Owners Jayson and Courtney Horner, along with trainer Justin Nixon, are hoping their colt Passioned can follow in the footsteps of his half-brother, Coltimus Prime, the 2014 Prince of Wales Stakes (POW) winner.
A decade ago, Coltimus Prime secured an emphatic victory in the Prince of Wales Stakes, the second leg of Canada’s Triple Crown. With Eurico da Silva in the saddle, the son of Milwaukee Brew led wire-to-wire for Cabarnet Racing Stables, owned by Jayson Horner, who also bred the horse. This marked the pinnacle of Horner and Nixon’s racing career. Coltimus Prime went on to further success, including stakes wins at Gulfstream and in Panama, where he was a two-time champion older horse. After amassing nearly $700,000 in earnings, he now stands at stud in Maryland, having previously stood in Alberta and Florida between 2020 and 2023.
On Tuesday, September 10, Horner and Nixon will return to Fort Erie for the Prince of Wales Stakes with Passioned, a son of Paynter and half-brother to Coltimus Prime. Listed at 10-1 in the morning line odds, Passioned has already demonstrated his ability on dirt, racing at Laurel Park in Maryland, where Nixon is based. He secured his first win in a maiden special weight over 1 1/16 miles on a muddy track on May 4, followed by a victory in a $30,000 claiming race on fast dirt on June 21. Though he finished fourth and third in subsequent allowance races, Horner remains optimistic about his chances.
"We believe the horse is improving, especially in his two-turn races this year. He definitely wants the distance," said Horner. "We’re like that wildcard team that sneaks into the playoffs and could surprise everyone. Justin’s pleased with his progress."
Passioned will be ridden for the first time by jockey Jean Briceno. Both Passioned and Coltimus Prime share the same dam, Certainly Special, a daughter of Distorted Humor. Horner’s breeding operations also include a two-year-old colt by Karakontie named Ashley’s Archer, co-owned with Gary Barber, and Chromeplated Heart, a $170,000 recent winner out of Crysta’s Court, a stakes-winning daughter of Certainly Special.
Passioned’s key rivals in the Prince of Wales include the morning line favourite, Midnight Mascot, owned by Manfred and Penny Conrad and trained by Mark Casse. Midnight Mascot, ridden by Kazushi Kimura, impressed with a strong third-place finish in the King’s Plate after recovering from a slow start. Other notable contenders include Stronach Stables’ Vitality, and Al and Bill Ulwelling’s duo, Pierre and Jokestar, who have won two of the last three Prince of Wales Stakes.