FORT ERIE -- Roger Attfield still doesn't believe Ablo is suited for any distance over a mile-and-one-sixteenth.
But the plucky 3-year-old colt proved him wrong yesterday as he captured the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes.
Ablo went gate-to-wire on a sloppy track, denying Queen's Plate winner Wild Desert a triple crown opportunity and provided Attfield with his fifth win in Fort Erie's premier race.
Sent at odds of 8-1, Ablo was sent right to the lead by jockey Gerry Olguin and took the field through a soft opening quarter of 24 2/5 seconds and a half-mile in 48 seconds.
Long-shot Autumn Snow joined Ablo at the half-mile pole and battled Ablo through the length of the stretch, but failing by a head in a time of 1:56 4/5 for the mile-and-three-sixteenths race.
"The fractions were really slow up front," Olguin said. "My horse seemed to be very comfortable out there."
While Attfield questions Ablo's distance abilities, he doesn't question the colt's heart.
"He's just in very, very good shape, a very happy horse," Attfield said. "And he's got a lot of try and desire."
The sloppy track after a heavy morning rain didn't hurt, either.
"He has never been on a sloppy racetrack but his mother loved it," he said. "And I really thought that would help him get the distance."
For the son of Lite The Fuse, it was the third win in 10 career starts and first in six this year.
For Woodbine veteran Olguin, who also won yesterday's $100,000 Ernie Samuel Memorial stakes aboard Spanish Decree, it was the biggest win of his career.
"Our business is a bit like the stock market, it keeps going up and down," Olguin said. "This is the highest my stock has ever been."
Wild Desert sat about five lengths off the pace until midway through the final turn. His late charge in the stretch left him third, a length back at the finish and just ahead of Out From Africa.
"If it were a mile-and-a-quarter, we would have won this race," Wild Desert's jockey Patrick Valenzuela said. "In a race that slow, I couldn't get him out of the ordinary. I had to let him run his race. I was happy with the way he kicked on in the stretch but the wire came before we could hit the front."
Long-shots Stephen's Gift and Granique rounded out the field.
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WINNER'S CIRCLE
- Top three finishers and payoffs from the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie:
4 (4) Ablo (G.Olguin) 18.90 6.90
2 (2) Aut. Snow (F.Villeneuve) 6.70
3 (3) Wild Desert (P.Valenzuela)
Off 5:11. Time 1:56.90. Sloppy. Also Ran--Out From Africa, Stephen's Gift, Granique.
PICK 3 (9-3-4) PAID $948.75
EXACTOR (4-2) PAID $171.30
TRIACTOR (4-2-3) PAID $235.60
Note: No show wagering
