Joshua Tree, ridden by Ryan Moore, won a record third Pattison Canadian International Sunday at Woodbine, hanging on to defeat Hyper and Seismos in the Grade 1, $1 million mile and one-half turf classic.
Owned by Khalid Nabooda and Kamel Albahou for the past three years, six-year-old Joshua Tree, trained this year by Ed Dunlop, thus entered the International record books as the only three-time winner in its 76 editions.
He also captured the 2010 and 2012 renewals, when trained by Aidan O’Brien and Marco Botti, respectively.
At the finish, Joshua Tree had scored by three-quarters of a length over a rallying Hyper, with Seismos another three-quarters back in third and a neck in front of Now We Can, in a final time of 2:35.45. Slumber, the 8-5 favourite, faded to sixth.
Stormy Len led the field of 10 until the turn for home, setting fractions of :25.55, :51.44, 1:17.14 and 1:42.29 over a yielding E.P. Taylor Turf Course, while being stalked by Slumber on the outside, with Joshua Tree neatly tucked behind in third on the inside.
However, Stormy Len went a little wide into the stretch, taking Slumber further out but critically allowing Joshua Tree, the 6-1 third choice, to scoot up the fence and open several lengths on his pursuers.
But the Irish-bred son of Montjeu-Madeira Mist, who dwarfed his rivals in career earnings coming into the race, with over $3.1 million, most of which came from his two previous Pattison wins and a runner-up finish in 2011, was all out near the finish. The Chad Brown-trained, Joel Rosario-ridden Hyper fashioned a late move from way back, while also being shadowed by Seismos on the outside.
“He started a little slow. I was in a good position and quite happy to let the other horse (Stormy Len) take the lead,” said Moore, whose best previous International finish was a second aboard
Ask, a nose behind Cloudy’s Knight in 2007. “I didn’t want to get into the race too early, so I let Mike (Smith, jockey of Slumber) go and I thought he stays so well, I’ll get a good run up the inside and kick home. I went a little sooner than I would have liked ideally but somehow I knew he’d stay better and outfight most of them.”
Indeed he did. Joshua Tree hung on for the historic win, his seventh career tally in 31 starts, but, like 2010, the Pattison was his first win of the season. He’d entered off a 13th place finish to Treve in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe earlier this month, setting the pace until turning for home before fading and finishing 14 and three-quarter lengths behind.
“He seems to be at home here,” said Andrew Stringer, assistant trainer for Dunlop. “He drank well, ate well, and trained well. He settled down. Everything was perfect preparation for him.
We had a bit of rain which helped. I just can’t believe it that he’s won three Group 1 races here for three different trainers with three different training methods. It just goes to show you how tough and genuine this horse is.
“I’d like to thank Pattison, the race sponsor,” added Stringer. “This horse has won a lot of dollars and it’s almost all from Pattison.”
Rosario, who earlier on the card won the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor aboard favoured Tannery, said, about Hyper, “I had a very good trip. I thought he would pick it up a little more turning for home but that horse (Joshua Tree) had another kick. He ran his race. I don’t have any excuse, there was no trouble and he tried very hard.”
Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield, looking to win his first International, didn’t fare too well with his hopefuls. Forte Dei Marmi, the 5-1 second choice, finished seventh while Canadian-bred Perfect Timber, the fifth choice at 9-1, finished last.
Joshua Tree earned $600,000 for the win, pushing his career bankroll to over $3.7 million.
He paid $15.30, $7.20 and $4.50, combining with Hyper ($6.90, $4.60) for a $92.90 (5-1) exactor. A 5-1-9 (Seismos, $6) triactor was worth $942 while a $1 Superfecta [5-1-9-7 (Now We Can)] lit up the tote board with a $4,705.70 payoff.
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