Pattison Canadian International (Grade 1)- $750.000 Purse
WO- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Turf
October 4, 2025

While the days of the Pattison Canadian International offering a $2,000.000 purse and seeing Bronze Sabre dominate it like he did three years in a row are over, this is still a great opportunity for distance turf horses and we’re glad to have it back. After all, the race was not held in the real-world last year, and it was also shelved in 2022. Therefore, we did not have the race here, either, so this will be just the second running of the Pattison here after 2021. When we did last have the race, the distance was cut from its usual mile and a half to a mile and a quarter, but we will have the return to the maximum distance here. The 2023 winner was Oh Brother, for Spankys Barn, and he continues to be active and winning graded races like he did in September. We’ll have a field of nine heading to the starting gate this time, so let’s take a run through the field now:

1- King Z (Mb Stables, ridden by R Santana Jr)- Four horses in this field were last seen in the Grade 2, $2,500.000 KD Turf Cup at KD last month, including the winner of the race who we’ll get to later. King Z was fine for most of the race, run on soft ground, but tired late and finished out of check paying position. This makes two races in a row now where he has failed to cash in, but he had a strong summer up to that point. King Z has been known to have the occasional flat showing and he is equally capable of breaking out of that at any time.

2- State Cavier (Diablo Diablo, ridden by L Dettori)- Set the pace in the KD Turf Cup last month, before being passed by a couple and finishing third though was only beaten by half a length. That was a good bounce back for him after he didn’t look great in the AP Million. That was the first race since arriving with Diablo Diablo that the gelding failed to hit the board, but he hadn’t always run for the highest purses. It does need to be said that State Cavier loves a wet track. It does not have to be wet for him to run well, as we saw in his Read Stakes win in July, but when it is wet, he thrives. Rain is not in the forecast here.

3- Bigmikesbluedress (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J Bravo)- The last time he wore his blue dress in the winner’s circle, it was way back in November of 2023. But we know that doesn’t bother TwinTowersRacing as long as his horses continue to get solid results, such as with Ifyerwokeyerajoke. I’m not really seeing that with this one, though. Had a miserable effort last time out at DMR in the Grade 2 DMR Handicap and has only hit the board twice in seven starts this year. But wait! Each of those races were here at WO! Since he likes it here, he should see his best. Still don’t think it will be good enough, but it will be better than the DMR Handicap.

4- Kegger (Ajm Stables, ridden by T Conner)- Had his chances at the graded level with prior trainers, but it would not be until Ajm Stables claimed him for $40.000 in April where Kegger began to get more consistent result. He does have one dud from June but has been in the top three in his other races for the trainer, which includes a win in the Grade 2 Bowling Green at SAR. His most impressive result, though, is one he did not win, but lost the head bob at the wire to Great Vault at the Grade 1 Sword Dancer. Took last month off after scratching out of the KD Turf Cup, since he doesn’t like it wet. That, by the way, is his excuse for June.

5- Tower Isle (Winning Link Stables, ridden by P Moran)- The trainer probably remembers that tight finish well at the Sword Dancer, since he owns Great Vault. But there will not be a rematch between that one and Kegger, as Tower Isle gets the call here instead. There have been times where he has run well in graded races and did win the Fort Marcy at AQU in May. But those better results are not against a deep field of stars in this division, and when he has tried a bigger race, like the Manhattan or the DMR Handicap, he has been a non-factor. That can change, but I have to look elsewhere.

6- One Last Punch Line (Saratoga Stud, ridden by E J Wilson)- Made it into the BC Dirt Mile last year, but was not on his best form going into that, and he’d eventually be claimed by Saratoga Stud for $80.000 in March, a race he won. At first, the results did not see a turnaround, but in his last two starts, this 41-race veteran has shown that he has more in the tank. In late August, and while running against a few of these, he won the Grade 2 DMR Handicap as a 47/1 longshot. With that, we know he’s going to the BC Turf, but he still may need to prove himself one more time before that, so I like his placement here.

7- Sioux Arrival (High Voltage, ridden by L Salles)- Several horses in this field were in the KD Turf Cup, but only one of them took home the top share of the $2,500.000 purse. That would belong to Sioux Arrival, as he held off a hard charging Sunshine Superman (who is not here) to get the win by a head. It’s Sioux Arrival’s only win out of six starts on the year, and he has hit the board in half of them. Will it more of the same here, or are the ones he defeated eager to get their revenge on firm turf?

8- Dangerous Fugitive (Night Rider Stables, ridden by D Moran)- He probably will not want to remember it, but Dangerous Fugitive did run in the KD Turf Cup as well. It was a dismal outing, running well behind throughout, and finishing last, beaten by nine lengths. The only other time he ran on a wet track, he was awful as well, so Night Rider Stables will be happy to see the weather forecast. That will mean that we will see the dangerous side of this gelding, where he won two out of three before going to KD, including the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano. It’s actually his non-win of that stretch, where he was third in the Sword Dancer, that impresses me the most.

9- Sunflowers (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by A Cedillo)- The last race for this one was also at KD, but Sunflowers, as a three-year-old, was able to run in the $3,500.000 Nashville Derby. Despite being so far out of it at one point of the race to where he would be off the viewer entirely, Sunflowers came storming home and only lost by half a length, picking up the fourth-place check. Prior to that, though, his results were okay but they’re not going to impress anyone. Gets a three-pound weight advantage on everyone here which will help. Be watching for him in the stretch, no matter what.

Prediction: 4-7-1-2

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES