Joshua Tree wins another Canadian International

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

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.

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