Well-traveled Nations Pride visits Canada for the first time to contest the Canadian International Stakes (G1T) Oct. 8 at Woodbine, facing one other international and a diverse cast from both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.
The 1 1/4-mile race over the E.P. Taylor turf course returns to the Woodbine calendar after a one-year absence due to pandemic-related travel restrictions. The 83 previous runnings have attracted some of the world’s best as its distance has fluctuated.
Secretariat completed his career with a victory in the 1973 edition.
Nation’s Pride has carried the Godolphin banner from Dubai to England, Kentucky, New York and, most recently, Germany. He scored group 1 or grade 1 victories in the 2022 Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1T) and this year’s Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (G1) in Munich.
The 5-year-old Teofilo gelding has turned in only two seriously sub-par efforts—fifth in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) at Keeneland and the 2022 Derby (G1) at Epsom Downs, where he struggled home eighth.
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The German race was Nations Pride’s most recent effort and Appleby said he “beat a solid field of horses that day on ground which was softer than he would prefer … He should be suited to the fair track at Woodbine.
“He has shown huge versatility in Europe, North America and Dubai. He has a great constitution and is very relaxed, which has no doubt contributed to him winning from a mile up to a mile and a half,” the trainer added.
Godolphin and Appleby also have showed great flexibility recently in sending winners to Canada.The global powerhouse won the 2021 Canadian International with Walton Street (GB) and jockey Frankie Dettori. Buick was in the mix as Master of the Seas captured the Woodbine Mile (G1T) Sept. 16.
The case for Nations Pride is only strengthened as Buick is set to return for the ride.
The other international raider, Royal Champion , earned a trip across the Atlantic with a good third-place finish in the York Stakes (G2) July 29, following a victory in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot. Those performances showed a marked upward trajectory for the 5-year-old Shamardal gelding, trained by Roger Varian for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum.
In an odd coincidence of naming, Royal Champion is joined in the eight-horse field by likely long shots British Royalty and English Conquerer.
British Royalty, a 5-year-old English Channel gelding, has only two wins from 21 starts but one of those came in the 2021 Breeders’ Stakes, the third jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown. English Conquerer, a 6-year-old English Channel gelding, was fourth in the 2021 International.
Trainer Chad Brown dispatches Adhamo north after a third-place finish in the Arlington Million (G1T) at Colonial Downs Aug. 12. Another 5-year-old gelding, he is by Intello , out of the Invincible Spirit mare Foreign Tune .
Adhamo’s biggest triumph to date came in the United Nations Stakes (G1T) at Monmouth Park in July of 2022. Bred by Wertheimer & Frere, Adhamo will make his seventh straight grade 1 start.
Starting Over and Dynadrive were last seen finishing 1-2 in the Colonial Cup at Colonial Downs Sept. 9.
Palazzi looks for his fourth straight win for trainer Mark Casse and Gary Barber. The 5-year-old Pioneerof the Nile gelding started his 2023 season in a straight claiming race at Gulfstream Park March 30. There were no takers for $50,000 as he beat only one horse.
Casse sent Palazzi north to Woodbine, where he blossomed, winning allowance events on the turf and all-weather courses, then hopped right up to win the Singspiel Stakes (G3T) Sept. 9.
Entries: Canadian International S. (G1T)
Woodbine, Sunday, October 08, 2023, Race 9
- Grade IT
- 1 1/4m
- Turf
- $750,000
- 3 yo’s & up
- 5:39 PM (local)
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