Pender Harbour seeks to end drought in Woodbine allowance

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Pender Harbour will launch his 6-year-old campaign Friday at Woodbine in the featured $74,500 allowance race, a seven-furlong sprint for nonwinners of $60,000 since Aug. 18.

Pender Harbour was Canada’s champion 3-year-old male in 2011, when he captured two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales and Breeders’ Stakes. Following another lucrative campaign in 2012, he went winless in seven starts in 2013, but managed to finish either second or third in five stakes.

“He ran so many good races last year, and didn’t win,” trainer Mike DePaulo said. “It’s hard to imagine.”

Pender Harbour spent the winter in Florida, according to DePaulo, who led the standings with 3 wins from 6 starts after opening weekend here April 12-13.

“He was in Ocala, and then I sent him to Gulfstream,” DePaulo said. “His last work here was quite good, and he’s been training well. He’s probably fitter than I think he is. Seven-eighths isn’t his best, but he’s certainly capable at that distance.”

Luis Contreras will ride Pender Harbour, who has earned $1,389,869.

Three of the six entrants were winter-raced – Bobcaygeon, Chief Thundercloud, and Sniper. They should have a fitness advantage on the others.

Bobcaygeon finished a distant fifth behind four next-out winners in a quality optional claimer at Gulfstream on Jan. 17. The top two runners both came back to capture a stakes.

Bobcaygeon is winless in three starts at seven furlongs, but was a close second in two of those races. All three were allowance races on Woodbine’s Polytrack. Emma-Jayne Wilson will ride for trainer Julia Carey.

Trainer Shane Learn scratched Chief Thundercloud last Saturday from a $25,000 starter, which he won with Northern Hammer, who ran out of his skin in a nine-length romp.

Chief Thundercloud brings pretty good dirt form at Parx to this engagement. He shortened up to land an $8,000 claimer going seven-eighths after coming from Parx here last April.

Sniper ran twice over the winter on the Polytrack at Turfway, where he rallied very wide to take a Dec. 22 optional claimer. He had been idle for three months when third there in a $50,000 starter handicap March 22.

Sniper had a disappointing stint here last year, but he’s 4 for 14 lifetime on Woodbine’s Polytrack.

Completing the field are the long-distance specialist Peyton and Courtville, who wintered in Ocala with owner-trainer Laurie Silvera.