On Saturday, a classy field of 9 will go to post in the 73rd running of the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International, a 1 1/2 mile trip around Woodbine's E.P. Taylor Turf Course for a guaranteed purse of $2 million, the richest race in Canada, with the winner earning a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on November 6. It is one of three Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" races to be run over the turf at Woodbine that afternoon.
On Wednesday, entries were taken and post positions were drawn for this historic race, made famous in 1973 by the legendary Secretariat. Recently retired NHL great Jeremy Roenick, who won a silver medal with Team USA in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, was the honorary drawmaster assisting racing secretary Steve Lym and track announcer Dan Loiselle with the proceedings. In an interview with Loiselle, he talked about potentially being elected into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2012, since the Stanley Cup eluded him in his 20-year career. Asked about his involvement in horse racing, he said he attends the Del Mar race meeting every year and is good friends with jockey Corey Nakatani. He told a story about handicapping a race with Nakatani and he had planned to bet on Nakatani's mount but the jockey said the horse had no chance. Roenick keyed Nakatani's selection in all his exotic bets, but sure enough Nakatani booted home the winner, costing Roenick about $400 in losing tickets.
As usual the International lives up to its name, with 2 entrants bred in England, 2 from Ireland, 4 from Kentucky, and 1 Ontario-bred. Redwood, who shipped in to win the Northern Dancer Turf (G1) last out, is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the field of 9 and drew the 8 hole. Charlie Hills, assistant to his father and trainer Michael, said, "He seemed to have come out of the Northern Dancer really well. He lost very little weight when he arrived back in England. He took to the course well. A wonderful galloping track that suits his running style." Regular rider Michael Hills, another son of the trainer, gets the call again on Saturday for owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms. The 7-2 second choice is Chinchon out of post 2, shipping in from France off a disappointing 6th place finish in the Prix Foy (G2) at Longchamp. Two starts back he shipped into Monmouth Park to take the United Nations (G1). Garrett Gomez, who won last year's International and was aboard Chinchon in New Jersey, will get the call on Saturday for Spanish owner Dario Hinojosa, who races under the business name Darpat France. The top North American hope is 4-1 third choice Marsh Side, winner of the Sky Classic (G2) two starts back. Regular rider Edgar Prado will be in irons for trainer Neil Drysdale.
The distaff counterpart to the International is the $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1), presented by Emirates Airline, featuring a field of 10 older fillies and mares going 1 1/4 miles on the turf, with the winner earning an automatic entry in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on November 5. Shalanaya, 7th in the Prix Jean Romanet (G1) last out, is the 5-2 morning line favorite over 3-1 Contredanse, 2nd in the Prix de la Nonette (G3), and local hope 4-1 third choice Miss Keller, off her win in the Canadian Stakes (G2).
Kicking off the stakes action on Saturday will be the $500,000 Nearctic Stakes (G1) featuring 12 older horse sprinting 6 furlongs on the turf looking for a trip to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Balthazaar's Gift is the 3-1 morning line favorite off a win in the Park Stakes (G2) over 4-1 Bridgetown, winner of the Gilded Time last out, and 5-1 Amico Fritz off an 8th place effort in the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (G1).
Entries for the entire card are available from Equibase.
The Pattison Canadian International is the 10th race in an 11-race card at Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday, going to post at 5:40PM ET. ESPN2 (TSN in Canada) will broadcast all three Woodbine stakes races live in high definition in a 2-hour telecast from 4-6PM ET, including the Emirates Champion Stakes (G1) on tape delay from Newmarket, England. As always, the races will be available at simulcast outlets across North America as well as on TVG Network in the U.S. and HPI-TV in Canada. The Nearctic is race 8 with a 4:23PM post time, followed by the E.P. Taylor as race 9 at 5:03PM.
Free past performances are available online for all three stakes races:
Canadian International (search for Al Khali)
E.P. Taylor Stakes (for the nominations, so ignore the extra horses)
Nearctic Stakes (search for Bridgetown)
Below are the entries for the 73rd Canadian International with their post positions, connections, and odds. All horses will carry 126 pounds except Joshua Tree who will carry 122 pounds because he is a 3-year-old.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
| 1 | Memorial Maniac | Larry Demeritte | James Graham | 20-1 |
| 2 | Chinchon | Carlos Laffon-Parias | Garrett Gomez | 7-2 |
| 3 | Mores Wells | Richard Gibson | Sebastien Maillot | 12-1 |
| 4 | Simmard | Roger Attfield | Javier Castellano | 15-1 |
| 5 | Al Ahali | Bill Mott | Alan Garcia | 6-1 |
| 6 | Marsh Side | Neil Drysdale | Edgar Prado | 4-1 |
| 7 | Joshua Tree | Aidan O’Brien | Colm O’Donoghue | 8-1 |
| 8 | Redwood | Barry Hills | Michael Hills | 2-1 |
| 9 | Fifty Proof | Ian Black | Justin Stein | 10-1 |
