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ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Quijano, a German invader trained by Peter Schiergen, has been made the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Sunday's Grade 1, $2 million Canadian International at Woodbine. A field of 12 was entered at a ceremonial draw Thursday for the 1 1/2-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and upward.
The Canadian International anchors an 11-race program that begins with an early 1 p.m. Eastern first post and includes a strong pair of supporting turf features in the Grade 1, $1 million E.P. Taylor for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles and the Grade 2, $500,000 Nearctic for 3-year-olds and upward at six furlongs.
Quijano, who is coming off a Group 1 win in his homeland, will begin from post 12 under his regular rider Andrasch Starke.
Sky Conqueror, Canada's reigning champion turf horse and third-place finisher in last year's Canadian International, drew post 4 and was the 4-1 second choice by Woodbine oddsmaker Jennifer Morrison.
"Last year, I didn't think the post mattered at a mile and a half," said Darwin Banach, who trains Sky Conqueror for owner-breeder Bill Sorokolit. "But he drew the 1-hole, got squeezed out going into the first turn, and it went downhill from there.
"This year, I hope we won't get much pressure from the outside. He should get a nice, safe trip until they turn from home, and we know he has a tremendous kick the last quarter-mile."
Javier Castellano, who rode Sky Conqueror to victory in the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs last spring, has the mount.
The third choice at 6-1 is Ask, a lightly raced English 4-year-old who is perfect in two starts this season. Ask, trained by Michael Stoute, drew post 9 and will be ridden by up-and-coming English jockey Ryan Moore.
Sunriver, trained in New York by Todd Pletcher, and Irish Wells, a French invader conditioned by Francois Rohaut, are pegged at 8-1.
Garrett Gomez rides Sunriver, who finished a close second last time out after leading for all but the final strides of Belmont's Grade 1 Man o' War over 1 3/8 miles of grass.
Irish Wells, winner of the 1 9/16-mile Prix de Deauville for the second straight year in his last start, will be ridden by Oliver Peslier.
Sunriver will begin from post 11 and Irish Wells from post 6.
Honolulu, from the powerful Irish stable of Aidan O'Brien, and Oracle West, trained in England by Michael de Kock, are listed at 10-1.
Mick Kinane will break Honolulu from post 7, while Oracle West begins from post 2 under John Murtagh.
Cloudy's Knight, a Chicago invader making his third visit of the season after finishing second in the Grade 2 Nijinsky and winning the Grade 2 Sky Classic, is next at 12-1. Trained by Frank Kirby, Cloudy's Knight will start from post 8 under regular rider Ramsey Zimmerman.
Stream of Gold (15-1), Marsh Side (30-1), and Linda's Lad (30-1) are the other U.S.-based shippers in the Canadian International. Windward Islands, owned by Sam-Son Farm and trained here by Mark Frostad, also is listed at 20-1.
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