THE CHALLENGE

ERIC LAMAZE (above, horse-races.net) received a standing ovation at the post position draw yesterday for the CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL, the $2 million highlight of the richest day in Canadian thoroughbred racing (other than when the Breeders' Cup came to town in 1996) on SATURDAY.

The Olympic gold medal winning equestrian rider talked about his feat the Bejing Olympics and his ties with some racing folks in the crowd, trainer Ian Black and the Krembil family of Chiefswood Stable.

DOCTOR DINO is the 2 to 1 favourite from post 3 (photo above from Cindy Pierson Dulay).

A field of 10 is set for the 1 1/2 mile International and three other graded stakes on the grass will comprise a PICK 4 of races 7 through 10

There is an EARLY POST TIME for the day of 1 p.m. All four races will be seen on THE SCORE which will pick upthe ESPN feed.

The ESPN crew have assembled a studio on the standardbred track just past the finish line.

With the cool temperatures and light breeze, the turf course has likely dried some since the downpour on Tuesday morning.

There is a prospect of some other showers before Saturday afternoon but the course, according to most of the lads with the European horses, is in super shape.



(Vanessa Ng caught MOURILYAN prepping in Dubai this winter...)




THINGS TO NOTE:

EARLY POST TIME!

ADVANCE WAGERING AVAILABLE TOMORROW

PICK 4 ON THE BIG 4 RACES

ENTER MEGAPICK contest at www.theracetrack.ca

JIM MAZUR SEMINAR SATURDAY AT 11 A.M.




Pattison Canadian International Field

Horse/Owner/Trainer/Jockey/M-L odds

1/Mourilyan/Ramzan Kadyrov/Herman Brown/John Egan/15-1
2/Marlang/Gus Schickedanz/Debbie England/Richard Dos Ramos/15-1
3/Doctor Dino/Javier Martinez Salmean/Richard Gibson/Frankie Dettori/2-1
4/Quijano/Gestuet Fahrhof/Peter Schiergen/Andrasch Starke/4-1
5/Champs Elysees/Juddmonte Farms/Robert Frankel/Garrett Gomez/7-1
6/Marsh Side/Robert Evans/Neil Drysdale/Javier Castellano/15-1
7/Lauro/Gestuet Ittlingen/Andreas Wohler/Eduardo Pedroza/20-1
8/Seaside Retreat/William Farish Jr./Mark Casse/Patrick Husbands/10-1
9/Lucarno/Augustin Stable/John Gosden/Jimmy Fortune/8-1
10/Spice Route/Harlequin Ranches/Roger Attfield/Jim McAleney/20-1


E.P. Taylor Field

Horse/Owner/Trainer/Jockey/M-L odds
1/Sealy Hill/Melnyk Racing Stables Inc./Mark Casse/Patrick Husbands/8-1
2/J'ray/ Lawrence Goichman/Todd Pletcher/Joe Bravo/5-2
3/Classy Landlady/Dura Racing & M.J. Doyle Racing Stable/Tyler Pizarro/20-1
4/Folk Opera/Godolphin/Saeed bin Suroor/Frankie Dettori/4-1 5
/Toque de Queda/Gary Tanaka/Mike Delzangles/Garrett Gomez/7-2
6/Green Lyons/Castleton Lyons/Neil Drysdale/Jimmy Fortune/15-1
7/Callwood Dancer/Harlequin Ranches/Roger Attfield/Eurico Rosa da Silva/10-1
8/Royal Pleasure/Augustin Stable/Jonathan Sheppard/Rosemary Homeister/15-1
9/Hostess/William Clifton Jr./James Bond/Javier Castellano/6-1

Nearctic Field Horse/Owner/Trainer/Jockey/M-L odds

1/Just Rushing/Tucci Stables/Sid Attard/Emma-Jayne Wilson/4-1
2/Hellvelyn/Zabeel Racing International/Kiaran McLaughlin/Joe Bravo/8-1
3/Starticus/Danny Lococo/Ralph Biamonte/Corey Fraser/12-1
4/Storm Treasure/Mike McCarty/Steve Asmussen/Jim McAleney/15-1
5/Rouse the Cat/Ray Pennington/Ollie Figgins/Chris Van Hassel/20-1
6/Quietly Mine/Rankowitz & Karches/Christophe Clement/Garrett Gomez/12-1
7/True to Tradition/Mondello & Russo/Scott Lake/Kendrick Carmouche/10-1
8/Heros Reward/Rob Ry Farm & M.J. Slysz/Dale Capuano/Javier Castellano/5-2
9/Off Duty/Pucek, Setzer & Edwards/Lynn Whiting/Larry Melancon/6-1
10/Mulmur/Sam-Son Farm/Mark Frostad/Eurico Rosa da Silva/15-1
11/Santiago Atitlan/Gestuet Fahrhof/Andreas Wohler/John Egan/20-1
12/The Great Caruso/Live Oak Plantation/Malcolm Pierce/Patrick Husbands/20-1


NOTE - ROUSE THE CAT is also entered at Keeneland on Saturday..


Summer Stakes Field

Horse/Owner/Trainer/Jockey/Odd
s 1/Skipadate/Helligbrodt Racing Stable/Mark Casse/Patrick Husbands/5-2
2/Star of David/Zayat Stables/Steven Asmussen/Jim McAleney/15-1
3/Grand Adventure/Sam-Son Farm/Mark Frostad/Eurico Rosa Da Silva/6-1
4/Win and Reign/Hillsbrook Farms/Nicholas Gonzalez/David Clark/20-1
5/Freyga/Eaton Hall Farm/Mike Doyle/Justin Stein/20-1
6/Jess Not Jesse/Robert Koones/Linda Rice/Garrett Gomez/4-1
7/Utterly Cool/Jim Dandy Stable/Sid Attard/Richard Dos Ramos/7-5
8/Perfect Shower/Charles Fipke/Roger Attfield/Robert Landry/20-1


WEDNESDAY NIGHT at Woodbine

"SHE'S BEAUTIFUL," said owner and trainer Scott Fairlie after CAWAJA BEACH won the Victorian Queen Stakes last night to remain undefeated in 4 career starts and surge to the lead of 2yo fillies in the country.

The jet black, slight miss by Where's the Ring-Cosa Rara by Tethra, was most impressive last night, coming from absolutely last, 6 wide around the turn and up in the final strides to beat Sans Sousi, a Bold Executive filly

. "I knew she was going to win down the backside," said a confident Danny David, who has ridden the 2yo filly in every race.

Indeed, the pace structure of the race was bananas as DASH IT DREAMER darted out to a clear lead and went 22, 44 4/5 and 57 3/5 and then got tired along the inside in the stretch.

Meanwhile, Cawaja Beach, like the other gals in the field, stayed well clear of the inside and then motored around fillies around the turn.
While the battle was on betwen Sans Sousi and Koonunga Hill and Dash It Dreamer, Cawaja Beach surged past to win in 1:10 3/5. Fairlie, who claimed Cosa Rara but never got to race her, bred and owns the filly with Dave Succamore's Hard Eight Stable. The filly races in his dice silks.

OTHER WINNERS Split variant?? Did the track get faster as the night went on and it got very, very..well, cold?

It's possible since the highly regasrded 2yo beginner CONGOR BAY won by almost 7 lengths in the first race in his 2yo debut and only raced 6 furlongs in 1:12 3/5. The Speightstown fellow is out stakes winner Pico Teneriffe and is a half brother to Marchfield, a stakes winner. Congor Bay is owned and was bred by Eugene Melnyk.

HIGHVALE won the 2nd race for Donver Stable and trainer Josie Carroll. The Gilded Time dark bay was dropping to claiming ($25,000) for the first time and had just bee last in an allowance race but he rallied from 5 lengths off the pace to win last night's 1 1/16 mile 2nd race with his regular rider Simon Husbands back on board. He was 3 to 1.

Fort Erie based trainer JOHN ATTFIELD won the 3rd race with the Buddha 2yo filly SHOPPING QUEEN, owned by Carol MacLaren. The grey gal had raced 4 times at Fort Erie and Presque Isle and was taking that all important class drop from maiden allowance to maiden claiming. Of course, with the state of the very slow surface, the maiden claiming event for $20K ran in a very slow 1:29, two seconds slower than the next split which was later on in the card.

DO IT ANYWAY is razor sharp right now and doubled up in allowance company last night beating Ontario sired gals for the 2nd consecutive time. The Sea Wall-Count by Numbers, Numerous 3yo, bred by Minshall Farms led all the way to beat 4 rivals ina hand ride by Emma-Jayne Wilson. Martha Gonzalez owns.

RACE 5 - maiden 2yo fillies for $20K claiming and new sire PATROL had his 3rd winner with KEEP SAFE, who overcame a rocky, traffic filled run late on the turn to split fillies and win her maiden in her 4th career start. The filly is out of John and Jessica Pastorek's good producing mare Spectral Arc, a daughter of Dr. Carter. Tino Attard trains. The longshot front runner Misted Lake, by Tempolake was second in a good effort in her 4th start. The time was 1:27.

FOAM took a bunch of late money and won a very strange 6th race that featured a pile of premature moves behind a slow pace. The $20,000 claiming event for fillies and mares that had not won 3 races saw Brienana Cat being stranged on the pace through 25 2/5 and 51 by Eurico Da Silva but inthe backstretch, her rivals didn't like it. First to move was Trade Fair after her bad start from the gate, she rushed up to press and then chased. Then, in one of the most bizarre moves of the year, Janet's Star went from last place to the lead in a split second, cleared the field by a long margin but then, by the top of the stretch, had burned out her flame. She finished 4th under Emile Ramsammy. Meanwhile, Foam, for the Steve Asmussen barn, stayed in her spot, rallied 3 wide off the turn and won by 1 1/2 lengths. She is by Najran and is a Kentucky bred.

And Bud Reynolds' LARGO LADY won the last race off a July-Oct freshened by trainer John Ross and paid $21 for that maiden score for $12,500. The Barkerville filly was beaten 30 lengths in her previous race but had better form before that outing.



COVERAGE IN TODAY'S PAPERS..

Overview from TORONTO STAR

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/HorseRacing/article/510058

Story on Mourilyan and Doctor Dino (referred to as Dr. Dino)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081002.PATTISON02/TPStory/Sports

Overview-DAILY RACING FORM http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/breederscup08/news/story?id=3621060

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/othersports/2008/10/02/6950026-sun.html


OUCH, RAHY'S ATTORNEY goes to Keeneland and gets 12 post..
And there are 4 CANADIAN BREDS IN THE SHADWELL MILE in total!

Buffalo Man, a graded stakes winner, French Beret, also a graded stakes winner and yearling sales stakes winner Society's Chairman will tackle Woodbine Mile winner RAHY'S ATTORNEY in Saturday's Shadwell Mile, a Grade 1 race.

8th Race - Keeneland - Saturday, October 4th, 2008 STAKES.
1 Mile Turf. Purse $600,000. Shadwell Turf Mile S. (Grade 1). FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD. (04:55 PM) (13)
PP Horse A/S M/E Wgt Jockey Trainer

1 Shakis (IRE) 8 H 126 Bejarano Rafael McLaughlin Kiaran
2 Kingship 5 H 126 Velasquez Cornelio Dickey Charles L.
3 Thorn Song 5 H 126 Albarado Robby Romans Dale L.
4 Elusive Fort (SAF) 6 H 126 Douglas Rene R. Malek Raja
5 Lord Admiral 7 H 126 Theriot Jamie O'Brien Charles
6 War Monger 4 C 126 Desormeaux Kent J. Mott William I
. 7 Buffalo Man 4 C 126 Marquez, Jr. Carlos H. Gambolati Cam M
. 8 Lovelace (GB) 4 C 126 French Royston Johnston Steve
9 Society's Chairman 5 H 126 Jones Jono C.Attfield Roger L.
10 French Beret 5 G 126 Leparoux Julien R. Frostad Mark R.
11 Karelian 6 G LA 126 Mena Miguel Arnold, II George
12 Rahy's Attorney 4 G 126 Callaghan Slade Black Ian
13 Museeb 6 H LA 126 Bejarano Rafael McLaughlin Kiaran


ALSO ON SATURDAY... CANADIAN BREDS DISFUNCTION AND LEGAL MOVE!

The sprinter title is gone it seems - FATAL BULLET is well ahead in that division. But DISFUNCTION and LEGAL MOVE, LOCAL STAKES WINNERS, ARE TACKLING SOME GOOD ONES at Keeneland on Saturday in the Grade 3 Phoenix Stakes

: 1 Sing Baby Sing 5 H 118 Shepherd Justin Bruner Jack A.
2 Disfunction 4 G 120 Desormeaux Kent J. Carey Julia
3 Pictural 4 C 118 Velasquez Cornelio H. Dutrow, Jr. Richard E.
4 Nakayama Arashi 4 C 118 Straight Matthew Gothard Akiko M.
5 Talent Search 5 H 118 Bejarano Rafael Frankel Robert J.
6 Emirates To Dubai 5 H 118 Lanerie Corey J. bin Suroor Saeed
7 Ravalo 4 G L 118 Borel Calvin H. Barr Donald H.
8 Noonmark
5 H 120 Leparoux Julien R. Amussen Steven
9 Carnacks Choice 4 C 118 Douglas Rene R. Foley Gregory D.
10 Legal Move 4 C 120 Mena Miguel Casse Mark E
. 11 Greeley's Conquest 4 C 118 Theriot Jamie Thomas Gary A.
12 Semaphore Man 6 G 120 Albarado Robby Von Hemel Kelly

SQUARE EDDIE IN FUTURITY!!

Kinghaven bred by Smart Strike-Forty Gran at Keeneland...

Saturday, Keeneland Race Course
LANE'S END BREEDERS' FUTURITY-GI, $500,000,
2yo, 1 1/16m (AWT)
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY

1 Flashmans Papers (GB) Exceed and Excel (Aus) Castanon
2 Reynaldothewizard Speightstown Leparoux
3 Notonthesamepage Catienus J Garcia
4 His Greatness Honour and Glory Mena
5 Pioneerof the Nile Empire Maker Desormeaux
6 Majestic Blue Forestry Albarado
7 Zion Thunder Gulch Lanerie
8 Square Eddie Smart Strike Bejarano
9 Terrain Sky Mesa Theriot
10 Deposer (Ire) Kheleyf Velasquez
11 Advice Chapel Royal Dougla

AND IN THE THOROUGHBRED CLUB OF AMERICA STAKES - GRADE 3,

Canadian bred SUGAR SWIRL...
PP Horse A/S M/E Wgt Jockey Trainer

1 Indyanne 3 F 118 Albarado Robby Gilchrist Greg
2 Dhanyata (IRE) 118 Castanon Jesus Lopez Kenneally Eddie
3 Golden Doc A 3 F122 Borel Calvin H. Fox Gregory
4 Graeme Six 4 F 120 Leparoux Julien R. Amoss Thomas M.
5 Sugar Swirl 5 M 122 Bejarano Rafael Frankel Robert J.
6 Cash's Girl 4 F 120 Caraballo Jose C. Ritchey Timothy F.
7 Wild Gams 5 M 120 Mena Miguel Perkins, Jr. Benjamin W.
8 Any Limit 5 M 122Velasquez Cornelio H. Jerkens
9 Sweet Hope 118 Desormeaux Kent J. Kenneally Eddie
10 Indian Delight 118 Douglas Rene R. Duggan David P.