Woodbine: Trips to Asia, not U.S., for Joshua Tree, Siyouma

Michael Burns

The European-based Joshua Tree will make his next start in the Japan Cup on Nov. 25.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Joshua Tree and Siyouma, winners of the Grade 1 Canadian International and Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes here at Woodbine on Sunday, will be returning to England on Thursday and will not be back in North America this season.

The 5-year-old Joshua Tree had earned a berth in Santa Anita’s $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf for his victory in the Canadian International while Siyouma had punched her ticket to the $2 million Filly and Mare Turf with her E.P. Taylor tally.

Instead of heading to California, the English-trained Joshua Tree and the French-trained Siyouma will be bound for their respective home bases and later traveling much farther east.

Joshua Tree’s next engagement is the Nov. 25 Japan Cup, Grade 1, 1 1/2-mile turf race with a purse of approximately $6.25 million at Tokyo Racecourse on Nov 25.

His score in the $1,500,800 Canadian International makes Joshua Tree eligible for bonuses of $1 million (U.S.) for a first-place finish, $400,000 for second, and $200,000 for third.

Siyouma’s target is the Grade 1, $2 million Mile Championship at Kyoto Racecourse on Nov. 18.

By virtue of her victory in Newmarket’s Group 1 Sun Chariot, Siyouma would be in line for bonus monies of $625,000 (U.S.) for first place, $250,000 for second, and $162,000 for third.

Joshua Tree may return in 2013

Joshua Tree, under a masterful front-running ride by Frankie Dettori, was scoring for the second time while making his third appearance in the Canadian International

Trained by Aidan O’Brien for his first Canadian International win, Joshua Tree was sold to owners Khalid K. al Nabooda and Kamel Albahou the following winter.

Joshua Tree finished second in the race for Marco Botti last year before giving the trainer his first Canadian victory in Sunday’s $1,500,800 Canadian International.

“This was always the plan, basically since he finished second here last year,” said Lucie Botti, wife of the trainer, at a post-race press conference Sunday.

“He’s a very courageous horse. He comes into form in the autumn, it seems. Sadly, he wasn’t invited to go to Japan last year.”

Joshua Treehad finished 10th, beaten just 3 1/2 lengths, in the 2010 Japan Cup following his 2010 Canadian International win, then was stabled in Dubai the following February.

“The plan is to go back to Dubai,” said Botti, adding that a fourth appearance here is a long-term target for Joshua Tree.

“At Woodbine, we’ve been very lucky.”

Dettori, who was riding his third Canadian International winner, was aboard Joshua Tree for the first time when the horse finished third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe second-place finisher Orfevre, in the Group 2 Prix Foy at Longchamp.

“I begged Marco to let me ride him here that day,” said Dettori. “He said ‘If you want to ride him, he’s yours.’

“He’s a tough horse. He’s been here before, and he kept on galloping to the end.”

Short rest no problem for Siyouma

Siyouma. bred in Ireland, was the fifth Woodbine starter and first winner for both trainer Francois Doumen and jockey Gerard Mosse, who had teamed up when Jim and Tonic finished second in the 1998 Woodbine Mile and third the following season.

Siyouma captured the Grade 1 Sun Chariot over one mile of good turf at Newmarket on Sept. 29.

“I was a little bit worried, running her back so soon,” said Doumen. “But she won so easily at Newmarket, and came back so fresh.

“She has a wonderful temperament. That allows her to travel beautifully well.”

Siyouma was a measured 1 3/4-length winner of the $1,006,000 E.P. Taylor with fellow French invader Pagera second and European transplant Dream Peace third in the field of 13 fillies and mares traveling 1 1/4 miles on the eponymous turf course.

Dream Peace, trained by Chad Brown, was beaten a neck for second money after finishing third in Belmont’s Grade 1 Flower Bowl over 1 1/4 miles of good turf on Sept. 29.

“I thought the filly ran really well, coming back in two weeks,” said Brown. “She was probably just third best, down the stretch. I was proud of her — it was very solid third, with a very solid group of Group 1 horses. She’s a tough filly.”

Kissable may try Long Island

Trainer Roger Attfield had the best results of the home forces in Sunday’s two seven-figure stakes as he sent out Forte Dei Marmi to finish third in the Canadian International and Kissable to run fourth in the E.P. Taylor.

Forte Dei Marmi, a 6-year-old gelding who was coming off a third-place finish, in the 1 1/2-mile Northern Dancer, rallied to be beaten a length.

“I expected him to run a big race, and he did,” said Attfield.

Kissable, a 4-year-old who races for Three Chimneys Racing and Lordship Stud, ended fourth in the E.P. Taylor, was beaten 2 3/4 lengths after breaking from post 12 in the field of 13 with John Velazquez in the irons.

“Johnny felt she would have been second if we hadn’t had that post,” said Attfield. “But the bottom line is, she ran great.”

“Both horses proved they belong with the best,” said Attfield. “Now, we’ll just have to find spots for them.”

Kissable could make her next appearance in the Grade 3, $150,000 Long Island, a 1 1/2-mile turf race for fillies and mares at Aqueduct on Nov. 10.

The site of Forte deiMarmi’s next engagement is yet to be determined.

Good effort by Wigmore Hall

Wigmore Hall, who won the Northern Dancer and was beaten 2 1/4 lengths as the fourth-place finisher in the Canadian International, will be completing his third round trip from England when he heads home on Thursday.

“He ran a cracker,” said Gillian Dolman, traveling head lass for trainer Michael Bell. “I was very pleased with him considering the amount of ground he made up.”

Dandino, the runner-up in the Canadian International, and Imperial Monarch, who finished sixth as the favorite but was beaten just 3 3/4 lengths, will be on the same flight as Joshua Tree and Wigmore Hall.

“I think he was a little bit on heels. He ended up sat back a little bit further than he wanted to be,” said Helen Haliwell, traveling head lass for trainer James Fanshawe. “But Frankie’s tough to beat when he gets his way on the front end.”

Haliwell speculated that Dandino could be heading to Sha Tin for the Grade 1 Hong Kong Vase, a 1 1/2-mile turf race on Dec. 9.

“He’ll get his ground there, for sure,” she said.

T.J. Comerford, traveling head lad for trainer Aiden O’Brien, had no line on the immediate future of the 3-year-old Imperial Monarch but felt his chances had been compromised by the pace.

“It was a very slowly run race,” said Comerford.

Lay Time, Night Carnation finished

Lay Time, the 4-year-old filly who finished a distant last in the Canadian International, came out of the race with a small fracture in her knee.

The Canadian International already had been Lay Time’s last scheduled appearance as she has been booked to go to Street Cry in Kentucky.

“She’ll still be able to leave Tuesday,” said Leann Masterton, traveling head lass for trainer Andrew Balding, here Monday morning.

Earlier on Sunday’s program, Night Carnation had been a solid second-place finisher for the Balding barn in the Grade 1 Nearctic over six furlongs of turf.

Night Carnation, a 4-year-old filly who was bred in England by her owner, George Strawbridge, earned $100,000 for her Nearctic placing to bring her career total to $245,698 on a record of 5-3-1 from 17 starts.

“That will be it for her, I think,” said Balding. “She’ll be a lovely addition to Mr. Strawbridge’s broodmare band.

◗ All-sources wagering on the 11-race program was $6,326,478, a 1 percent decrease from last year’s $6,400,112. Wagering on the 10-horse field for the Canadian International was $1,233,429, down 18 percent from last year’s $1,512,808 on 16 horses.