Tag: Racing

This year's edition of the prestigious $750,000 Canadian International (G1T), set for this Sunday at Woodbine, has once again attracted a top-class field of turf talents from across the world.

Having returned after a year's absence – the race was paused in 2022 due to travel complications prompted by the worldwide pandemic – the 84th edition of the International will see eight runners vie for top prize in the 1 ¼-mile race contested over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

The stakes-laden day of racing, which also features the $750,000 E.P. Taylor (G1T), $250,000 Nearctic (G2T), and $200,000 Algonquin (five furlongs on the inner turf), will include a special tribute to the 50th anniversary of the legendary Secretariat's iconic 1973 International triumph, highlighted by a “Big Red” exhibit presented by the National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame, showcased at Woodbine from October 5-8.

The powerhouse trio of owner Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick return to Woodbine after teaming to win the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1T) with Master of The Seas (IRE), a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event, on September 16. ​ ​

In 2021, Godolphin and Appleby won the International when Walton Street (GB) waltzed to a 5 ¾-length score with Frankie Dettori in the irons.

This time, they will look to Godolphin homebred, multiple Grade/Group 1 winner Nations Pride (IRE), a globetrotting 4-year-old son of Teofilo (IRE)-Important Time (IRE), to carry their hopes.

After a runner-up result in his September 2021 debut at two, Nations Pride reeled off four straight subsequent victories.

The bay was then entered to run in the 2022 Belmont Derby after competing in the Group 1 Epsom Derby in June.

Nations Pride impressed in his first North American test, running second in the first leg of the Caesars Turf Triple series last July and built on that performance with a 1 ¾- length triumph in the $1 million Caesars Saratoga Derby (G1T) a month later.

After those efforts, he travelled to Keeneland where he finished fifth, 3 ¾ lengths behind stablemate Rebel's Romance, in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) in November.

Nations Pride then spent the early part of 2023 in Meydan where he won the Dubai Millennium Stakes and finished third to Lord North in the Dubai Turf.

His return to Europe yielded a stirring score in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (G1T) at Munich in late July.

“He beat a solid field of horses that day on ground which was softer than he would prefer,” said Appleby, of the three-length victory at 1 ¼ miles over “yielding' ground.

The International will mark Nations Pride's first race since the win in Germany.

“Visually, his win in the Jockey Club Derby at Aqueduct,” noted Appleby of Nations Pride's most impressive victory. “We were stepping him back up to the mile and a half which was a slight concern, but he travelled so well and won with ease.”

Appleby believes his charge will appreciate running over the E.P. Taylor course.

“He should be suited to the fair track at Woodbine,” said Appleby. “He has shown huge versatility in both Europe, North America, and Dubai. He has a great constitution and is very relaxed which has no doubt contributed to him winning from a mile up to a mile and a half.”

Grade 1 winner Adhamo (IRE), a 5-year-old son of Intello (GER)-Foreign Tune (GB), has flourished in the U.S. after four wins, including a Group 3 victory, in France. Trained by Chad Brown, the chestnut, owned by Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, Louis Lazzinarro LLC, and Michael Caruso, is 5-3-4 mark from 18 starts, with his biggest victory to date coming in the 2022 United Nations (G1T) Stakes. Bred by Wertheimer et Frere, Adhamo (IRE) will contest his seventh straight Grade 1 race.

British Royalty, a 5-year-old son of English Channel-Queen Martha, is no stranger to success on the E.P. Taylor turf, having won the 2021 Breeders' Stakes (third jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown), at 1 ½ miles. Trained by Barbara Minshall, who co-owns with Bruce Lunsford, the bay gelding, bred in Ontario by Richard Lister, is 2-4-1 from 21 career starts.

Owned by Three Diamonds Farm, 6-year-old Dynadrive, trained by Michael Maker, will make his second start at Woodbine. The son of Temple City-Harbingerofthings was seventh in a 7 ½-furlong inner turf race at the Toronto oval in his third lifetime start on October 13, 2019. The dark bay gelding, bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm LLC, has composed a mark of 8-6-2 from 31 races.

English Conqueror, fourth in the 2021 edition of the Canadian International, is trained by Darwin Banach for owner William Sorokolit, Jr. The 6-year-old son of English Channel-Regal Conqueror, who is 3-4-8 from 26 starts, has raced three times in the U.S., earning a pair of seconds and a third. He was bred in Ontario by JWS Farms.

Trained by dual hall of famer Mark Casse for owner Gary Barber, 5-year-old Palazzi will look to make it four straight wins on Sunday. The son of Pioneerof the Nile-Kindle heads into the International off three straight triumphs, two on turf, the other on Tapeta, including his most recent victory, a half-length win in the 1 ¼-mile Singspiel (G3T) on September 9. Overall, the bay gelding, bred in Kentucky by HnR Nothhaft Horseracing LLC and Pioneerof the Nile Syndicate, is 5-3-2 from 23 races.

Royal Champion (IRE), trained by Roger Varian, will make his North American debut in the International. Bred and owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, the 5-year-old son of Shamardal-Emirates Queen (GB) is 4-0-3 from 12 starts. The bay gelding won the Wolferton Stakes at Ascot in June and was third in the Group 2 York Stakes at the end of July.

Trainer Michael Maker's second entrant comes in the form of Starting Over, a 6-year-old grey son of Liam's Map-Vanishing. Bred in Kentucky by George Strawbridge, Jr., the gelding has fashioned a record of 4-3-4 from 21 starts. Owned by Nice Guys Stable, the well-traveled Starting Over will be making his first start outside of the U.S. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Joshua Tree (IRE) is the only three-time winner of the Canadian International with successes in 2010, 2012, and 2013, along with a second-place finish in 2011. Other notable winners include Secretariat, All Along, Chief Bearhart, Singspiel, Youth, Snow Knight, Dahlia, and George Royal.

PLEASE NOTE: As part of SECRETARIAT'S 50th ANNIVERSARY EXHIBIT presented by the National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame, jockey Eddie Maple, who was aboard “Big Red” in the 1973 Canadian International, will be signing on autographs on the third floor at Woodbine, from noon-2 p.m. this Sunday.

Field for the Grade 1 Canadian International
Post position – Jockey – Trainer ​

1 – British Royalty – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Barbara Minshall

2 – Dynadrive – Rafael Hernandez – Michael Maker

3 – Palazzi – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

4 – Nations Pride (IRE) – William Buick – Charlie Appleby

5 – English Conqueror – Javier Castellano – Darwin Banach

6 – Starting Over – Trevor McCarthy – Michael Maker

7 – Adhamo (IRE) – Kazushi Kimura – Chad Brown

8 – Royal Champion (IRE) – James Doyle – Roger Varian

The post Appleby Sends Out Nations Pride For Sunday’s Canadian International appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Practical Move, sidelined since winning the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 8, is set to return to the races on Friday in a competitive one-mile classified allowance at Santa Anita Park.

Trained by Tim Yakteen, Practical Move is listed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for his comeback. Regular rider Ramon Vazquez will be in the irons. Also entered in the field of seven is the comebacking Grade 2 winner Newgrange (3-1), who has been off since a seventh-place effort in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap March 4 for trainer Phil D'Amato. Yakteen will also start American Admiral, most recently second in the Sept. 17 Los Alamitos Special.

Practical Move won the Santa Anita Derby by a nose, making him a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs a month later. However, while in Louisville, Practical Move spiked a temperature the week of the race and had to be scratched.

Practical Move returned to the work tab Aug. 13 at Del Mar. He has had nine drills for his comeback. In September had two six-furlong works followed by a pair of quick five furlong moves with the most recent completed in 59.60 seconds on Saturday.

“Everything has been straightforward,” Yakteen said of Practical Move's preparation.

While it's going on six months since Practical Move's last start, Yakteen said he appears to be much the same colt physically as in the spring.

“I haven't really seen any change. He's a big horse as it is, 1,250 pounds, so I wouldn't want him to put any more weight on anyway,” Yakteen said. “I'm very happy with what I've seen and how he's coming in.”

Ideally, Yakteen is hoping a good effort Friday could propel Practical Move to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile here on Nov. 4.

“We'll take it one race at a time. The main thing is we want him to come back how he left off,” Yakteen said. “If he does, we'll put our heads together and think about the Breeders' Cup. It would be nice if we could entertain that.”

By Practical Joke, Practical Move is owned by Leslie A. Amestoy, Pierre J. Amestoy and Roger Beasley. Prior to his win in the Santa Anita Derby, Practical Move won the G2 San Felipe on March 4 at Santa Anita and G2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December. His career mark is 4-1-2 in seven starts with earnings of $884,200.

Also in the field Friday is Grade 1 winner Tripoli (8-1) for trainer John Sadler and a pair of colts trained by Bob Baffert, Mr Fisk (4-1) and Tahoe Sunrise (4-1). Mr. Fisk and Tahoe Sunrise most recently dead-heated for the win in the restricted Shared Belief for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar July 17.

Practical Move's comeback goes as the eighth race on a nine-race card set for Friday. It is a second-level allowance that's also open to horses who have not won a race since June 18. Post time is scheduled for 4:42 p.m. Pacific.

The field in post position order: Tahoe Sunrise, Victor Espinoza (4-1); American Admiral, J.G. Torrealba (6-1); Mr Fisk, Juan Hernandez (4-1); Newgrange, Edwin Maldonado (3-1); Practical Move, Ramon Vazquez (8-1); Tripoli, Tiago Pereira (8-1); Divine Armor, Antonio Fresu (9-1).

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D.J. Stable's millionaire graded stakes-winner Webslinger brings class and consistency to Saturday's Grade 3, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational, an 11-furlong inner turf test for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Hall Famer Mark Casse, Webslinger [post 3, Javier Castellano] contested the first two legs of NYRA's unique trio of turf races for sophomores, finishing fourth in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational in July and a close second, defeated a head to Program Trading, in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational last out on August 5.

He rallied from last-of-11 under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano to miss by just 1 1/2-lengths to the victorious Far Bridge in the Belmont Derby, but was more involved in the early going last out and took the lead at the stretch call only to be denied in the final jumps.

Casse said Webslinger is a better horse when he can be closer to the pace.

“The problem is he doesn't break overly fast and it takes him a little bit of time to get in gear,” Casse said. “So, a couple times he's been compromised. He definitely runs a little better when he's in the middle of the pack or a little closer. Javier knows that but sometimes the horse doesn't listen.”

The Constitution gelding is a veteran of 11 starts for a record of 4-3-1 and purse earnings of $1,025,320, led by a score in the Grade 2 American Turf in May at Churchill Downs. The well-traveled bay also boasts stakes wins in the Nownownow last September at Monmouth Park and the Audubon in June at Churchill Downs.

Casse said he freshened up Webslinger with this race in mind and the horse has responded in kind with a pair of good recent works over the main track at Belmont Park, including a five-eighths effort in 1:01.84 on September 22.

“I felt like he had run strong and hard on numerous occasions,” Casse said. “I flirted with the idea of taking him to Kentucky Downs, but I felt like his last race was a little harder on him so we let him rebound and I think it's paid dividends. He's training extremely well right now.”

Bred in Kentucky by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, Webslinger, out of the Hard Spun mare Arana, was purchased for $50,000 at the OBS June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Godolphin's undefeated British homebred Measured Time [post 1, William Buick] will look to make his stateside debut a winning one for trainer Charlie Appleby.

The Frankel bay, out of the Street Cry mare Minidress, could give his connections a unique graded double as they send out his half-brother – the multiple Group/Graded winner Rebel's Romance – in Saturday's co-featured Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

Measured Time made his first two starts over the Kempton all-weather surface, graduating in February and returning in August to take a novice weight for age. He made his turf debut last out in a 10-furlong handicap on August 25 at Newmarket, drawing off to a five-length score over good-to-firm going.

Wertheimer and Frere's stakes-winner Dataman [post 5, Trevor McCarthy] will look to make the grade for trainer Graham Motion.

A Kentucky homebred, the Tapit grey captured the 1 3/16-mile Bald Eagle Derby in August at Laurel Park at odds of 12-1, but failed to fire his best shot last out when fifth in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs.

“He's doing great. I thought he could be been a little closer at Colonial, he got in a little trouble,” Motion said. “But he's proved to be the type of horse that I thought he would be last year. I think he just needed to grow up and I don't think distance is an issue for him.”

Dataman, a half-brother to the Motion-trained duo of graded stakes-placed Alda and stakes-winner Serifos, is out of the Maria's Mon mare Soldata, who is a full-sister to dual graded stakes-winner Exhi.

LFG Racing's Anglophile [post 7, Declan Cannon] made the grade last out with a half-length score over the aforementioned Grade 1-winner Far Bridge in the 1 5/16-mile Grade 3 Dueling Grounds Derby on September at Kentucky Downs.

Trained by Brian Lynch, the English Channel chestnut was a troubled third in the prep for the Dueling Grounds Derby on August 5 at Ellis Park when in need of racing room at the top of the lane and bumping with rivals before settling for third in a race won by the multiple stakes-winner Wadsworth.

Anglophile had no such difficulties last out, saving ground under a patient Declan Cannon and surging inside of rivals in the stretch run to stave off the outside bid of Far Bridge by a half-length.

The talented chestnut sports a record of 9-3-1-2 for purse earnings of $735,599. He is out of the Kitten's Joy mare Trustmore Lovemore, who is a half-sister to dual graded stakes-winner Daring Dancer – winner of the 2014 Grade 2 Lake George at the Spa.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented by a trio of runners in Harrell Ventures' graded stakes-placed Lost Ark [post 8, Kendrick Carmouche], who adds blinkers, Whisper Hill Farm's three-time winner Classic Catch [post 6, Florent Geroux], and Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway Stable's two-time winner Fearless Soldier [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.].

Lost Ark, by Violence, made his first six starts on dirt, taking the Sapling at second asking last August at Monmouth Park. He won his seasonal debut when facing elders over the same course in June but was a distant fourth in the restricted Curlin in July at Saratoga. Lost Ark made his turf debut last out in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Saranac when third defeated 4 1/4-lengths by the victorious Carl Spackler.

Classic Catch, by Classic Empire, will make his turf debut in his ninth lifetime start. A maiden winner in November here, he took an optional-claimer in March at Gulfstream Park but failed to threaten when fifth in the Big A's Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino in April and fourth in the Grade 3 Peter Pan in May at Belmont.

Last out, Classic Catch, out of the graded stakes-winning Malibu Moon mare Moon Catcher, was a prominent winner of a 10-furlong off-the-turf optional claiming route on August 9 at Saratoga. The neck score garnered a 100 Beyer.

Fearless Soldier, by City of Light, was purchased for $700,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He graduated at second asking in his turf debut in a 7 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park and followed with a narrow neck defeat to next out graded stakes-winner More Than Looks in a 1 1/16-mile allowance versus older company on June 17 at Ellis Park.

Although an uncharacteristic sixth in an optional-claimer at the Spa in July, he returned to winning form last out with a gate-to-wire romp against elders traveling 1 5/16-miles on September 3 at Kentucky Downs.

Fearless Soldier is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Hessie's Girl, who is a half-sister to dual graded stakes-winner Bullsbay – victor of the 2009 Grade 1 Whitney Handicap.

Rounding out an ultra-competitive field are Grade 1-placed Mondego [post 9, Dylan Davis] for conditioner Christophe Clement, and allowance winner Faraday [post 2, Manny Franco] for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

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