an illustrious career that includes being named Canada's top jockey the last four years. But an emotional Husbands said while winning the Triple Crown remains his top priority, time is of the essence because he desperately needs a break from racing.
"If I want to continue riding, I probably have to give my body a break for a year or two," Husbands said, fighting back tears. "Is this my last year? I don't know. But my body needs a break and that has me so edgy and so aggressive right now. It's tough because I'm very hard on my body."
Wando and Husbands wasted little time taking control of the race, surging into the lead after just a quarter of a mile. Wando, the 1-4 favourite, went clear down the backstretch before kicking into overdrive in the stretch to win in one minute 55.84 seconds and earn Schickedanz, a Toronto construction magnate, the $300,000 winner's share.
Arco's Gold closed ground from the rail and bid willingly with an inside stretch drive, but the 7-1 third choice was no match for Wando and had to settle for second. Shoal Water, the 6-1 second pick, was third, six lengths behind Wando.
The rest of the field, in order of finish, was Peef, Solihull, Sonofawac and Gavro.
The win was the seventh in 10 career starts for Wando, boosting his lifetime earnings over $1.4 million.
