Pender Harbour eyes 2015 debut later this month

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Fan favorite and 2011 Canadian champion 3-year-old male Pender Harbour is getting close to making his 2015 debut, trainer Michael De Paulo said.

After a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes on closing day of the 2014 season at Woodbine on Dec. 7, the 7-year-old Pender Harbour spent the winter in Florida and started breezing under De Paulo’s watch at Gulfstream Park in March.

“The Valedictory was never in the plan,” De Paulo said. “He flipped in the gate the week before [in the Sir Barton Stakes], and I think he would have run really well in that race. He had a good little winter vacation down in Florida, and he’s getting ready to go. He was out in Ocala for a bit, and we started him up there, then he came down to Gulfstream for a few breezes.”

De Paulo said he has a couple of options for Pender Harbour’s first start of the meet this month at Woodbine, including the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes on May 17. Another possible spot is an allowance for nonwinners of a race since Nov. 18 during the Victoria Day card May 18. Both races are seven furlongs on Polytrack and would set Pender Harbour up nicely for the Steady Growth Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on June 6.

“The Steady Growth is a race he’s won a couple of times,” De Paulo said. “Unfortunately, he’s going to have to carry 128 pounds in there.”

De Paulo said he’s hopeful for another long and successful campaign from Pender Harbour, who won 3 of 9 starts last year and was in the money seven times. He earned $338,170 to push his career earnings to $1,714,240.

“We’d love to get to $2 million if that’s possible,” De Paulo said. “He’s sound as a bell. There are no issues, and he’s a gelding. I guess you could retire him, but he made more than $300,000 last year. I don’t know if he can do that again. He’s going to have to carry some weight, but we’re hoping so.”