Erupt Runs Away With Canadian International

A day full of stakes upsets on the Woodbine grass culminated with Erupt’s 12-1 stunner in the $1 million Pattison Canadian International (Can-IT) Oct. 16. 

Flaxman Holdings’ Dubawi colt trained by Francis-Henri Graffard raced in fourth in the backstretch of the 1 1/2-mile turf test, then unleashed a furious turn of foot in the stretch to burst away from his rivals and win comfortably by a length under jockey Stephane Pasquier.

“I was a bit worried about my stall number (post 8), but he started well,” Pasquier said. “We took good position right behind the leader and the race was perfect today. I feel that I had a lot of gas, actually. It went easily.”

World Approval shot to the front for a clear lead early and set slow fractions—:26.66, :52.79, 1:18.80, and 1:44.21 through a mile. The United Nations (gr. I) winner still held a half-length advantage as 1 1/4 miles went in 2:08.01, but tired in the stretch.

Dartmouth, who tracked World Approval in second through most of the race, held second at the wire, a half-length ahead of closing Wake Forest.

Erupt, a 4-year-old bay colt, finished off the 1 1/2 miles in 2:30.87. He came into the Canadian International winless in four 2016 starts, but provided back class as the 2015 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-I) winner.

“We won a group I in France at 3-years-old, but it was a difficult start to this year,” Pasquier said. “Today he came back very easily and I'm very happy to have found my horse again.”

Erupt delivered $26.30, $9.50, and $5.60 across the board. Dartmouth brought $4.70 and $3.50, while Wake Forest delivered $5.10 to show.

The Pizza Man came in fourth, followed by heavy favorite Idaho, Danish Dynaformer, Taghleeb, World Approval, and Protectionist to complete the order of finish.

Erupt was bred in Ireland by the Niarchos Family, who race Erupt as Flaxman Holdings. He is out of the Caerleon daughter Mare Nostrum. He has a 5-1-1 record from 12 starts.