French shipper Ziyad heavy favorite in Canadian International

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The talented French invader Ziyad has been tabbed as the even-money favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1, $800,000 Canadian International at Woodbine.

Ziyad has only run one clunker in six starts this year for trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias and appears to be peaking for the 1 1/2-mile turf event. He finished a close second in both of his June races, the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly. Following a break of nearly two months on Aug. 25, he won the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville.

Maxime Guyon will break Ziyad from post 1 in the six-horse field.

The venerable 7-year-old Desert Encounter was made the 2-1 second choice. He will try to become the first horse to win consecutive runnings of the International since Joshua Tree in 2012-13. Owned by Abdulla Al Mansoori and trained by David Simcock, the English runner is riding the wave of a three-race win streak in Group 3 company heading into Saturday’s engagement.

Desert Encounter prepped for the International by capturing the Legacy Cup at Newbury, in which he finished third last year.

“This year, he’s been fantastic,” said Simcock’s assistant, Ian Russell. “The obvious choice was to come back and run him in the International again. The French horse is very nice, and [Pivoine] was second to us at Newbury. There’s less horses this year, but I think the field is a little stronger.”

Andrea Atzeni, who was aboard for last year’s International win, will ride him again Saturday, from post 4.

Pivoine is exiting a troubled second in the Legacy Cup, during which he lacked room in the stretch before coming up a length short. After winning a handicap at York under 134 pounds on July 13, the erratic 5-year-old was fifth in his lone North American excursion in the Grade 1 Arlington Million. He is listed at a fat 10-1, with Robert Hornby retaining the mount for trainer Andrew Balding.

Rounding out the European contingent is the German runner Alounak, who won a Group 3 fixture in his last start at Baden-Baden. He was previously fifth behind French King, Communique, and Old Persian in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin. Listed at 6-1, Alounak will be ridden by Clement Lecoeuvre for trainer Waldemar Hickst.

The lone American shipper is 8-1 shot Nessy, who rallied for second behind the favored Old Persian in the local prep, the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf.

Rounding out the field is the popular Pumpkin Rumble (15-1), who set a course record when taking the restricted Alphabet Soup Stakes on Sept. 21 at Parx Racing.

The Canadian International will be broadcast in Canada on TSN4 from 5-6 p.m. Eastern, with post time for the race set for 5:40 p.m.