INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM

Doctor Dino - beating him today is a strettttttttttch (from Richard Gibson website)

The day is here - the biggest of the 2008 WOODBINE SEASON...

Many of the locals racing today at Woodbine are in line for Sovereign Awards - how they do today will dictate if they receive an award...and what award..CHAMPIONSHIPS are on the line...




CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL 71

plus the E.P.TAYLOR, NEARCTIC AND SUMMER


By now, you have looked at the races, you have your favourites in the big 4 turf events at Woodbine.

Here are some extra bits..


DOCTOR DINO - all signs say he's going to be tough to beat..Frankie Dettori is in town for the ride despite having to turn right around and get back for the Arc tomorrow.
On Jerry Brown's 'sheets' DOCTOR DINO has the edge with Lucarno also in contention (see Ladbroke odds below).

MARLANG is a fast improving 3yo and trainer Debbie England sounds not just hopeful but confident her colt is going to do well.

E..P TAYLOR - did anyone see that move by Forever Together in the First Lady, Grade 1 yesterday at Keeneland. The gray gal was coming off a good 3rd behind J'ray and Callwood Dancer in the Canadian Stakes and simply blew past her field yesterday.
Good news for J'ray and Callwood Dancer today.

NEARCTIC - Not the best distance for Just Rushing from Canada and there is ton sof speed in the field. HEROS REWARD loves Woodbine but watch out ofr a sneaky good race from MULMUR, who has the wiley Eurico Rosa Da Silva up.

SUMMER - While UTTERLY COOL is the standout to local fans' eyes...you would be stunned to know that according to Jerry Brown's THOROGRAPH SHEETS, JESS NOT JESSE is miles faster based on just his single race.
Interesting.


OTHER STUFF...

ALL STAKES PICK 4 OFFERED
There are two Pick 4's on Saturday's Pattison Canadian International
card at Woodbine.

The first is in its traditional Race 4 through 7 spot, but the second
encompasses all of the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In"
races. It starts with the Summer Stakes in Race 7 and concludes with
the feature event, the Pattison in Race 10.

ESPN IN THE HOUSE
Prominent U.S. sports TV network, ESPN, is at Woodbine to cover the
Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" races: the

Pattison Canadian International, the E.P. Taylor, the Nearctic and
Summer Stakes.

The telecast will go from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on ESPN and ESPNHD in
the U.S. and The Score and The Score HD in Canada.

Joe Tessitore, Randy Moss and Hall of Fame former jockey Jerry Bailey
anchor coverage from Woodbine with Jeannine Edwards and Hank Goldberg
reporting.



WEATHER
According to Environment Canada, Saturday's Pattison Canadian
International day card will be met with a mix of sun and cloud and a
high of 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit).



EXCERPT - RACING POST
Canadian International
tempts Dettori

Nicholas Godfrey


PREVIEW: Canada, Saturday Woodbine: Canadian International (Grade 1), 1m4f, turf, 10.48pm, Live on ATR

FRANKIE DETTORI forgoes the delights of Longchamp and Newmarket on Saturday in favour of a trip to Toronto, where he is searching for his third victory in the Canadian International on likely favouriteDoctor Dino.

Having won the $2m event on Mutafaweq (2000) and Sulamani (2004), Dettori gets the leg-up on the renowned six-year-old globe-trotter in North America's top turf race outside the Breeders' Cup.

Rivals in the $2m event – shown live on AtThe Races - include last year's St Leger winner Lucarno, who represents the in-form team of John Gosden and Jimmy Fortune. The International has been won by a European-trained horse in six of the last eight seasons, and Doctor Dino's trainer Richard Gibson is hopeful he can add to an international haul already featuring top-level wins in the US and Hong Kong.

“He's the ultimate professional,” said the trainer. “His professionalism is unique. We are very lucky to be around him. It's remarkable that a six-year-old equine wants to go to work every day and he does it all with a very big smile on his face.”

Last time out, Doctor Dino – favourite with British bookmakers - finished second to Arc contender Getaway in the Grand Prix de Deauville.

“He wasup against a horse who was at one stage the highest-rated turf horse in Europe earlier in the year,” said Gibson.

“I don't think we met him in the right conditions - the track was very soft and the track was very tired after a long Deauville month.”

A truly international race features a pair of runners from Germany in Quijano and Lauro, plus Mourilyan, now representing South Africa's Herman Brown and ridden by John Egan.

Lucarno is Britain's sole representative in a race that has gone to Europeans in six of the last eight seasons.

“The old boy is in good form and has been happily cantering around the track,” said Gosden. “He did his nicest piece of work the other day, which was encouraging. He is good enough to win the race but Doctor Dino sets a high international standard.”

The former Andre Fabre-trained Champs Elysees (Bobby Frankel/Garrett Gomez), who nosed out Quijano in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer last month over course and distance, looks best of the North American team.


EXCERPT - RACING POST
Godolphin have high hopes for Folk Opera
Nicholas Godfrey


PREVIEW: Canada, Saturday
Woodbine: EP Taylor Stakes (Grade 1), 1m2f, fillies and mares, turf, 10.16pm, Live on ATR

FRANKIE DETTORI, who rides likely favourite Doctor Dino in the Canadian International, also has high hopes of success aboard Godolphin's Folk Opera in the EP Taylor Stakes, highlight ofa strong supporting card at Woodbine.

The four-year-old daughter of Singspiel, only eighth behind Zarkava in the Prix Vermeille, had run out an all-the-way winner in a Group 2 event at Deauville on her previous outing over Saturday's 1m2f trip.

Speaking on godolphin.com, trainer Saeed bin Suroor said: “Folk Opera won a Group 2 race in France very well but she was disappointing on her latest start. We thought this would be the right race for her and I think she has a good chance of winning a Grade 1.

“She has settled very well in Canada and she's ready,” he added. “She worked on Wednesday and everything seems to be fine with her. I'm looking forward to seeing her run a big race.”

Given its $1m prize, the EP Taylor looks a weak race. Folk Opera's main rivals are US-trained Hostess (Jim Bond/Javier Castellano), who has form tied in with the better North American turf filies, plus J'Ray (Todd Pletcher/Joe Bravo), who won the course-and-distance prep race for the EP Taylor.

French-trained Toque De Queda was third in the Beverly D, while Sealy Hill is a former Canadian horse of the year.

EP Taylor Stakes
Coral: 3 Folk Opera, 4 Hostess, 9-2 J'Ray, 5 Toque De Queda, 13-2
Callwood Dancer, 8 Green Lyons, 9 Sealy Hill, 20 Royal Pleasure,
Classy Landlady
Ladbrokes: 3 Folk Opera, 7-2 Hostess, 5 J'Ray, 5 Toque De Queda, 8 Callwood Dancer, 10 Sealy Hill, 12 Green Lyons, 20 Royal Pleasure, 33 Classy Landlady


from www.mirror.co.uk
LUCARNO IN CANADA

4/10/2008

Lucarno, last year's St Leger winner, will join globetrotter Doctor Dino in the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International (12 furlongs) at Woodbine, Toronto today.

Europeans have won the race six times in the last eight runnings and John Gosden's colt is sure to have his supporters.

Jockey Jimmy Fortune said: "Lucarno is in great form and when I rode him in a piece of work last week he was the best I had felt him all year," Doctor Dino was secondbehind Getaway in the Grand Prix de Deauville last time.

ODDS FROM LADBROKES: 2 Doctor Dino, 4 Champs Elysees, 4 Quijano, 6 Lucarno, 8 Seaside Retreat, 16 Marlang, 16 Mourliyan, 25 Lauro, 25 Marsh Side, 33 Spice Route.


INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE..

MARLANG goes for locals..

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/511782

DOCTOR DINO STORY...
http://www.torontosun.com/sports/othersports/2008/10/04/6974726-sun.html



AND FOR MORE ACTION...CANADIANS EVERYWHERE!!

'Thor' looks to wrestle win for Canada
(Rahy's Attorney's nickname)


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

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


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


SQUAD ON FIRE..

Associated Press Sports
updated 10:26 p.m. ET, Fri., Oct. 3, 2008

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -Arson Squad rallied to win the $350,000 Meadowlands Cup on Friday night, beating Anak Nakal by 2 1/2 lengths.

Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. won the Cup for a second straight year. The trainer of Horse of the Year contender Big Brown won the race last season with Diamond Stripes.

Arson Squad made his debut for Dutrow after coming east from California. The 5-year-old gelding won for the sixth time in 19 starts, ending a seven-race losing streak dating to the Strub Stakes at Santa Anita in February 2007.

"He's just been training awesome since he got here,'' Dutrow said. "This worked out great.''

Edgar Prado, aboard Arson Squad for the first time, let the horse settle in sixth in the early stages before asking for run midway on the turn.

"Going around the final turn, I knew we had a good chance to win,'' Prado said. "He responded really nice.''

Arson Squad was aided by an early speed duel between the betting favorites, Past the Point, the 8-5 choice, and Timber Reserve, at 2-1. They ran the opening half-mile in a quick 45.91 seconds, setting the stage for Arson Squad's closing kick.

Arson Squad covered the 1 1-8 miles on the fast track in 1:48.81, earning $210,000 for the Jay Em Ess Stable. He paid $10.80, $4.80 and $4. Anak Nakal returned $6.20 and $3.60. Timber Reserve paid $3.20 to show.

Actin Good was fourth, followed by Past the Point, P V Lightening and True Resurgence.