Jockey Corey Fraser guides Gallant to a photo finish victory over Milwaukee Appeal in the 74th running of the Prince of Wales Stakes on Jule 12. (Michael Burns/Canadian Press)

With all eyes on the Queen's Plate contenders on Sunday, it was the long-shot that stole the show at the 74th running of Prince of Wales Stakes.

Gallant, a 15-1 underdog at post time, won the second jewel of Canada's Triple Crown in a thrilling photo finish with pre-race favourite Milwaukee Appeal in Fort Erie, Ont.

Ridden by jockey Corey Fraser, Gallant made a charge on the back stretch to challenge the pace-setting Milwaukee Appeal, and the two were neck-and-neck the rest of the way.

It's Fraser's first Canadian Triple Crown win. Fraser, who grew up in nearby Niagara Falls, Ont., had to wait more than 10 minutes for race stewards to confirm that he won the 1 1/16th-mile race, which has a total purse of $500,000.

"I thought I won it but I tried not to think too much in case that was a jinx," he said. "When it was going along taking a long time I was thinking it was a dead heat and I was going to be just as happy with that.

"But I was dying on the way back just to find out."

So was winning trainer Mark Casse, who watched the race from Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.

"It was exciting," he said. "At first we thought we won, then we weren't so sure. Then we saw Corey go crazy and that's when we figured out."

The photo finish showed Gallant finishing a couple of centimetres ahead of Milwaukee Appeal.

Queen's Plate winner Eye of the Leopard made a furious charge to try to overtake the leaders during the final few lengths, but couldn't make up enough ground and finished third, nixing his chance to sweep the Canadian Triple Crown.

Only 13 Queen's Plate champions have gone on to win the Prince of Wales Stakes. And only seven of those have become Triple Crown winners, the last being Wando in 2003.

Eye of the Leopard was expected to fight for the Prince of Wales title against Milwaukee Appeal and Mr. Foricos Two U. He won the first leg of the Triple Crown with another charge along the final stretch, with Milwaukee Appeal second and Mr. Foricos Two U third.

Too far back

But Eye of the Leopard left too much ground to make up on the shorter Fort Erie track on Sunday, and couldn't close the gap on the two leaders.

Gallant was the only one out of the six-horse Prince of Wales field that didn't race in the Queen's Plate. Owned by Woodford Racing LLC, Gallant took home $300,000 for the victory.

"This is just like a dream," Fraser said. "I hit the wire and it was a dream."

Keino West was fourth, followed by Mr. Foricos Two U and Flip for the Coin.

Milwaukee Appeal, a 7-5 favourite at post time, took the early lead and kept it through the first turn.

Eye of the Leopard was nowhere to be seen among the leaders on the backstretch, but the slow pace at the start meant there was little separation leading through the back stretch and up to the final turn.

Gallant made his move on the backstretch and passed a challenging Flip for the Coin as Milwaukee Appeal continued to lead, which set the stage for the thrilling finish.

The race clocked in with an unofficial time of 1:56.74.

The third and final jewel is the $500,000 Breeders' Stakes, a 1.5-mile turf event that will be run Aug. 2 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.

With files from The Canadian Press