ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Redwood blew into town last month for the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes, and ran like a favorite should, winning the 1 1/2-mile contest after a perfect trip. If he avoids a regressive “Euro-bounce” Saturday at Woodbine after shipping home to England and then back again in a four-week span, then he should be competitive in the 73rd running of the $2 million Canadian International.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Graham Motion is a racing fan besides being one of the most successful trainers in North America today, so he has a great appreciation of what could occur Saturday in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland.

“It’s a remarkable showdown of East versus West,” said Motion. “There are a few other serious fillies in there, but if it comes down to our filly and Evening Jewel, this race could be something special.”

The Northlands Park meet that ended last Monday had average daily all-sources handle of $222,059, down 7 percent from last year’s average of $239,515.
The 84-day meet at the Edmonton, Alberta, track handled a total of $18,652,965, a 12 percent decline from 2009. Last year, at an 89-day meet, $21,316,835 was wagered from all sources.
Newcomer Anthony Salgado was the leading jockey at the meet with 85 wins. Shannon Beauregard made a late run to finish second with 79. Robertino Diodoro was a clear winner over Jim Meyaard in the trainers’ race with 65 wins to Meyaard’s 44.

In an odd twist, rival trainer Jose Antonio Flores will be rooting for the reigning Quarter Horse World Champion, Freaky, to defend his title in the $150,000 Los Alamitos Championship on Saturday night.

Flores does not have a runner in the Grade 1 race, deciding to skip the 440-yard championship with A Tempting Dash, who upset Freaky in the Grade 1 Go Man Go Handicap at Los Alamitos on Sept. 11.

But if Freaky wins the Los Alamitos Championship, A Tempting Dash will receive an automatic berth to the $750,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 11, the season-ending goal for Flores.

Linda’s Lace will try to make it three in a row when she faces a tough field of nine Indiana-bred fillies and mares in the $87,000 Francis Slocum Stakes on Saturday at Hoosier Park.

Woodbine will look like Longchamp West on Saturday, as 15 of the 28 horses lining up for the three Grade 1 races on Canadian International Day are trained in Europe.

The E.P. Taylor Stakes resembles division 2 of the Prix de l’Opera, with eight of the 10 females in the 1 1/4-mile contest trained in Europe, and it is the Oct. 3 running of the Opera that may hold the key to the E.P. Taylor outcome.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Which version of Marsh Side will show up this Saturday for the $2 million Canadian International?

Marsh Side will be making his fourth appearance in the Grade 1, 1 1/2-mile turf race, with the first dating back to 2007 when he finished last of 12 in his last start for trainer Michael Dickinson.

Neil Drysdale took over as Marsh Side’s trainer the following year and saddled him for a 29-1 upset in Canada’s richest Thoroughbred race.

MIAMI – Trainers Stanley Gold and Steve Standridge will use a similar strategy in an attempt to attain the same goal, completing a sweep of their respective divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes with an undefeated 2-year-old on Saturday at Calder.

PHOENIX – Some of the best yearlings – now juveniles – to exit the 2009 Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders Association sale will knock heads at Turf Paradise Saturday. The $35,000 colt and gelding division of the ATBA Fall Sales Stakes, which goes as race 7 on the card, drew a field of 10 headed by R Skydiver and El Rancho. The $35,000 filly division, carded as race 8, matches 11, including R La Patrona and Stormy Crystal. Each race is at six furlongs.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Smokey Fire turned back a stern challenge from Ice Bear to capture the $100,000 Mt. Sassafras Stakes as the heavy favorite Wednesday night at Woodbine.

Daniel Be Good set slow fractions in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-breds, which was reduced to a four-horse field with the scratches of Field Commission and R Shining Hope.