Draw favors Thundering Blue

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Rarely do you see a draw for a 1 1/2-mile turf race as important as the one for Saturday’s $800,000 Canadian International. The inside portion of Woodbine’s 12-furlong course has been unused since Sept. 16, and those two paths should provide smooth footing for the horses who are fortunate enough to race there in the Grade 1 fixture.

Thundering Blue, the 2-1 morning-line favorite from England, drew ideally in post 2. The Group 2 winner is coming off a victory in the Group 3 Stockholm Cup International in Sweden, but his third-place finish behind Roaring Lion and Poet’s Word in the Group 1 Juddmonte International in August at York was arguably his best performance.

Kim Johnstone, the wife of trainer David Menuisier, said Thundering Blue handled the ship to Canada much better than his trip to Sweden, which was his first plane ride. She said the Swedish track was tight by European standards, much like the Woodbine layout, and he passed the test with flying colors.

Fran Berry has the mount again on Thundering Blue, a handsome gray 5-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Exchange Rate.

Graham Motion trains the 4-1 second choice, Spring Quality, who spun his wheels over soft turf last time out in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont. He was previously third in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer and first in the Grade 1 Manhattan, which were both run on firm ground. With Edgar Prado riding, the Maryland shipper drew post 6.

The English invader Desert Encounter (6-1) is exiting a third-place finish in the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup at Newbury. His trainer, David Simcock, won two Grade 1 stakes here in 2014, the Woodbine Mile with Trade Storm and the Northern Dancer Turf with Sheikhzayedroad. He got post 10, under Andrea Atzeni.

Local hero Johnny Bear came along the rail to win the Northern Dancer Turf for the second year in a row Sept. 15. His connections are adamant that he won’t compete if the course is soft, like it was when he finished up the track in last year’s International. The weather forecast leading up the Saturday looks favorable for the 8-1 shot, who begins from post 9 under Luis Contreras.

Rounding out the 11-horse International field are Funtastic (8-1), Focus Group (10-1), Khan (10-1), English Illusion (15-1), Markitoff (20-1), Bandua (20-1), and Tiz a Slam (20-1).

Saturday’s blockbuster card includes three other stakes, the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor, the Grade 2 Nearctic, and the Grade 3 Ontario Derby.

In Canada, the International will be broadcast on TSN2 from 5-6 p.m. Eastern. It goes as race 9, with a post time of 5:41 p.m.