Full brother to Pender Harbour on track for debut

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – While Pender Harbour likely will race for the final time in the Grade 3, $150,000 Valedictory Stakes on Sunday, the Woodbine meet’s closing day, his 2-year-old full brother, Mike, is on track to make his debut on the same day.

Trainer John LeBlanc Jr. said Mike would be entered in an Ontario-sired maiden special weight race over seven furlongs on Polytrack that is in the condition book for Sunday. LeBlanc said a five-furlong race slated for Friday’s card is a little too short for Mike.

“If it was six furlongs, maybe 6 1/2 furlongs, I would look at it,” he said. “The other race is five furlongs, and that’s way too short for him. He’s such a big horse. He’s been going all year, so he has the foundation there. I’m very pleased with him.”

Mike, named after the late Dr. Michael Colterjohn, was the $325,000 sale-topper at the 2014 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division) Canadian premier yearling sale at Woodbine. He’s been working steadily since late October and covered five furlongs in 1:02.60 on the main track here last Saturday.

“He worked very nice,” LeBlanc said. “Gary Boulanger worked him, and I was on another one. We weren’t going super fast, but it was the way he did it.”

Le Blanc said it took the majority of the year for Mike to become race ready because of his size.

“We let him grow into himself,” he said. “We had a small setback. It wasn’t horrible, it just took a bit of time. He’s done everything well. Gary’s worked him three times now, and he’s been impressed each time, so we’re crossing our fingers that it materializes in the afternoon.”