Redwood installed as Canadian International favorite

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Redwood, making his second trans-Atlantic journey in just over a month, was back at Woodbine on Tuesday evening and has been made the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1, $2 million Canadian International.

Post positions for the Canadian International were drawn at a special ceremony in the trackside tent here Wednesday, and Redwood drew the No. 8 slot in the field of nine for the 1 1/2-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up.

The fields for Saturday’s two other Grade 1 turf stakes, which like the Canadian International are part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program, also were announced before a gathering of some 250 people.

Shalanaya, winner of Longchamp’s Group 1 Prix de l’Opera in 2009, has been made the 5-2 favorite for the E.P. Taylor and will break from the inside post in the 1 1/4-mile turf race for fillies and mares.

Balthazaar’s Gift, one of three European invaders in the six-furlong Nearctic, is the 3-1 morning-line choice and drew the outside post in a field of 11 3-year-olds and up.

Redwood won the Grade 1 Northern Dancer here at 1 1/2 miles on the turf course for trainer Barry Hills on Sept. 19. Michael Hills, a son of the trainer, retains the mount.

Chinchon, who shipped over from France to capture the Grade 1 United Nations over 1 3/8 miles of grass at Monmouth Park but was unplaced in a subsequent appearance at Longchamp, is next in oddsmaker Ernie Perri’s morning line at 7-2.

Garrett Gomez rode Chinchon in New Jersey, and the pair will begin from post 2.

Marsh Side, coming off a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Northern Dancer, is third choice at 4-1 and will be looking to duplicate his Canadian International victory of 2008.

Edgar Prado will be back aboard Marsh Side, who will start from post 6.

Al Khali, coming off a game win in the Grade 2 Bowling Green at 1 3/8 miles on the Belmont turf, has been pegged as the 6-1 fourth choice and will start from post 5 under returning rider Alan Garcia.

Joshua Tree, trained by Aidan O’Brien and the only 3-year-old in the field, is next in line at 8-1 and will begin from post 7 under rider Colm O’Donoghue.

The locally based Fifty Proof, a strong second when making his stakes debut in the Northern Dancer, is a 10-1 chance and will break from the outside with his regular rider Justin Stein aboard.

“We’re happy with being out there,” said Ian Black, who trains Fifty Proof, the front-runner in the Northern Dancer.

“We can do what we want. If somebody wants the lead, we can sit off it.”

Mores Wells, winner of the Group 3 Stockholm Cup over about 1 1/2 miles of turf in his last start, is a 12-1 chance and will start from post 3 under Sebastien Maillot.

Simmard, a second Woodbine-based entrant, was beaten a neck last time out as the third-place finisher in the Bowling Green and is held at 15-1. Javier Castellano retains the mount on Simmard, who drew the No. 4 post and is trained by Roger Attfield.

Memorial Maniac, a well-beaten fifth in the Northern Dancer, is the outsider at 20-1 as he returns from south of the border. James Graham retains the mount.