Luis Contreras bags two of two in the Canadian Triple Crown thanks to Pender Harbour
Pender Harbours’ thrust in the Queen’s Plate on 26 June gained him a third place finish, but 17 July under jockey Luis Contreras, who won the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown with Inglorious, came back to guide Pender Harbour to win the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie.
The $524,000 Prince of Wales Stakes had a new winner called Pender Harbour, which mean there won’t be a Canadian Triple Crown winner this year, but there can be a Triple Crown winner jockey.
Queen’s Plate winner Inglorious got scratched early from the Prince of Wales Stakes which shot out the possibility of a Triple Crown winner, but jockey Luis Contreras who led the filly victorious on 26 June, has now bagged the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown with Pender Harbour, sent at 4 to 1 odds.
Trainer Michael P. De Paulo trains the 3-year-old colt who’s the son of Philanthropist out of Hail the Ruckus.
Owned by Danny Andrews – Robert Griffin, Pender Harbour was sold to the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society for $15,783.
Pender Harbour earned a well deserved win after four starts this year.
His first win came in the season starter at Woodbine. Kingarvie, a 1 1/16 mile race for three-year-old colts and geldings, won it under jockey S Callaghan.
Pender Harbour stalked the pace setter Oh Canada, but eventually wore down the leader to take over his position.
Surging run from Bowman’s Causeway created some problems for Luis Contreras, as he managed to keep him at arm’s length throughout the challenge.
The last run necessitated a photo finish and in the en Pender Harbour won by a mere nose to claim the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.
Luis Contreras was not sure whether he had done enough to claim the race, but the photo cleared any ambiguity he had after running a fine race.
The jockey’s Queen’s Plate winner filly Inglorious, was absent from the Prince of Wales Stakes, but for the first time since 1977, the Queen’s Plate winner did not participate in the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.
She got scratched to participate in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes in Saratoga.
Inglorious has been rested because of a busy schedule prior to the Plate, and her connections prefer resting over the all important Prince Wales Stakes.
Hippolytus, the Queen’s Plate runner up lost the plot early in the race, as Oh Canada took him over after he broke strongly form the gates.
With a 1 ½ lead over Hippolytus, Oh Canada took the field in to the stretch, but finished third.
Bowman’s Causeway finished second before Pender Harbour, who earned $314,400 as the winner with total earnings of $546,097.
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