NO MATTER WHAT, PENDER HARBOUR IS GOING OUT A WINNER!

LONGRUN DAY IS today at Woodbine – a chance to learn more about how the charity works, what the donations are used for and how you can sponsor or adopt a horse.

As a co-founder back in 1998, I am proud of what the directors have done with this super charity over the years. It has placed hundreds of horses in new homes and even fosters some that cannot he re-homed – that is where the sponsors come in.

There are many wonderful people who help and work with LongRun, many hours for no pay.

Plenty of horsepeople too, many jockeys in the colony donate their time and earnings to the horses.

Celebrate our horses today at LongRun day.

Also, LongRun and the connections of champion racehorse Pender Harbour have announced the following:

Champion millionaire and fan favourite Pender Harbour will make the final start of his stellar career in the Valedictory Stakes-G3 on Sunday, November 29th, the final day of Woodbine’s 2015 thoroughbred racing season and, no matter where he finishes, this seven-year-old Philanthropist gelding will be going out a winner.

Pender has asked his connections – Denny Andrews, Sandra Lazaruk, and Robert and Roberta Giffin – to donate $15,000 to LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society to celebrate the end of a grand run at the races and the start of his new life and career. Pender has a retirement plan but there are many other less fortunate racehorses who need assistance transitioning, and this gift will make an enormous difference to their lives.

Bred by Gardiner Farms Limited, Pender Harbour was purchased by Denny Andrews at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s Toronto yearling sale for just $17,000. At time of writing, he has won 12 of 39 lifetime starts and over $1.8 million under trainer Mike DePaulo’s tutelage, accounting for 10 added money events, including the 2011 Prince of Wales Stakes during his championship year. His many stakes-placings include a second in last year’s Valedictory Stakes-G3, as well as a third place finish in the 2011 Queen’s Plate. Racing applauds this grand horse and his owners for this most generous gesture and look forward to news of Pender Harbour in his new life as a riding horse in Western Canada.

Dave Landry photo

 

AMIS GIZMO – unbeaten 2yo puts up 86 Beyer Figure in Frost King win

The buzz about the Queen’s Plate 2016 has begun!
With the Coronation Futurity, the biggest race for Canadian-bred 2yos coming up tomorrow, there are already some flashy fellows (and gals) who are already being penciled in as Plate prospects.
AMIS GIZMO, one of several impressive 2yos for the Ivan Dalos owned and bred program, stayed unbeaten with a rousing run in the 7 furlong Frost King Stakes on Wed. night at Woodbine.
The son of Giant Gizmo from Galloping Ami by Victory Gallop has won 3 stakes in 3 starts and last night sizzled the distance in 1:22. , an 86 Beyer Figure.
Luis Contreras rides for Josie Carroll and what a powerful team that has been this year.

More updates on Woodbine racing this week coming up soon on Thoroughblog…
ONTARIAN NAT REA DISCUSSES LEAVING HORSE RACING
20 have sold for $9.24 million
“You can’t be in [the horse] business even 10% of the time–you have to be fully vested and you have to be available,” he said. “For the next four or five years, I’m just totally devoting all of my energy to oil. In this industry I’ve met so many great people, and I think that’s the toughest thing–not having that interaction with the people that I’ve met–so many great friends, and I’m going to miss that part of it. Celebrating the wins and losses, that’s going to be the tough thing to walk away from.” – NAT REA at Keeneland

Twenty Regis dispersal offerings have sold so far this week for a total of $9.24 million, topped by GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Shook Up (Tapit), who went for $1.65 million to Three Chimneys during Monday’s opening session.

Nat Rea has also sold his Kentucky farm which is now called Bonne Chance Farm and the forer Rea- manager Kieran Lalor, has also stayed.
Sealy Hill was one of the Bonne Chance purchases at Keeneland this week.
The identity of the owner of Bonne Chance Farm was not revealed by Lalor so at this point, the new owner remains secret.