My Boy Prince and jockey Sahin Civaci winning the Queenston Stakes. (Michael Burns Photo)
Chris Lomon, Woodbine Communications / @WoodbineComms
TORONTO, Ont. – My Boy Prince thoroughly dominated his rivals in taking the $125,000 Queenston Stakes, on Sunday at Woodbine.
A seven-furlong sprint for Canadian-foaled 3-year-olds, the Queenston is one of the key prep races leading up to the $1 million King’s Plate on August 17.
Trained by dual Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse for owner Gary Barber (the two, along with co-owner Michael Langlois, took last year’s Plate with Paramount Prince), My Boy Prince came up with another big performance on the road to Canada’s most famous horse race.
It was a four-way tussle for the early lead, as My Boy Prince, Western Whirl, Highland Blue, and Babbo matched strides seconds after the gates opened.
My Boy Prince, under Sahin Civaci, emerged on the front end a shade before the opening quarter in :22.37 and was shadowed by Babbo, last year’s Coronation Futurity winner.
The son of Cairo Prince widened his advantage to a half-length at the half in :44.09 and rounded the turn for home with plenty left in the tank.
It was then a race for second place.
My Boy Prince, ahead by 4 ½ lengths at Robert Geller’s stretch call, was geared down by Civaci in the final yards, crossing the wire by the same margin. Stablemate Essex Serpent was second, a head in front of No More Options. Western Whirl, supplemented to the race, was fourth.
The final time was 1:21.90.
“I am very lucky to ride this horse,” said Civaci. “I was looking at the form and there was a lot of speed. If the eight horse (Babbo) broke sharper than my horse, I was going to let him have it and let a couple more horses go along with it. But my horse really broke good today, so I kept him up there.
“There was more speed than I was expecting, but like the good horse he is, he just held on.”
It was the second straight stakes success for My Boy Prince, Canada’s champion 2-year-old Male.
On May 19, he powered to a 6 ¾-length triumph in the King Corrie, a seven-furlong all-weather race for 3-year-olds.
The roan had contested four consecutive turf engagements before the King Corrie, including a third, just a head back of the runner-up, in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Santa Anita.
Out of the Silent Name (JPN) mare Hopping Not Hoping, My Boy Prince, bred in Ontario by Murray Graham Smith, was the $115,000 sale-topper at the 2022 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale.
With the victory, My Boy Prince, who took last year’s Cup and Saucer Stakes, is now 5-2-1 from nine starts.
Civaci is confident the sophomore star can handle the Plate distance of 1 ¼ miles.
“We’ve won with him going long, so I don’t think that will be a problem.”
Sent off as the 1-5 choice, he paid $2.70 for the win.
