Article published on 28 July 2010
Longshot Golden Moka Wins Prince of Wales Stakes
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Earlier this month Big Red Mike won the $1-million Queen's Plate Stakes at Woodbine Racecourse in Toronto, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. In fact, so convincing was his win, that he seemed a shoe-in for the Prince of Wales.
But it's the very unpredictability of horse racing that makes it so exciting. And on Sunday, of the Prince of Wales' 7-horse field for three-year-old Canadian-breds, Big Red Mike went in the 4/5 favorite and Golden Moka a 10/1 longshot.
When the 1 3/16 mile race got underway, Big Red Mike snatched the lead under his regular jockey Eurico Da Silva, before just as quickly settling into third. Meanwhile, jockey Anthony Stephen promptly guided Golden Moka to the front
And while most betting fans expected the longshot to tire and drop back, the plucky colt surprised them all by not only clinging on to his lead, but by increasing it right up until he crossed the line, completing the race in a time of 1:56.45.
Mobil Unit, another longshot (13/1), finished in second place while Big Red Mike had to settle for third. Said the winning jockey after the race, 'From the day we brought Golden Moka here to breeze him, he felt like he owned this track.'
The victory gave Golden Moka his fourth win from four starts. And while he was bred in Canada, he won his first three races down in Panama. Bought by Good Friends Stable, he made his Canadian and North American debut on Sunday.
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