Desert Encounter Seeks Canadian International Repeat

With three consecutive group wins under his belt, Desert Encounter is back at Woodbine Oct. 12 to defend his victory in the CA$800,000 Pattison Canadian International Stakes (G1T). 

"He's been very consistent this year," trainer David Simcock said. "And he seems to be in good order."

Last year, the Halling gelding owned by Abdulla Al Mansoori rallied from last of 11 to close his season with a one-length victory in the Canadian International. This year, Desert Encounter will face only five others in the 1 1/2-mile turf event for 3-year-olds and up.

Though he began his 7-year-old season with four losses, he started to roll in August, when he won the Lormarins Queens Plate Glorious Stakes (G3) at Goodwood, then the Sky Sports Racing Winter Hill Stakes (G3) at Royal Windsor. On Sept. 21, Simcock sent the bay out for a victory in the Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup (G3) at Newbury. Each of those three races was at least 1 1/4 miles.

Desert Encounter also prepped in the Legacy Cup for the 2018 Canadian International where he finished third before his first grade 1 win.

"He's a kind horse and very straightforward to deal with," Simcock said. "I would say his general constitution with regards to travel and racing is what impresses me the most."

The last repeat winner of the Canadian International was Joshua Tree, who won in 2012 and 2013.

Desert Encounter is the 2-1 morning-line second choice behind Wertheimer & Frere's Ziyad at even money off his Aug. 25 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville (G2) score.

Ziyad held on by a half-length to take that Deauville race, which followed two runner-up efforts in France in which he was beaten less than a length, including the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1). The 4-year-old Rock of Gibraltar gelding led most of the Saint-Cloud stretch before losing by a neck to Coronet. At Deauville, though, he was able to relax and settle in second as Premier Lion was in to set the pace for his late-running stablemate Nagano Gold, who closed for third behind Ziyad.

"I was pleased they put in a pacemaker because otherwise there was a worry he would have to do all the work again," said Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager for the Wertheimers. "On the line of his run in the Grand Prix de Paris, we were expecting a good run, and so we're very happy."

Kentucky-based Nessy will look to follow in the footsteps of his full brother, the late Bullards Alley, who won the Canadian International in 2017. The 6-year-old gelding by Flower Alley—Flower Forest, by Kris S, was a valiant second to Godolphin's Old Persian when he rallied from last in the Sept. 14 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G1T), which is the same course and distance as the Canadian International.

"I thought he ran a very good race," trainer Ian Wilkes said of the Sierra Farm homebred. "He ran into a buzzsaw, the Godolphin horse. He's a legitimate grade 1 horse—he's very good. For him to nose out two other really good horses (grade 2 winners Focus Group and Tiz a Slam) at the wire, to get second, was a huge performance."

The local banner will be carried by Bill and Al Ulwelling's Pumpkin Rumble, a $30,000 claim in 2014. The 8-year-old English Channel  gelding has won four of his past six starts, including the Valedictory Stakes (G3) in December on Woodbine's Tapeta course and the Sept. 21 Alphabet Soup Handicap on Parx Racing's turf.

"He's a horse that always shows up to compete," trainer Kevin Attard said. "Those are the ones you love to have. He's a classy older guy that is as honest as they come. He's been competitive and consistent for a long time."

Representing Germany is Darius Racing's Alounak, trained by Waldemar Hickst. The 4-year-old Camelot colt was fourth and fifth, respectively, in back-to-back group 1s before getting up to win the Aug. 24 Preis der Sparkassen Finanzgruppe (G3) at Baden-Baden by a head.

"He likes to be on the lead but also has some turn of foo," Hickst said. "Alounak likes firm ground as you could see in Baden-Baden when winning the group 3 in August, but he can also handle soft ground."

Rounding out the overseas contingent is King Power Racing's Pivoine, who was second—one length behind Desert Encounter—in the Legacy Cup. Andrew Balding trains the 5-year-old Redoute's Choice gelding. The trainer won the Canadian International with Phoenix Reach in 2003.

"Obviously, it was a great thrill to win the race with Phoenix Reach," Balding said. "I have been lucky enough to win the E.P. Taylor (G1T), Wonder Where Stakes, and the Play the King Handicap (G2T), so Woodbine has been a happy hunting ground in the past."