Two years ago, a three-year-old colt by the name of Joshua Tree shipped to Woodbine and pulled off a mild upset in the prestigious Pattison Canadian International (Can-I). Last year, he made a return trip and finished a strong second. Last Sunday, he made a third trip, and at odds of 4.35-1, held off a late run from Dandino to win the twelve-furlong turf by a half-length.
Ridden to victory by Frankie Dettori, Joshua Tree bounded out of the starting gate and quickly took command of the lead, rattling off very slow fractions of :25.51, :51.59, and 1:17.17 while being tracked by Air Support. Lay Time and Imperial Monarch were also fairly close to the pace, while Dandino, Forte Dei Marmi, and Prince Will I Am were content to race in mid-pack. Scalo, Reliable Man, and Wigmore Hall were the early trailers.
Entering the final quarter mile, Dettori asked Joshua Tree for his run, and the colt responded with a burst of acceleration that carried him to a two-length lead passing the eighth pole. Dandino put in a terrific late run on the far outside to loom a serious threat, but Joshua Tree found just enough left to hang on for a narrow victory, stopping the clock in 2:30.89 seconds over a course labeled good.
Forte Dei Marmi ran well to secure third, beaten just a length, while Wigmore Hall, Air Support, Imperial Monarch, Scalo, Reliable Man, Prince Will I Am, and Lay Time completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Marco Botti.
-Keelerman
Showing posts with label Canadian International. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canadian International. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Canadian International Entries: Imperial Monarch favored in deep field
Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-I) winner Imperial Monarch, 2011 Prix de Jockey Club (Fr-I) winner Reliable Man, 2010 Canadian Internaional (Can-I) winner Joshua Tree, and two-time Northern Dancer Stakes (gr. I) Wigmore Hall are among the leading contenders entered in Woodbine's $1,500,000 Pattison Canadian International (Can-I), which will be run on Sunday.
Leading American hopefuls in the twelve-furlong turf race include Al Khali, runner-up last time out to Wigmore Hall in the Northern Dancer Stakes, and Air Support, winner of the Bowling Green Handicap (gr. II) most recently. Prince Will I Am, winner of the Jamaica Handicap (gr. I) in 2010, will be attempting to pick up his first victory since February 2011.
-Keelerman
Leading American hopefuls in the twelve-furlong turf race include Al Khali, runner-up last time out to Wigmore Hall in the Northern Dancer Stakes, and Air Support, winner of the Bowling Green Handicap (gr. II) most recently. Prince Will I Am, winner of the Jamaica Handicap (gr. I) in 2010, will be attempting to pick up his first victory since February 2011.
| PP | Horse | Weight | Jockey | Trainer | M. L. Odds |
| 1 | Lay Time | 123 | Jimmy Fortune | Andrew Balding | 20-1 |
| 2 | Dandino | 126 | Jim Crowley | J. R. Fanshawe | 8-1 |
| 3 | Forte Dei Marmi | 126 | John Velazquez | Roger Attfield | 15-1 |
| 4 | Scalo | 126 | Andrasch Starke | A. Woehler | 12-1 |
| 5 | Prince Will I Am | 126 | Ramon Dominguez | Michelle Nehei | 20-1 |
| 6 | Wigmore Hall | 126 | Jamie Spencer | Michael Bell | 6-1 |
| 7 | Reliable Man | 126 | Olivier Peslier | Alain De Royer-Dupre | 4-1 |
| 8 | Joshua Tree | 126 | Frankie Dettori | Marco Botti | 5-1 |
| 9 | Al Khali | 126 | Garrett Gomez | Bill Mott | 10-1 |
| 10 | Imperial Monarch | 119 | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien | 3-1 |
| 11 | Air Support | 126 | Javier Castellano | Claude McGaughey, III | 10-1 |
-Keelerman
Saturday, October 16, 2010
JOSHUA TREE WINS THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL!
Three year old Joshua Tree pulled off a mild upset in the 73rd running of the Pattison Canadian International when he held off longshot Mores Wells and favored Redwood to post a half length victory.
Sent off at 9-2, jockey Colm O'Donoqhue kept Joshua Tree about four lengths off the early pace, which was being set by 6-1 shot Fifty Proof. Simmard and Marsh Side were racing together in second. United Nations winner and 3-1 shot Chinchon was last in the early going.
Through fractions of :26, :52, and 1:18 2/5, Fifty Proof continued to lead the way. Marsh Side was beginning to inch closer, as was Joshua Tree.
Into the stretch they came, cutting a mile and a quarter in 2:08 1/5, with Joshua Tree moving up to take a narrow lead. Mores Wells and Redwood closed strongly to finish second and third, respectively. Al Khali rallied very late for fourth, while Chinchon made a rail run to finish fifth.
The final time was 2:32 3/5.
-Keelerman
Sent off at 9-2, jockey Colm O'Donoqhue kept Joshua Tree about four lengths off the early pace, which was being set by 6-1 shot Fifty Proof. Simmard and Marsh Side were racing together in second. United Nations winner and 3-1 shot Chinchon was last in the early going.
Through fractions of :26, :52, and 1:18 2/5, Fifty Proof continued to lead the way. Marsh Side was beginning to inch closer, as was Joshua Tree.
Into the stretch they came, cutting a mile and a quarter in 2:08 1/5, with Joshua Tree moving up to take a narrow lead. Mores Wells and Redwood closed strongly to finish second and third, respectively. Al Khali rallied very late for fourth, while Chinchon made a rail run to finish fifth.
The final time was 2:32 3/5.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP COUNTDOWN ---- October 16th
As it is only three weeks until the Breeders' Cup, racing slows down quite a bit after this Saturday. However, because it is only three weeks until the Breeders' Cup, there are still a few last-minute preps available for those horses that didn't race over the last two weeks.
Four grade I races are scheduled for today, and three of them are at Woodbine. The Canadian International, the E.P. Taylor Stakes, and the Nearctic Stakes are the highlights of the Woodbine card, with each race drawing a large, solid field, with many of the runners coming from Europe. At Keeneland, there is the grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes, for three year old fillies. All of the above mentioned races are on turf.
This week’s feature race shall be the Canadian International, a $2,000,000 1-1/2 mile turf event.
FEATURE RACE ---- THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL (Can-I)
I won't go into a huge amount of detail here today (after all, post time for the Nearctic Stakes is in about an hour and a half!) but I'll try to cover as much as possible as quickly as possible.
A field of nine has turned out for the 73rd running of this historic race, with the favorite being Redwood, winner of the Northern Dancer Stakes last month. It was his first start in the United States, and his fourth win overall from ten starts. A group III winner in England, the win was a major improvement for the son of High Chaparral. A win here could set the colt up nicely for a start in the Breeders' Cup Turf, should his connections choose to take that route.
Fifty Proof, 10-1 on the morning line, offers excellent value in my opinion. He finished second in the Northern Dancer last time out, beaten only a half-length by Redwood. Amazingly, all eight of his starts have been at Woodbine, where he has won four of his eight starts while finishing second three times. It's entirely possible that he could turn the tables on Redwood this time around.
Chinchon is the second choice on the morning line, and definitely deserves to be. Two starts back, he turned in a monster performance, coming from last to win the grade I United Nations Stakes at Monmouth over Take the Points and Winchester. Returned to France, where he has done the majority of his racing, yielded a last-of-six finish in the grade II Prix Foy, but it was a very good field and there is no reason why he shouldn't rebound today.
Marsh Side, a seven year old son of Gone West, is the third choice on the morning line. He looked great winning the Sky Classic Stakes (Can-II) by five lengths two starts back, but finished an extremely disappointing eighth in the Northern Dancer last time out, beaten ten lengths. If the ground turns up soft today, he will relish it and will have every chance at rebounding.
Al Khali and Simmard, first and third respectively in the Bowling Green Handicap (gr. II), make their first starts since that race. However, I don't believe that either of them are at their best over a mile and a half, and their odds (6-1 and 15-1) reflect this opinion.
Memorial Maniac, the longshot at 20-1, is one horse who has proven to be effective at longer distances, winning the Stars and Stripes (gr. II) over a mile and five eighths two starts back, but he finished fifth at 23-1 in the Northern Dancer.
Mores Wells, yet another shipper from Europe, is 12-1 on the morning line. He comes off of a victory in the group III Stockholm Cup International in Sweden. However, he has shown nowhere near good enough form to win this race.
Finally, we come to my pick. Joshua Tree, a three year old son of Montjeu, has made only five starts, winning two of them. At two, he was the impressive winner of the group II Royal Lodge Stakes, where he defeated future Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Vale of York. As a three year old, he has made two starts, finishing third to Rwilding and Midas Touch in the group II Great Voltigeur Stakes and fifth in the group I St. Leger Stakes, beaten less than six lengths by an exceptional group of horses that included Arctic Cosmos, Midas Touch, and Snow Fairy. Based on the fine company he has been keeping, I do believe that he should relish the conditions here today and could become the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Turf if he runs there next month.
So here are my picks. . .
1 Joshua Tree
2 Redwood
3 Chinchon
4 Fifty Proof
5 Marsh Side
6 Simmard
7 Al Khali
8 Memorial Maniac
9 Mores Wells
OTHER PICKS
E.P. TAYLOR STAKES (Can-I)
It’s a rather difficult race to decipher, but the morning line favorite, Shalanaya, looks pretty good. She has been up against some very good competition and has beaten Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Midday in the past.
One horse I really like is Lahaleeb, winner of this race last year. She will be running on Lasix for the first time, but has not hit the board in her five starts since last year’s E.P. Taylor.
Miss Keller should be right there in the stretch, based on her recent form. In her last start, the Canadian Stakes, she turned in a sharp performance to win by a length and three quarters. She loves this course and I would not be surprised to see her late kick carry her to victory.
So here are my picks. . .
1 Shalanaya
2 Miss Keller
3 Lahaleeb
NEARCTIC STAKES (Can-I)
The field is large (not to mention good!), and is even harder to decipher than the E.P. Taylor. However, I was able to come up with my pick fairly quickly.
I’m going to go with the three year old Bridgetown. He has made two starts this year, winning both of them. The first was the 5-1/2 furlongs Latham Stakes at Saratoga, where he held off the late-charging Flamin’ Hot for a one length victory.
His second start came in the Gilded Time Stakes at about 5-1/2 furlongs, where he easily defeated Partyallnightlong by two and a half lengths. This will be his first start against older horses, but I believe that he can handle them.
Here are my top three picks. . .
1 Bridgetown
2 Towzee
3 Fatal Bullet
QUEEN ELIZABETH II CHALLENGE CUP STAKES (gr. I)
The morning line favorite is Evening Jewel, but I do believe that she can be beaten. The most obvious choice to beat her is second choice Check the Label, but the horse I like is Harmonious. She is a grade I winner, having won the American Oaks earlier this year, and just failed to catch Evening Jewel after a nightmare trip in the nine furlong Del Mar Oaks. With a little better trip today, she should prove more than capable of upending Evening Jewel.
So here are my picks. . .
1 Harmonious
2 Evening Jewel
3 Check the Label
Enjoy the races!
-Keelerman
Four grade I races are scheduled for today, and three of them are at Woodbine. The Canadian International, the E.P. Taylor Stakes, and the Nearctic Stakes are the highlights of the Woodbine card, with each race drawing a large, solid field, with many of the runners coming from Europe. At Keeneland, there is the grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes, for three year old fillies. All of the above mentioned races are on turf.
This week’s feature race shall be the Canadian International, a $2,000,000 1-1/2 mile turf event.
FEATURE RACE ---- THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL (Can-I)
I won't go into a huge amount of detail here today (after all, post time for the Nearctic Stakes is in about an hour and a half!) but I'll try to cover as much as possible as quickly as possible.
A field of nine has turned out for the 73rd running of this historic race, with the favorite being Redwood, winner of the Northern Dancer Stakes last month. It was his first start in the United States, and his fourth win overall from ten starts. A group III winner in England, the win was a major improvement for the son of High Chaparral. A win here could set the colt up nicely for a start in the Breeders' Cup Turf, should his connections choose to take that route.
Fifty Proof, 10-1 on the morning line, offers excellent value in my opinion. He finished second in the Northern Dancer last time out, beaten only a half-length by Redwood. Amazingly, all eight of his starts have been at Woodbine, where he has won four of his eight starts while finishing second three times. It's entirely possible that he could turn the tables on Redwood this time around.
Chinchon is the second choice on the morning line, and definitely deserves to be. Two starts back, he turned in a monster performance, coming from last to win the grade I United Nations Stakes at Monmouth over Take the Points and Winchester. Returned to France, where he has done the majority of his racing, yielded a last-of-six finish in the grade II Prix Foy, but it was a very good field and there is no reason why he shouldn't rebound today.
Marsh Side, a seven year old son of Gone West, is the third choice on the morning line. He looked great winning the Sky Classic Stakes (Can-II) by five lengths two starts back, but finished an extremely disappointing eighth in the Northern Dancer last time out, beaten ten lengths. If the ground turns up soft today, he will relish it and will have every chance at rebounding.
Al Khali and Simmard, first and third respectively in the Bowling Green Handicap (gr. II), make their first starts since that race. However, I don't believe that either of them are at their best over a mile and a half, and their odds (6-1 and 15-1) reflect this opinion.
Memorial Maniac, the longshot at 20-1, is one horse who has proven to be effective at longer distances, winning the Stars and Stripes (gr. II) over a mile and five eighths two starts back, but he finished fifth at 23-1 in the Northern Dancer.
Mores Wells, yet another shipper from Europe, is 12-1 on the morning line. He comes off of a victory in the group III Stockholm Cup International in Sweden. However, he has shown nowhere near good enough form to win this race.
Finally, we come to my pick. Joshua Tree, a three year old son of Montjeu, has made only five starts, winning two of them. At two, he was the impressive winner of the group II Royal Lodge Stakes, where he defeated future Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Vale of York. As a three year old, he has made two starts, finishing third to Rwilding and Midas Touch in the group II Great Voltigeur Stakes and fifth in the group I St. Leger Stakes, beaten less than six lengths by an exceptional group of horses that included Arctic Cosmos, Midas Touch, and Snow Fairy. Based on the fine company he has been keeping, I do believe that he should relish the conditions here today and could become the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Turf if he runs there next month.
So here are my picks. . .
1 Joshua Tree
2 Redwood
3 Chinchon
4 Fifty Proof
5 Marsh Side
6 Simmard
7 Al Khali
8 Memorial Maniac
9 Mores Wells
OTHER PICKS
E.P. TAYLOR STAKES (Can-I)
It’s a rather difficult race to decipher, but the morning line favorite, Shalanaya, looks pretty good. She has been up against some very good competition and has beaten Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Midday in the past.
One horse I really like is Lahaleeb, winner of this race last year. She will be running on Lasix for the first time, but has not hit the board in her five starts since last year’s E.P. Taylor.
Miss Keller should be right there in the stretch, based on her recent form. In her last start, the Canadian Stakes, she turned in a sharp performance to win by a length and three quarters. She loves this course and I would not be surprised to see her late kick carry her to victory.
So here are my picks. . .
1 Shalanaya
2 Miss Keller
3 Lahaleeb
NEARCTIC STAKES (Can-I)
The field is large (not to mention good!), and is even harder to decipher than the E.P. Taylor. However, I was able to come up with my pick fairly quickly.
I’m going to go with the three year old Bridgetown. He has made two starts this year, winning both of them. The first was the 5-1/2 furlongs Latham Stakes at Saratoga, where he held off the late-charging Flamin’ Hot for a one length victory.
His second start came in the Gilded Time Stakes at about 5-1/2 furlongs, where he easily defeated Partyallnightlong by two and a half lengths. This will be his first start against older horses, but I believe that he can handle them.
Here are my top three picks. . .
1 Bridgetown
2 Towzee
3 Fatal Bullet
QUEEN ELIZABETH II CHALLENGE CUP STAKES (gr. I)
The morning line favorite is Evening Jewel, but I do believe that she can be beaten. The most obvious choice to beat her is second choice Check the Label, but the horse I like is Harmonious. She is a grade I winner, having won the American Oaks earlier this year, and just failed to catch Evening Jewel after a nightmare trip in the nine furlong Del Mar Oaks. With a little better trip today, she should prove more than capable of upending Evening Jewel.
So here are my picks. . .
1 Harmonious
2 Evening Jewel
3 Check the Label
Enjoy the races!
-Keelerman
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