Date: 09/26/02

Results and photos

Woodbine hosts two final preps for the Breeders' Cup Turf and the Filly and Mare Turf on Sunday. The Grade 1 Canadian International, the eighth event of the World Series Racing Championship, features turf distance specialists from the US, Canada, and Europe, who will go 1 1/2 miles, one complete circuit of Woodbine's spacious course, hoping for the winner's share of the $1.5 million (Canadian) purse. The Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes for the fillies and mares is a 1 1/4 mile turf event for a purse of $750,000 (Canadian), and has just as international a field assembled.

The Canadian International was first run in 1938 but didn't rise to international prominence until 1973 when Secretariat capped off his illustrious career at Woodbine. The list of past winners includes some very familiar names: Dahlia, Exceller, All Along, Sky Classic, Singspiel, and Chief Bearhart. Several of these finished followed up their International appearances with placings or victories in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

German bred and based Paolini finished second last year to Mutamam.

Post time for the Canadian International is 5:12pm EDT and it will be broadcast on NBC from 4:30-6:00pm EDT. Free past performances are available from Equibase and Daily Racing Form. Below is the field for the International. All horses carry 126 lbs. except Ballingarry and Portcullis who carry 118 because they are 3-year-olds.

The Canadian International Purse: $1,500,000     Distance: 1 1/2 miles Turf PP   Horse   Trainer   Jockey   M/L Odds 1   Yavana's Pace   Johnston   Dalgleish   10-1 2   Paolini   Wohler   Suborics   4-1 3   Zindabad   Johnston   Darley   3-1 4   Ballingarry   O'Brien   Kinane   9-2 5   Full of Wonder   Frostad   Kabel   6-1 6   Falcon Flight   Burke   Valenzuela   5-1 7   Portcullis   Frostad   Callaghan   15-1 8   Perfect Soul   Attfield   Landry   6-1

Choc Ice winner of the 2001 E.P. Taylor Stakes

Returning to renew the rivalry and earn a trip to Arlington are last year's top two finishers, Choc Ice and Volga. Volga, trained by Christophe Clement and ridden by Jerry Bailey, is the 9-5 favorite. Defending champion Choc Ice, with Davy Bonilla up, is pegged at 5-2, while the Neil Drysdale trainee Nadia ships in from California as the 7-2 third choice, with Corey Nakatani getting the mount.

Here is this year's E.P. Taylor Stakes field. All horses carry 123 pounds except Fraulein and Alasha who, as three-year-olds, get a weight break and carry 117.

Canadian International and E.P. Taylor Stakes links:

• Canadian International official site from Woodbine
• Woodbine Stable Notes - lots of Canadian International info now and updated frequently
• Woodbine Daily Sheet - from Jim Mazur and Jim Bannon
• World Series Racing Championship - the International is part of this series so lots of info here
• Past Performances - in Adobe Acrobat format for the International from the Daily Racing Form (available Friday)
• Canadian International Special from Equibase with free program, past performances, ChartPlus, and articles
• Current weather
• Scratches and changes
• SLAM! Horse Racing - Canadian horse racing coverage
• WayMoreSports.com Horse Racing - more Canadian racing news
• TSN Horse Racing - more Canadian racing news
• News Index Search - should pick up some articles from the various online news sources
• 2001 Canadian International won by Mutamam and the E.P. Taylor Stakes won by Choc Ice.
• 2000 Canadian International won by Mutafaweq and the E.P. Taylor Stakes won by Fly For Avie.
• 1999 Canadian International won by Thornfield and the E.P. Taylor Stakes won by Insight.

Check back for results late Sunday evening.

All photos ©2002 Cindy Pierson Dulay, licensed to About