Woodbine: Incredicat, Pender Harbour get in breezes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Incredicat, who is coming off a second-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial, breezed four furlongs in 48.20 seconds under exercise rider Tyler Gaskin here Tuesday morning in preparation for Monday's six-furlong Achievement Stakes.

"He went great, I thought," said Ian Black, who trains Incredicat for a group of high-powered owners, including the colt's breeder, David Willmot. "Nice and easy, galloped out good."
Black had announced his intention of bypassing the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate after watching Incredicat lead to the eighth pole in the Plate Trial before yielding to the late charge of River Rush, who won by 5 1/4 lengths.

Incredicat held on to finish a length in front of third-place Classic Bryce.

"I think it was the right decision," said Black, who had watched Strait of Dover wire the field in the Queen's Plate. "I honestly believe that we might have made him go a little quicker, and it might have helped somebody behind him.

"We couldn't have run that far and that fast with him, if I'm totally honest."

Alex Solis, who rode Incredicat for the first time in the June 3 Plate Trial, retains the mount for the $150,000 Achievement, which is restricted to Ontario-breds and is expected go with a short field.

Pender Harbour keeps in shape

Pender Harbour breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 under regular rider Luis Contreras here Tuesday in preparation for Sunday's Dominion Day Stakes.

"I thought he worked real well," said Mike DePaulo, who trains Pender Harbour for Denny Andrews, Sandra Lazaruk, and Bob and Roberta Giffin. "We're on track."

Pender Harbour, who was Canada's champion 3-year-old, finished ninth in his 2012 debut, the Grade 3 Eclipse Stakes at 1 1/16 miles here May 26 but returned three weeks later to capture the restricted Steady Growth Stakes at the same distance.

The Dominion Day, a 1 1/4-mile race for 3-year-olds and upward, offers Grade 3 status and a purse of $200,000.