Woodbine: Pender Harbour done for the season

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Pender Harbour missed last Saturday’s Autumn Handicap but his trainer, Mike DePaulo, had hoped that his stable star could close out his campaign in the Dec. 2 Sir Barton.

Instead, Pender Harbour has gone to Woodlands Farm, where he has spent each winter since coming to the racetrack, and will not see action again this season.

“He has a little bone bruise,” said DePaulo, who conditions Pender Harbour for owners Denny Andrews, Sandra Lazaruk, and Bob and Roberta Giffin. “We’re just going to give him a break, and have him niece and fresh for next year.”

Pender Harbour was Canada’s champion 3-year-old male of 2011 on the strength of his victories in Fort Erie’s Prince of Wales and Woodbine’s Breeders’ and Bunty Lawless en route to a bankroll of $840,400.

After opening up his current campaign with a ninth-place finish in the Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile Eclipse Stakes here May 26, Pender Harbour went on to win three of six starts while finishing second in the Grade 3 Dominion Day on the main track and third in the Grade 2 Nijinsky on the turf.

“When I brought him back in that 1 1/16-mile race first time out, he wasn’t fit enough to run with those horses,” said DePaulo. “Then, he got into a bit of a groove. His races on the grass were quite good.”

Pender Harbour had been beaten 1 3/4 lengths in the 1 1/8-mile Nijinsky and 2 1/4 lengths when fourth in the Grade 2 Sky Classic over 1 1/4 miles of turf.

Forte dei Marmi, the Sky Classic winner, came back to finish third here in both the Grade 1 Northern Dancer and Grade 1 Canadian International.

Pender Harbour’s wins this year came in the Steady Growth, a 1 1/16-mile Polytrack race for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and upward; the Bunty Lawless, a one-mile turf race in the same division; and the 1 1/16-mile Elgin, a yearling sales stakes.

A 4-year-old gelding who was a $17,000 purchase at the local yearling sale, Pender Harbour has earned $1,281,020 via a record of 8-2-2 from 18 starts.

DePaulo readies for Florida

DePaulo has secured eight stalls for the Gulfstream Park meeting, which will begin on the early date of Dec. 1.

Among his prospective runners there will be Mr. Online, who was claimed for $62,500 here last Sunday by the Bear Stable of Danny Dion with an eye toward turf racing in the sunny south.

Mr. Online, an Ontario-bred 3-year-old gelding, finished a solid third in that 6 1/2-furlong race, which was his first on Polytrack this season.

In seven turf starts at the meeting, Mr. Online compiled a record of 2-1-2 with his victories coming in a $50,000 maiden claiming race at one mile and a first-level allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs.

DePaulo’s Florida contingent also is expected to include Real Awesome, an unraced 3-year-old gelding who is owned and was bred by Frank Stronach.

“He worked well the other day,” said DePaulo, who sent out Real Awesome to breeze five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Monday.