Mike De Paulo has had a multitude of major successes over his training career and is in the midst of yet another strong campaign.
The veteran conditioner has over 700 career victories and has sent out numerous stakes champions and other stars.
One in particular, Key Spirit, managed to pull off a memorable nearly 25 years ago, beating a stellar sprinter in a six-furlong dash at Woodbine.
To this day, De Paulo still cherishes that triumph and the horse that delivered it.
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“The horse that changed my life is Key Spirit. Key Spirit was the first stakes-quality horse that I had the opportunity to train. Training a horse of his caliber gave me the confidence in myself that I needed to become a successful trainer.
Key Spirit was an honest, hard-trying horse that had the desire to win. Off the track, he was a very happy and playful horse, but as soon as you put that bridle on he was all business.
My proudest moment was when Key Spirit beat undefeated champion sprinter (in Canada, in 1991 and 1992) King Corrie by 3 ½ lengths and ran the race (June 10, 1992, at Woodbine) in1:09.80, which was a great time at that time.”
Photo of Pender Harbour, a multiple stakes-winning champion trained by De Paulo, courtesy of Michael Burns Photography.
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