Joshua Tree regains Canadian International crown

Joshua Tree carved out fractions of :25 2/5, :51 2/5, 1:17, 1:43 and 2:07 2/5

on the good turf, with Air Support lapped onto him. Down the lengthy

homestretch, Dettori asked Joshua Tree, and the response was forthcoming. Joshua

Tree lengthened stride, shrugged off Air Support, and pulled two lengths clear.

Inside the final furlong, fellow English shipper Dandino uncorked a bold move

on the outside to threaten, and locally-based Forte dei Marmi also finished with

interest, but they came too late.

"It's the best turf track in North America, so for us Europeans it makes life

a lot easier, but also you need the horse that answers every call and he did for

me. I was able to set my own fractions, but when I asked him to pick up, he did.

He fought right to the line.

"I rode him last time. He was third in a good race in France (the Group 2

Prix Foy) and this was always the target. He's won it before and was second last

year. He is a super horse and loves this track. Who knows? He might even be back

next year."

"It was always the plan (to bring him back to Woodbine one more time)," said

Lucie Botti, the trainer's wife and assistant, "and we are delighted for him

that he won for us. He is a great horse to us, very consistent. He's just a

superstar for us."

The son of Montjeu made it three straight Canadian International wins for his

late sire, who was also responsible for 2011 upsetter Sarah Lynx.

Al Khali was scratched because of the rain-softened ground, and Hall of Fame trainer Bill

Mott indicated that he could be rerouted to the Breeders' Cup Turf.

With this second major international prize to his credit, Joshua Tree's

scorecard stands at 24-6-6-3, $3,160,662.

Joshua Tree was coming off a third in the September 16 Prix Foy at Longchamp to

Japanese superstar Orfevre, who was just caught in last Sunday's Group 1 Prix de

l'Arc de Triomphe. Two starts back, Joshua Tree landed the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay in

August at Deauville, defeating subsequent Australian Group 2 victor Shahwardi.

His 2012 highlight reel also includes placings in the Group 2 Princess of

Wales's Stakes at Newmarket and the Group 3 Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night at

Meydan.

Originally part of the Coolmore empire and trained by O'Brien, Joshua Tree

captured the Group 2 Royal Lodge as a juvenile in 2009. During his abbreviated

three-year-old campaign in 2010, he finished third in the Group 2 Great

Voltigeur and fifth in the Group 1 St Leger before grinding out a game victory

by a head in the Canadian International.

In early 2011, Joshua Tree took up residence in Qatar for his new

connections. He won once from four starts, taking the Qatar International Cup.

The handsome bay was transferred to Botti that summer. A distant third to

eventual Arc queen Danedream in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden, he played

second fiddle to Sarah Lynx here in his seasonal finale.

Bred by Castlemartin Stud and Skymarc Farm in Ireland, Joshua Tree commanded

$659,458 from Demi O'Byrne as a Tattersalls October yearling. The six-year-old

was produced by Grade 3 heroine Madeira Mist, a daughter of Grand Lodge, who is

herself a half-sister to multiple Group 3-placed stakes victress Misty Heights.

Joshua Tree's third dam is Group 1 Coronation winner Magic of Life, the dam

of Group 2 queen Enthused and granddam of Group 3 scorer Norman Invader. Magic

of Life also appears as the ancestress of Group 1-placed Nova Hawk, most

recently successful in the Group 3 Premio Sergio Cumani; Japanese classic-placed

stakes winner Chunyi; and Energizer, hero of the Group 3 Tercentenary at Royal

Ascot this June.

Further back, this is the family of multiple Grade 1-winning millionaires

Miss Oceana and Sabin.

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