Parente eyes Canadian International for Reporting Star

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – With Up With the Birds off to New York, Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes runner-up Dynamic Sky and third-place finisher Reporting Star could be the lone local entries for the Grade 1, $1 million Canadian International at Woodbine on Oct. 19. Karibu Gardens also is under consideration.

Trainer Pat Parente said he was pleased with Reporting Star’s effort in the Northern Dancer on Sept. 14.

“I thought he ran great in spite of having a couple of different incidents,” he said. “In the first turn, he had a little bobble and shied away from something. The jockey almost fell off. Then, down the lane, he got interfered with. In spite of that, I thought he ran fantastic.”

Reporting Star joined Parente at Woodbine in the spring after being prepped at Hastings Park by Craig MacPherson, who also trains for owner Copper Water Thoroughbred Co. Parente said he thought Reporting Star deserved a chance against graded stakes company on turf after recording his third win in a row July 27 by six lengths over recent graded stakes winner Lukes Alley.

“He broke his maiden on the turf in Florida in his first lifetime race, so I always kept an eye open for a good turf race for him,” Parente said. “Coming off of that race, where he blew the field away, I thought he earned a spot in a graded race.”

Reporting Star would be the first Canadian International starter for Parente, who recorded his 100th career training win Sept. 26 with Downtown. Despite the recent milestone, Parente said Reporting Star’s start in the Canadian International would be one of the more special moments of his career.

“It would be the highlight of my career so far,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll have many more, but this would definitely be the highlight of my career.”