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

Siyouma brilliant in E. P. Taylor Stakes

European shipper Siyouma showcased a powerful turn of foot in the Woodbine homestretch to win the $1,000,000 E. P. Taylor Stakes (Can-I) last Sunday by nearly two lengths.

With Gerald Mosse aboard, Siyouma broke well and was taken back to race in fifth during the early stages of the ten-furlong turf race, 2 1/2 lengths behind pace-setting Kapitale. Stars to Shine, Vamo a Galupiar, and Pagera were also close to the pace, while Trois Lunes, Barefoot Lady, Dream Peace, Kissable, and Princess Highway were in mid-pack and no more than about five lengths off the lead, while All Star Heart, Moment of Majesty, and Havant were the trailers.

Through moderate fractions of :25.83, :50.53, 1:14.93, and 1:39.20, Kapitale led the way, but entering the homestretch she began to tire and soon retreated to finish twelfth. Pagera was poised to take advantage of the situation, and would have if Siyouma had not blown past her with an explosive run to seize command of the lead. From there, the race was over, as Siyouma coasted home to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 2:03.04 seconds over a course labeled good.

Pagera held well to finish second by a neck over Dream Peace, who rallied well to be second at the eighth pole before flattening out just a bit. Kissable, Havant, Barefoot Lady, Moment of Majesty, All Star Heart, Stars to Shine, Princess Highway, Trois Lunes, Kapitale, and Vamo a Galupiar completed the order of finish.

The winner is a four-year-old daughter of Medicean out of the Danehill mare Sichilla. She is trained by Francois Doumen and owned by Robert Jeffcock.

-Keelerman

Next Question sprints to Nearctic triumph

16-1 shot Next Question was one of the longer shots in the $500,000 Nearctic Stakes (Can-I) last Sunday at Woodbine, but the four-year-old gelding apparently didn't know that. With John Velazquez aboard, he was able to steal the race in gate-to-wire fashion, holding off a late charge from Night Carnation to win the six-furlong turf sprint by a half-length.

Racing over a course labeled good, Next Question showed speed from the start, setting fractions of :23.03 and :45.71 while being pressured by Bear Tough Tiger. Super Chunky and Artic Fern were right behind the leading pair, followed then by Night Carnation, Stormy Rush, and Grand Adventure. As de Trobel, Big Band Sound, Fire Lily (who got off to a very poor start), and Hammers Terror were the trailers.

Next Question and Bear Tough Tiger continued to duel around the turn and into the homestretch, entering the final furlong with nothing between them. In the final sixteenth, Next Question put his rival away, but then had to hold off a late challenge Night Carnation, which he did so gamely. The final margin of victory was a half-length, with the final time being 1:09.32 seconds.

Bear Tough Tiger finished another half-length behind Night Carnation in third, while Big Band Sound rallied well to complete the superfecta. Stormy Rush, As de Trobel, Super Chunky, Hammers Terror, Grand Adventure, Fire Lily, and Artic Fern completed the order of finish.

The winner is a son of Stormy Atlantic out of the Slew City Slew mare Seattle Stardust. He is trained by Michael Trombetta and owned by Three Diamonds Farm.

-Keelerman

Woodbine Super Sunday Analysis

Later this afternoon, Woodbine will play host to a trio of prestigious grade I turf races, including the $1.5 million Pattison Canadian International. There are a ton of interesting horses entered, so let's start handicapping!

Nearctic Stakes (gr. I)

The morning line favorite is the local hero Big Band Sound, who won the Play the King Stakes (gr. II) two starts back in brilliant fashion over the Woodbine turf. Overall, he's been very consistent this year, winning or placing in six of his eight starts, but six furlongs may be a tad short for him.

If that is the case, than look for Fire Lily to take advantage of the situation. A very talented Irish-bred three-year-old filly, she finished second in a pair of group I races as a juvenile and has been very competitive in group III races this year. In fact, three starts back, she beat subsequent Prix de la Foret (Fr-I) winner and Betfred Sprint Cup (Eng-I) runner-up Gordon Lord Byron by a half-length in the Patrick O'Leary Memorial Phoenix Sprint (Ire-III). Given this record, one has to like her chances later this afternoon, although the fact that she has drawn post eleven is a serious concern.

The other European shipper, Night Carnation, is also mildly intriguing, but the filly has not won a stakes race of any kind since taking the group III Coral Charge Sprint Stakes in July 2011. With John Velazquez in the saddle, you can't count her out, but she probably isn't quite as good as Fire Lily.

Bear Tough Tiger has won two of his last three starts in excellent fashion, but is taking a sizable step up in class and will have to overcome breaking from the rail. But at least that is better than drawing gate eleven. I envision him showing speed from the start, setting the pace, and hopefully holding off the closers late.

Selection: Bear Tough Tiger

E.P. Taylor Stakes (gr. I)

It's hard to look past morning line favorite Siyouma, for the Irish-bred filly is coming off of a strong victory in the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (Eng-I) over the very talented Elusive Kate. True, that race was only a mile, but her form at ten furlongs is decent enough to suggest that her class can help her successfully stretch out in distance.

Her main competition will probably come from Dream Peace, who has placed in both the Diana Stakes (gr. I) and Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (gr. I) this summer. She is coming back a bit quick off of her last effort -- with just two weeks rest -- but ten furlongs should be just about perfect for her, and the long Woodbine homestretch should help her late rally.

Barefoot Lady won the Canadian Stakes (gr. II) here at Woodbine in good fashion last month, but is facing tougher today and will have to step up. The same goes for the other European shippers -- Pagera, Trois Lunes, Princess Highway, and Havant -- most of which have shown good form in lower level group races and could contend with career-best efforts.

Selection: Siyouma

Pattison Canadian International (gr. I)

Going over the past performances, it's hard to look past the European shippers, led by morning line favorite Imperial Monarch. From the powerful barn of Aidan O'Brien, the three-year-old colt has won three of his four starts, including the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-I). He's proven at this distance and over soft turf, but he hasn't run since mid-July. Will he be fit enough to defeat a field of this caliber off of such a lengthy layoff?

If he's not quite up to the challenge, than Reliable Man can pull off a mild upset. Trained by Alain De Royer-Dupre, the talented colt has not won a race in over a year, but he has been running against some of the best horses in Europe, including Danedream, Nathaniel, St. Nicholas Abbey, So You Think, Farhh, Golden Lilac, and Cirrus des Aigles. And given how he has held his own against many of this, one has to view him as a serious contender for the win. Plus, he will have the services of top jockey Olivier Peslier.

Joshua Tree won this race two years ago and finished a strong second last year, signaling that he is quite found of the Woodbine course. Last time out, he finished a strong third to subsequent Arc de Triomphe runner-up Orfevre in the Qatar Prix Foy (Fr-II), proving that he has retained his good form. Frankie Dettori has the mount.

Wigmore Hall has won the Northern Dancer Stakes (gr. I) here at Woodbine two years in a row, but has never been better than a group II/III type in Europe, so beating the likes of Reliable Man and Imperial Monarch could be difficult. However, like Joshua Tree, he has shown an affinity for the course, so counting him out could prove a mistake.

Air Support looks like the best of the North American hopefuls, as he can unleash a strong late kick on occasion and has run well at the grade I level, but the turf course may turn up a bit soft for him today. A good pace to run at would greatly help his chances, but time will tell if he gets one.

Let me also take a moment to mention Prince Will I Am, winner of the grade I Jamaica Handicap in 2010. His last two efforts haven't been particularly noteworthy, but he does seem to be rounding back into his 2010 form, and twelve furlongs on turf seems to suit him well. Perhaps the long Woodbine homestretch will help him rally for a piece.

Selection: Reliable Man

-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

River Seven posts 7-1 upset in Grey Stakes

7-1 shot River Seven tracked a slow pace before accelerating away in the homestretch to break his maiden in the $200,000 Grey Stakes (gr. III) on Sunday at Woodbine by three-quarters of a length.

Ridden to victory by Eurico Da Silva, River Seven got off to a good start at the beginning of the 1 1/16th miles race and settled into second place as Five Iron led the way through slow fractions of :24.58 and :48.83 seconds. Heavily favored three-time stakes winner Uncaptured was racing in the third, position, followed closely by Mercenary and Tesseron. Indiano Jones was the trailer by a fairly substantial margin.

The positions remained relatively unchanged down the backstretch and around the far turn, but following three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.61, River Seven made his bid for the lead, drawing up alongside Five Iron and gradually drawing away to secure a half-length advantage passing the eighth pole. Uncaptured was attempting to rally in between horses, but lacked room and had to check behind River Seven inside the final furlong. Thus, Tesseron became the main threat to steal the victory from River Seven, but the latter colt proved game to the finish, holding off Tesseron's five-wide bid to win in good fashion, stopping the clock in 1:43.98 seconds.

Indiano Jones rallied well to finish a neck behind Tesseron in third, followed then by Five Iron, Uncaptured, and Mercenary. A claim of foul by the rider of Uncaptured against River Seven was not allowed.

River Seven is a gelded son of Johannesburg out of the Chester House mare Sans Souci Island. Owned by Tucci Stables and trained by Nicholas Gonzalez, River Seven has now compiled a record of 1-2-1 from 4 starts, with earnings of $206,864. He had previously finished second in the Vandal Stakes and third in the Clarendon Stakes, both of which were won by Uncaptured. In his final start prior to the Grey Stakes, he finished second to Tesseron in a maiden special weight.

-Keelerman

Spring Venture coasts to easy Mazarine Stakes win

Heavily favored Spring Venture picked up another easy victory this Saturday at Woodbine when she coasted to an unchallenged win in the $200,000 Mazarine Stakes (gr. III) over the Polytrack.

Trained by Mark Casse, the daughter of Spring at Last has previously won two races over the Woodbine turf, breaking her maiden first time out and backing that up with a terrific victory in the Natalma Stakes (gr. II) over that same surface.

Making her Polytrack debut in the Mazarine, Spring Venture was ridden to victory by Patrick Husbands. Fourth early on behind a slow pace of :24.88 and :50.14, Spring Venture gradually moved up into second place and then settled there, biding her time as front-running Shenandoah Lady continued to carve out slow fractions. Turning into the homestretch, Husbands asked Spring Venture for run, and the filly responded under a mild hand ride to take command of the lead, drawing away easily to win the 1 1/16th miles race by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:46.74.

Seaneen Girl narrowly held off Every Way to finish second, while Shenandoah Lady, Anfield Park, and Jazzy Jane completed the order of finish.

Spring Venture is owned by Gary Barber and Stoneway Farm. It is very possible that the filly could start in a Breeders' Cup race, although which one -- the Juvenile Fillies or the Juvenile Fillies Turf -- remains open to question.

-Keelerman

Wise Dan Romps in Woodbine Mile

Heavily favored Wise Dan added yet another impressive victory to his record when he dominated an excellent field in the $1,000,000 Ricoh Woodbine Mile (Can-I) on Saturday afternoon at Woodbine.

A gelded son of Wiseman's Ferry out of the Wolf Power mare Lisa Danielle, Wise Dan was sent off as the 0.55-1 favorite in a field of nine thanks to a eye-catching victory in the Fourstardave Handicap (gr. II) at Saratoga. With John Velazquez aboard for trainer Charles Lopresti, Wise Dan broke just a bit slowly, but soon recovered to settle into third place along the rail as Worthadd and Artic Fern set fractions of :23.78 and :46.90 seconds. Cityscape was on the outside in fourth, while Hollinger, Big Band Sound, and Hunters Bay comprised the group of mid-pack runners. Dance And Dance and Riding the River were the early trailers.

Rounding the turn, Wise Dan made a bold and decisive bid to seize command of the lead, entering the homestretch with a commanding advantage. Cityscape briefly loomed a threat on the outside, but he failed to sustain his challenge, leaving Wise Dan to romp home uncontested by 3 1/4 lengths.

The final time over a firm turf course was 1:34.07 seconds. Hunters Bay rallied well toward the inside to secure second over Cityscape, while Riding the River, Dance And Dance, Big Band Sound, Worthadd, Hollinger, and Artic Fern completed the order of finish.

Bred and owned by Morton Fink, Wise Dan has now compiled a record of 11-1-0 from 18 starts, with earnings of $2,011,638. He is pointing toward a start in either the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I) or the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) in November at Santa Anita Park.

-Keelerman

Stealcase Makes the Grade in Ontario Derby

Trainer Mark Casse has long believed that Stealcase is a colt of very fine quality. His opinion was vindicated this afternoon at Woodbine racecourse when the three-year-old colt rallied for a decisive victory in the $150,000 Ontario Derby (gr. III), the first stakes victory of Stealcase's career.

With jockey Patrick Husbands aboard, Stealcase broke a bit slowly and found himself toward the rear of the seven-horse field early on while Gung Ho set a moderate pace of :24.74 and :49.96 seconds. Colleen's Sailor and Ultimate Destiny were his closest pursuers, with Any Given Royal and River Rush in mid-pack. Peyton was the early trailer.

Gung Ho continued to lead the way through three-quarters of a mile in 1:14.04 seconds, and turning for home, he appeared to have a shot at stealing the race in gate-to-wire fashion. However, the colt began to weaken in the homestretch, allowing Any Given Royal to take a brief lead. But Stealcase was finishing strongest of all on the far outside, sweeping past horses inside the eighth pole to win the race by 1 1/4 lengths. The final time was 1:50.56 seconds.

Any Given Royal held off River Rush to finish second, followed then by Gung Ho, Colleen's Sailor, Peyton, and Ultimate Destiny.

The winner is owned by John C. Oxley and was bred by Secret Whispers Partnership. A son of Lawyer Ron out of the Cat Thief mare Steal the Show, Stealcase has now won three of his eleven starts and has earnings to $313,619.

-Keelerman

European shipper Barefoot Lady wins Canadian Stakes

Barefoot Lady, a two-time stakes winner making her first start outside of Europe, rallied strongly in the long Woodbine homestretch to win the $300,000 Canadian Stakes (Can-II) in decisive fashion.

The daughter of Footstepsinthesand was ridden to victory by David Moran, who gave the four-year-old mare an excellent ground-saving trip while tracking the pace in the fourth position. The early leaders were Laughing and Stars to Shine, who set slow fractions of :24.61 and :48.59 seconds. Smart Sting was on the outside in third, with the eventual winner racing to her inside. All Star Heart and Kapitale were in mid-pack, while Moment of Majesty, Shimmering Moment, and Indian Pond were the early trailers.

As the field made their way around the final turn, Barefoot Lady shifted to the outside to commence a three-wide bid for the lead as Laughing gave way. This left Stars to Shine as the leader, and she briefly opened up a clear advantage, but Barefoot Lady was moving too strongly to be denied, taking over the lead prior to the eighth pole and continuing on strongly to win the about nine-furlong turf race in 1:45.89 seconds.

All Star Heart finished well in deep stretch to edge out Stars to Shine for the place, while Kapitale, Indian Pond, Smart Sting, Moment of Majesty, Laughing, and Shimmering Moment completed the order of finish.

Barefoot Lady is trained by Richard Fahey and owned by Mrs. H. Steel. Out of the Tenby mare Lady Angharad, Barefoot Lady has now compiled a record of 5-2-3 from 19 starts and has earned $454,855.

-Keelerman