Toronto, On – The richest day of the year in Canadian thoroughbred racing unfolds Saturday at Woodbine, when three Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ turf stakes races will be contested.
The marquee event is the $2 million Pattison Canadian International, at one and one-half miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. A field of eight will go postward at 5:40 pm in the 72nd edition of the race and the 52nd since it became a turf event in 1958.
Alan Spence’s Jukebox Jury, trained by Mark Johnston, has been established as the 5-2 morning line favourite. The Irish-bred three-year-old enters off a Group 1 win in Germany in the Preis von Europa on September 27. To be ridden by Royston Ffrench, the son of champion Montjeu will try to become the 13th three-year-old to win the race and the first since Phoenix Reach in 2003. He’ll carry 119 pounds, while his seven rivals each carry 126 pounds.
Defending champion Marsh Side, owned and bred by Robert Evans, is the 7-2 second choice. Trained by Neil Drysdale and ridden by Javier Castellano, the Kentucky-bred six-year-old son of Gone West scored in last year’s International at 29-1, the longest priced winner in history. With a victory, he would join George Royal (1965-66) as the only back-to-back winners of the International since 1958. Majesty’s Prince is the only other two-time winner since then, taking the 1982 and 1984 renewals.
Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Champs Elysees, who finished third to Marsh Side last year, is the 4-1 third choice. The British-bred six-year-old son of Danehill will be ridden by Garrett Gomez for trainer Bobby Frankel. Juddmonte has won two previous Internationals, in 1990 with French Glory and in 1994 with Raintrap.
The Pattison will be preceded by the $500,000 Nearctic Stakes at six furlongs, with a field of 11 going postward at 4:23 pm, headed by the 5-2 choice Jungle Wave and the $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes for fillies and mares at one and one-quarter miles, set for 5:03 pm, with Group 1 winners Rainbow View (8-5) and Look Here (3-1), the top two choices in the field of eight.
U.S. TV sports network ESPN will be at Woodbine to cover the Breeders’ Cup Challenge ‘Win and You’re In’ races. The special live telecast is from 4:00 pm. to 6:00 pm ET on TSN2 and TSN2 HD in Canada and ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD in the U.S. The host will be Joe Tessitore, with analysts Randy Moss and Jerry Bailey, reporters Jeannine Edwards and Jay Privman and handicapper Hank Goldberg.
Post time for the first (of 11 races) is 12:50 pm., 10 minutes earlier than the usual 1:00 pm post.
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