The Pizza Man, the defeated Northern Dancer favorite, is expected to give Woodbine's E. P. Taylor turf course another try in next Sunday's $1 million Canadian International.
Trained by Roger Brueggemann, The Pizza Man will likely take on nine rivals in the 1 1/2-mile turf race. The 5-year-old gelding, owned by Midwest Thoroughbreds, won this year's Stars and Stripes Stakes over 1 1/2 miles at Arlington Park.
The Pizza Man finished fifth in the Northern Dancer on Sept. 14 as the 6-5 favorite versus eight horses. The loss snapped his five-race win streak which began after finishing third in last year's Stars and Stripes. The gelding has been ridden by Florent Geroux the last three starts, including the American St. Leger at Arlington four weeks before the Northern Dancer.
"It wasn't his day," said Rich Papiese, principal of Midwest Thoroughbreds, on the Northern Dancer result. "I expect a much bigger race for him next time."
The Pizza Man has won 12 of 18 races lifetime and has earned $739,803.
Northern Dancer runner-up Dynamic Sky will go for his first stakes win of the year in the International. The 4-year-old colt, trained by Mark Casse for John Oxley, last won on June 15 when placed first through disqualification in an allowance race over Woodbine's synthetic main track.
Dynamic Sky, racing exclusively at Woodbine since his 2014 debut at Keeneland, was third in the Singspiel, second in the Nijinsky and fifth in the Sky Classic before the Northern Dancer. His last stakes victory came in last year's Plate Trial.
The 4-year-old has earned $703,738 with four wins, four seconds and four thirds from 18 career starts.
Here are the 10 probable International starters with jockeys: Bayrir, TBA; Big Blue Kitten, Joel Rosario; Brown Panther, Richard Kingscote; Dynamic Sky, Patrick Husbands; Hillstar, Ryan Moore; O'Prado Ole, TBA; Reporting Star, y / Justin Stein; Suntracer, Luis Contreras; The Pizza Man, Florent Geroux and War Dancer, TBA.
The International will be aired live on TSN as part of a special broadcast from 3-4 p.m. ET.
[SportsNetwork.com]
