Tiz a Slam was second best to favored filly Holy Helena in the Queen’s Plate earlier this month, but looks the horse to beat in the second jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown, the C$500,000 Prince of Wales Tuesday evening at Fort Erie.
The Prince of Wales, at 1 3/16 miles, is the only leg of the triple contested on dirt, a surface over which five of the seven Prince of Wales entrants have not tried. Tiz a Slam, who finished 3 1/2 lengths behind Holy Helena, belongs in that group. On the Tapeta at Woodbine, the Roger Attfield trainee captured his maiden debut, finished second in the Wando and fourth in the Plate Trial. The son of Tiznow scored his only prior stakes win in the Cup and Saucer on turf last fall.
Neither State of Honor nor Spirit of Caledon, the two that have raced on dirt before, won on the surface, though State of Honor did place in the Florida Derby (G1) behind Always Dreaming, the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) against Tapwrit, and the Sam F. Davis (G3) behind McCraken. A game third in the Plate Trial, State of Honor weakened to eighth in the Plate itself after setting the pace.
Spirit of Caledon outran his 74-1 price in the Queen’s Plate finishing in mid-pack, but Aurora Way, who was bet down to 5-1 in the Plate in only his second lifetime start, has room to improve in the Prince of Wales. A four-length debut winner June 10, he faded to ninth in the Plate after stalking the pace in third and will race with Lasix for the first time on Tuesday.
The field is rounded out by Woodbridge, third in the Charlie Barley on turf at Woodbine last time; stakes winner Jurojin, unplaced in his seven starts; and last-out maiden winner Cool Catomine.
Post time for the Prince of Wales is 7:45 p.m. (EDT).
