Pattison Canadian International 2013 - Joshua Tree makes it three

The Irish bred Joshua Tree was the sentimental choice but without a win this year he went off at 6-1 and became the first - three time winner of the race in its 73 year history. He was chased down the long turf stretch with by Hyper and Seismos but hung on for the half length victory. The amazing thing about the six year-old Joshua Tree is that he has won this race with 3 different trainers. All top three International finishers were descendants of Northern Dancer.

1) Joshua Tree (IRE) - great grandson x3 through Sadlers Wells/Montjeau
2) Hyper (USA) - great grandson through the Nureyev dam Raw Nerve
3) Seismos (IRE) great great grandson through a Sadlers Wells/Old Vic dam


the photos were mine just click on any to enlarge

video of race just click on race 10 bottom right
http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/canadianinternational/RaceTrackNewsPage.aspx?NewsId=21284078-6a1f-4a51-8761-cd5dbdc28df8

E. P. Taylor Stakes 2013

It was an Irish bred sweep in the $500,000 E. P. Taylor Stakes as part of the Pattison International day at Woodbine with Tannery coming out on top. All top 3 finishers were Irish breds and they were also all descendants of E. P. Taylor's legacy Northern Dancer.

1) Tannery (IRE) - great granddaughter x2 through Danzig/Danehill
2) Fitful Skies (IRE) - granddaughter x3 her dam was the daughter of the Dancer's daughter Wajd
3) Moment in Time (IRE) - great great granddaughter through Danzig/Danehill

the photos were all mine just click on them to enlarge

video of race just click on race 8 on right
http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/canadianinternational/RaceTrackNewsPage.aspx?NewsId=9bc78a17-624d-48ff-8d7a-446d0c685d55

Some Random shots from our day at Woodbine for the Pattison Canadian International

Meet Time Alert. We started out our day seeing this guy enjoying a walk in the walking ring under some early afternoon sunshine. His handler said he was a 24 year-old gelding son of Secretariat and I said he looks like he has some Northern Dancer blood as well. He said his dam's sire was The Minstrel one of the Dancer's first big sires. I looked up his pedigree when I got home. It looks like he had a long and successful racing career as well with 14 wins and 15 seconds in 66 starts. Today was also a celebration of Secretariat's win 4o years ago in the International, his last race. It's nice to see an old thoroughbred being treated so well and participating in the celebrations.

Linda with Secretariat's Time Magazine Cover

video of Secretariat winning the 1973 Canadian International - his last race

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqliNZvnFoE

The Woodbine infield with the sun shining in

I final got my photo taken with my hero's statue.

The Avelino Gomez statue - "El Perfecto" on of my favorite jocks as a kid

That's Patrick Husbands aboard Battle for Gold the winner of the first race with all his connections in the winner's circle. He just happens to be a great great great grandson of Northern Dancer through Danzig.

even this beautiful grey Tesseron has 3 links to Northern Dancer - two on his dam's side and one on his sire's

Woodbine is a great place to Plane-Spot if you enjoy seeing the Jumbo Jets on final approach to Pearson. No zoom on the second shot it was taken from the Track Apron. I wonder if the horses ever get used to it.

my favorite handicapper Jim Bannon

Loosening up before the big race

this beautifil 4 year-old chestnut filly is the German bred Samba Brazil a 3 times great great granddaughter of Northern Dancer

That's the Dancer's great great grandson Temeraine giving me the eye as he was heading out for the big race with Luis Contreras aboard. The light was fading fast so it was getting hard to keep things in focus and you can't use a flash around the horses.

It's been a long day so I will post my photos and the results of the two big races later. Click on any image to enlarge them.

2013 Pattison Canadian International and E.P. Taylor Stakes

We are planning to head down for the day and take in the International competition at Woodbine. We will see how far we can stretch out our free $2 bet. It will be cool but some sunshine so hopefully we can get some good shots to post.

Photo from the brilliant Michael Burns of Joshua Tree winning the 2012 edition. He is back in the field this year going for a record 3rd Pattison International.

There is a lot going on so here is a link.
http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/canadianinternational/Pages/Event.aspx

QIPCO British Championships Stakes

It was Godolphin's Farhh winning Europe's richest 1-1/4 mile race, the 1,300,000 pound Championship Stakes edging out the French bred Cirrus Des Aigles with Kingsbarns finishing third. It was a clean sweep on the day as descendants of Northern Dancer took home over 3 million pounds finishing 1-2-3 in all 5 races.

1) Farhh (GB) - great great grandson through Nuryev
2) Cirrus Des Aigles (FR) - great grteat great grandson x3 through Nijinsky, Lyphard
3) Ruler of the World (IRE) - great grandson x2 through Sadlers Wells/Galileo

photo from Sportinglife

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b7tSfgJ93g

QIPCO British Championships - Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

It was Olympic Glory powering his way to the top in the 1,000,000 pound QEII stakes. The win guaranteed jockey Richard Hughes the jockey championship trophy. Once again the top 3 finishers were grandkids of our Dancer.

1) Olympic Glory (IRE) - great great grandson x2 through Sadlers Wells/Montjieu
2) Top Notch Tonto (IRE) - great great grandson x2 through Danzig/Danehill
3) Kingsbarns (IRE) - great grandson x3 through Sadlers Wells/Galileo

photo from Sportinglife

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZMofmkwUX0

QIPCO British Championships - Fillies and Mares Stakes

It was Seal of Approval winning the first of the Group 1's in the 500,000 pound Fillies and Mares. The top 3 girls were all granddaughters of the Dancer.

1) Seal of Approval (GB) - great great granddaughter through Sadlers Wells/Montjieu
2) Belle de Crecy (IRE) - great great granddaughter x3 through Danzig/Danehill
3) Talent (GB) - great great granddaughter x2 through Sadlers Wells/Galileo

photo from Sportinglife

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EVk9z0VIAw

QIPCO British Championships - Sprint

It was Slade Power taking the sprint. As we shift from the longest to the shortest of the races on the day it didn't matter to our Dancer's genes, all three were descendants.

1) Slade Power (IRE) - great great great grandson x2 through Storm Bird, Danzig
2) Jack Dexter (GB) - great great great grandson through Lamond
3) Viztoria (IRE) - great great granddaughter through Danzig/Danehill

photo from Sportinglife

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2aPlQcQpJ4

QIPCO British Championships - Long Distance Cup

The first of the five races on Championship Day (the richest day of racing in Great Britain) went to Royal Diamond, trained and ridden by Johnny Murtagh. The top 3 finishers were all descendants of our little Canadian champion Northern Dancer.

1) Royal Diamond (IRE) - great great grandson x3 through Nuryev, Danzig, Sadlers Wells
2) Harris Tweed (GB) - great great grandson x2 through Nijinsky, Lyphard
3) Eye of the Storm (IRE) - great grandson x2 through Galileo/Sadlers Wells

photo from Sportinglife

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhnAv7ZviD4

Impressive Undefeated Filly Treve takes 2013 Prix de L'arc de Triomphe

She made it look easy as she won her 5th straight in the 4.8 million euro French Classic. No one wanted her as a yearling for 22,000 euro (sound familiar). The French bred great great granddaughter of Northern Dancer defeated the Japanese bred favourite Orfevre and finishing third was the German bred Intello. All top three Internationals were descendants of our little Canadian sire.

It was the 10th year in a row a descendant of the Dancer has won the French Classic.

1) Treve (FR) great great granddaughter x2 through Motivator/Montjeau/Sadler's Wells
2) Orfevre (JAP) great great grandson x2 through 2 Northern Taste mares
3) Intello (GER) great grandson x3 through Galileo/Sadler's Wells

image from Alan Crowhurst

2012) Solemia (IRE) great granddaughter x2
2011) Danedream (GER) great great granddaughter x2
2010) Workforce (GB) great grandson
2009) Sea the Stars (IRE) great great grandson
2008) Zarkava (IRE) great great granddaughter x2
2007) Dylan Thomas (IRE) great grandson
2006) Rail Link (GB) great great grandson x3
2005) Hurricane Run (IRE) great grandson
2004) Bago (FR) great grandson

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjERZEXqD0Y