EARLY LOOK AT THE PATTISON CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL (12)
Horse/Owner/Trainer/Jockey
Air Support/Stuart Janney/Shug McGaughey/Javier Castellano
Al Khali/Brous Stable and Wachtel Stable/Bill Mott/Garrett Gomez
Dandino/Elite Racing Club/James Fanshawe/Jim Crowley
Forte Dei Marmi/Stella Perdomo/Roger Attfield/John Velazquez
Imperial Monarch/Magnier, Tabor & Smith/Aidan O’Brien/TBA
Joshua Tree/Nabooda & Albahou/Marco Botti/Frankie Dettori
Lay Time/Robert Barnett/Andrew Balding/Jimmy Fortune
Prince Will I Am/Casa Farms I LLC/Michelle Nihei/Luis Contreras
Reliable Man/Fair Salinia Ltd./Alain de Royer-Dupre/Olivier Peslier
Scalo/Gestut Ittlingen/Andreas Wohler/Andrasch Starke
Stormy Lord/Hat Trick Stables & Kinghaven Farms/Ian Black/TBA
Wigmore Hall/Mark Hawtin/Michael Bell/Jamie Spencer
ARC-WINNING JOCKEY PESLIER TO RIDE RELIABLE MAN IN INTERNATIONAL
Olivier Peslier, who guided Solemia to a thrilling score in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, will partner Reliable Man in Sunday’s Grade 1, $1.5-million Pattison Canadian International.
Peslier, who was aboard Reliable Man for his past two starts, a fourth in the Grade 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 21 and a second in the Grade 3 La Coupe de Maisons Laffite on September 21, will also be aboard Pagera in the E.P. Taylor Stakes.
A four-year-old grey son of Dalakhani, Reliable Man has four wins, including last year’s Grade 1 French Derby, one second and two thirds from 11 lifetime starts, for trainer Alain De Royer-Dupre and owner Fair Salinia Ltd.
Peslier’s most recent appearance at Woodbine came five years ago with Irish Wells in the International. He won the 1997 E.P. Taylor Stakes with Kool Kat Katie.
MOTT READIES AL KHALI FOR ANOTHER PCI ATTEMPT
Six-year-old Al Khali, a son of Medaglia d’Oro, will make a second appearance in the Pattison Canadian International, Sunday at Woodbine.
In 2010, he finished a hard-luck, charging fourth to Joshua Tree, beaten just three-quarters of a length, after encountering some trouble in the stretch.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is happy with the current condition of his hopeful, coming off a second-place finish, just a neck behind PCI rival Wigmore Hall, in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer, September 16 at Woodbine, after being the runner-up to Point of Entry in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga on August 18.
“He had a great trip (in the Northern Dancer). Garrett (Gomez) rode him very well, he battled back through the stretch, looked like he might win it at one point but we were just outrun, second-best,” said Mott, who won the 1995 International with Lassigny. “He’s in good form. There’s been some that have outrun him but he always shows up.”
Gomez will be looking for a second International victory, this time aboard the seven-time winner, owned by Brous Stable and Wachtel Stable, after guiding Champs Elysees to the winner’s circle in 2009.
PARALYMPIC STAR SUMMER MORTIMER IS GUEST DRAWMASTER FOR THE INTERNATIONAL
Summer Mortimer, who won four medals in swimming for Canada, including two gold at the recent London Paralympics, will be the drawmaster when the post position draw for the Pattison Canadian International takes place at noon, on Thursday, October 11, at Woodbine’s east-end VIP tent.
Mortimer, from Ancaster, is a four-time world champion in the sport.
The 75th running of the Pattison Canadian International is set for Sunday.
THE SCORE TO AIR PCI
The Score will provide special two-hour live coverage of the Pattison Canadian International from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm ET. The turf classic is slated to go postward at 5:44 pm ET. The show will also include the running of the Grade 1, $1-million E.P. Taylor Stakes (4:38 pm ET).
Jason Portuondo will host the telecast with Gemini Award recipient Jim Bannon and TVG’s Matt Carothers providing the analysis. Sandy Hawley is the on-track reporter, with Renee Kierans providing winner interviews on horseback. Rob Platts is the producer and Karen Balasak is the director. Dan Loiselle will call the action.
Features include a look back at the late Canadian hero Chief Bearhart on the 15th anniversary of his Pattison Canadian International win and a piece on how the size of a horse doesn’t really matter, even at a mile and a half.
Also in the show, a bonus edition of the popular Bet Night Live contest that normally runs on Monday and Wednesday nights. As always, $1000 will be up for grabs along with the opportunity to qualify to play later this year for the Bet Night Live Grand Prize: a trip to Las Vegas and $10,000 cash.
PCI DRAW AVAILABLE ON WEBSITE
A reminder that Thursday’s PCI draw from the VIP tent will be streamed live at www.canadianinternational.com. Further information and event details for International day are available at the site.
EARLY LOOK AT THE E.P. TAYLOR (14)
Horse/Trainer/Jockey
All Star Heart/Ron McAnally/Brice Blanc
Barefoot Lady/Richard Fahey/Paul Hanagan
Dream Peace/Chad Brown/Ramon Dominguez
Havant/Freddie Head/Frankie Dettori
Kapitale/Andreas Wohler/Mirco Demuro
Kissable/Roger Attfield/John Velazquez
Lay Time/ Andrew Balding/Jimmy Fortune
Moment of Majesty/Sue Leslie/Gerry Olguin
Pagera/ Henry-Alex Pantall/Olivier Peslier
Princess Highway/Dermot Weld/Pat Smullen
Siyouma/ Francois Doumen/Gerald Mosse
Stars to Shine/Mark Frostad/Alex Solis
Trois Lunes/Francois Rohaut/Francois Xavier Bertras
Vamo a Galupiar/Neil Drysdale/Mike Smith
EARLY LOOK AT THE NEARCTIC (13)
Horse/Trainer
Artic Fern/Mike Keogh
As de Trebol/Mauricio Delcher-Sanchez
Bear Tough Tiger/Reade Baker
Big Band Sound/Dan Vella
Catalactic/J. Michael Baird
Fire Lily/David Wachman
Grand Adventure/Malcolm Pierce
Hammers Terror/Mike Stidham
Next Question/Michael Trombetta
Night Carnation/Andrew Balding
Roxy Gap/Mark Casse
Stormy Rush/Lorne Richards
Super Chunky/Kenneth Cox
PATTISON CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL DAY SHIPPING SCHEDULE
All the European horses that are expected to participate on Sunday’s Pattison Canadian International card have arrived at Woodbine.
A plane carrying the French contingent made it safely to Woodbine on Tuesday, while another from Ireland arrived on Wednesday morning.
The American invasion is expected to conclude on Friday morning.