Military Time Poised to Strike in Prince of Wales

With King's Plate Stakes winner Luster bypassing the remainder of the Canadian Triple Crown, opportunity knocks for King's Plate runner-up Military Time in the series' second leg, the CA$400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, Sept. 7 at Fort Erie. The Mark Casse trainee heads eight Canadian-bred 3-year-olds in the 1 3/16-mile dirt race that carries an additional CA$100,000 for eligible Ontario-breds. Military Time, owned by Gary Barber and St. Elias Stable and bred by Adena Springs, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite following his wide second in the Aug. 15 King's Plate, in which he rallied to briefly threaten Luster before she left him 7 1/4 lengths behind through the stretch. Racing with blinkers for the first time, Military Time still delivered a career-best effort, finishing 3 lengths clear of fading third-place finisher Fire and Wine, who also returns in the Prince of Wales. Although yet to win a stakes race, Military Time has four stakes placings, all on Woodbine's all-weather Tapeta track, following an initial fifth-place finish in his stakes debut on turf. The son of Gun Runner is untested over a traditional dirt track, as are the other race favorites. Highwaytothemoon, who defeated Military Time and others in the Plate Trial Stakes before weakening to ninth in the 1 1/4-mile King's Plate, is the 3-1 second choice for trainer Dale Desruisseaux and owner Centennial Farms (Niagara). The Canadian Triple Crown concludes with the CA$400,000 Breeders' Stakes, a 1 1/2-mile turf test Sept. 27 at Woodbine.