Woodbine: Imperial Monarch 3-1 in field of 11 for Canadian International

Michael Burns

Reliable Man is the 4-1 second choice on the morning line for the Grade 1 Canadian International.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Imperial Monarch, a lightly raced Irish-bred 3-year-old who became a Group 1 winner in Paris in his last start, has been made the 3-1 morning-line favorite in a field of 11 for Sunday’s $1.5 million Canadian International.

Post positions for the 1 1/2-mile Canadian International, which is one of three Grade 1 turf stakes here Sunday along with the 1 1/4-mile E.P. Taylor and six-furlong Nearctic, were announced at a special ceremonial draw in the trackside tent here Thursday. All three races are Win and You’re In events for the Breeders’ Cup.

Imperial Monarch, who is trained by Aidan O’Brien and is to be ridden by Ryan Moore, drew post 10.

“The draw doesn’t matter,” said T.J. Comerford, traveling head lad for O’Brien. “He can be ridden handy, or he can be dropped in.”

Reliable Man, who finished a close fourth in a high-caliber running of the Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot this summer, is the 4-1 second choice on Woodbine oddsmaker Ernie Perri’s morning line.

Oliver Peslier has the mount on Reliable Man, who is trained in France by Alain de Royer-Dupre and will break from post 7.

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Joshua Tree, an English invader who will be making his third consecutive appearance in the Canadian International, is the third choice at 5-1.

Second here last year for trainer Marco Botti after winning the 2010 renewal when conditioned by O’Brien, Joshua Tree will begin from post 8 under the popular Frankie Dettori.

Wigmore Hall, winner of the Grade 1 Northern Dancer over the Canadian International course and distance for the second straight year on Sept. 16, has shipped back from trainer Michael Bell’s English yard and is listed as the 6-1 fourth choice.

Jamie Spencer will be back aboard Wigmore Hall, who drew post 6.

American invader Al Khali and locally based Forte deiMarmi, the two-three finishers in the Northern Dancer, also are in the Canadian International lineup and have been priced at 10-1 and 15-1, respectively.

Garrett Gomez will break Al Khali from post 9 for trainer Bill Mott, while Forte de Marmi drew post 3 for jockey John Velazquez and trainer Roger Attfield.

Dandino, trained by James Fanshawe and to be ridden by Jim Crowley, won the Group 3 September Stakes over 1 1/2 miles of Polytrack in his last start, which came at Kempton. The English shipper is 8-1 on the morning line and will begin from post 2.

Air Support, trained by ShugMcGaughey, is coming off a win in Belmont Park’s Grade 2, 1 1/4-mile Bowling Green and is a 10-1 chance. Javier Castellano rides Air Support, who drew post 11.

Scalo, who shipped here from Germany in July with a long-term eye toward the Canadian International, finished a strong third in the 1 1/4-mile Sky Classic, but then was a flat fourth in the Northern Dancer.

Andrasch Starke takes over aboard Scalo, who is 12-1 on the morning line and will begin from post 4 for trainer AndeasWoehler.

Lay Time, from England, and Prince Will I Am, from New York, loom as the longest shots in the Canadian International at 20-1 on the morning line.

The 4-year-old Lay Time is the only female in the field and will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Sarah Lynx, the 4-year-old filly who upset last year’s Canadian International.

Lay Time, like Sarah Lynx, drew post 1.