Reigning Breeders' Cup Turf champion Auguste Rodin will attempt to get back in the winner's circle when he faces nine rivals in the 2024 Prince of Wales's Stakes on Wednesday at Royal Ascot. One of the best turf horses in the world, Auguste Rodin has seven wins and two seconds in 12 career starts, but has lost both of his races this year. He has not won since taking the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita Park in November. Despite that two-race losing streak, he is the 15-8 favorite in the 2024 Prince of Wales's Stakes odds. Inspiral, the reigning Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf champion, is the 5-2 second choice among the 2024 Prince of Wales's Stakes horses.
Post time is 11:25 a.m. ET. With several accomplished horses set to enter the starting gate on Wednesday, you'll want to see what Santa Anita Park-based racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu, who's at Royal Ascot to cover the races, has to say before making any 2024 Prince of Wales's Stakes picks.
Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders' Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
Yu also has tremendous handicapping chops. In a wide-open Kentucky Derby in 2021, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager two years ago, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby.
She enters the Prince of Wales's on a roll. She correctly called National Treasure to win the Pegasus World Cup, predicted Stronghold's upset win in the Santa Anita Derby, en route to a $219.50 payday, and smashed the exacta in the Apple Blossom Handicap as part of a $410 score. And on the Belmont Stakes undercard, she nailed National Treasure's win in the Met Mile ($235) and had both the winner and exacta in the Woody Stephens Stakes.
And on Tuesday, the opening day of the Royal Ascot meeting, Yu nailed Rosallion (7-2) to win the St James's Palace Stakes.
For the 2024 Prince of Wales's Stakes, Yu has handicapped the field, made her picks and constructed her best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Prince of Wales's Stakes predictions
One surprise: Yu is high on the chances of Alflaila, even though he's an 8-1 longshot. A five-year-old son of Dark Angel, Alflaila raced just twice in 2023. He won a Group 2 race at York in July before finishing fifth in the Irish Champion Stakes in September, which ended a four-race winning streak. He hasn't raced since then and is listed at 8-1 in the Prince of Wales's Stakes odds.
Yu believes that Alflaila will take a liking to the ground at Ascot, which has received very little rain recently. She also isn't concerned about his nine-month layoff. Alflaila is a perfect 3-for-3 in his career coming off a layoff. You can see all of Yu's 2024 Prince of Wales's Stakes bets here.
How to make 2024 Prince of Wales's Stakes picks
Yu's top pick is a horse who has "a shot to upset." She is also high on a big double-digit longshot who "could run a good race at a big price." She is including these horses in her 2024 Prince of Wales's predictions, and so should you. She's sharing which 2024 Prince of Wales's Stakes horses to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2024 Prince of Wales's Stakes, what other double-digit longshot is a must-back and how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu's picks for the Prince of Wales's Stakes, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who just nailed the St. James's Palace Stakes, and find out.
2024 Prince of Wales's Stakes odds, contenders
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alflaila | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Auguste Rodin | 15-8 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Hans Andersen | 100-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Horizon Dore | 7-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Lord North | 25-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Royal Rhyme | 25-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Snobbish | 200-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Zarakem | 28-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Blue Rose Cen | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 10 | Inspiral | 5-2 | SEE PICKS |
