Interpol Seeks Another Upset in Canadian International

Interpol arrives at Sunday's $1-million Pattison Canadian International from a pair of striking upset scores, engineered by pilot Emma-Jayne Wilson, taking the Grade 2 Sky Classic at odds of 21-1 and the Grade 1 Northern Dancer at a more respectable 10-1.

Trained by Sid Attard for JMJ Racing Stables LLC., the four-year-old English Channel bay will once again be a longshot in Sunday's 1 1/2-mile test, but the veteran conditioner believes the colt can hold his own.

"He's really coming around and has been training well," said Attard. "He loves the distance. He just goes out there and enjoys himself and he does it so easy."

Unraced as a juvenile, Interpol took a while to come good. Initially trained by Graham Motion, he started his career on the turf at Gulfstream Park but really didn't excel until arriving at Woodbine in June of 2014 when fourth in a 1 1/16-mile maiden allowance over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.  The leggy fellow subsequently finished second, this time under Attard's tutelage on July 26, in a good second-place run going 1 1/16-miles that encouraged Attard to send the colt long in the $500,000 Breeders' Stakes.

Sent to post at odds of 18-1 in the 1 1/2-mile Breeders', the upset-minded Interpol chased Ami's Holiday all the way to the wire missing by three-quarters of a length.  He would graduate next time out, on September 20, in a 12-furlong maiden allowance to complete his sophomore campaign.

Interpol has raised his game to another level as a four-year-old winning four of six starts including his season debut going a mile on the Gulfstream Park turf in March.

"He was off six months from his maiden win and came right back to win and that showed me this horse was going to be okay," said Attard.

Jesse Campbell guided Interpol through a trio of turf starts in the spring at Woodbine, including a win in a 1 1/8-mile optional claimer, but the journeyman rider injured his knee in a gate incident on the Friday before the Sky Classic Stakes when dismounted from Trini Lime. 

"Jesse got hurt and Emma picked up the mount and, well, you can't take a winning jockey off a horse," said Attard. "Emma rides him so well and they get along well. The International is going to be a much tougher race, but he deserves a shot."

In the 1 1/4-mile Sky Classic, Interpol stalked from third position and spied an opening three-wide late in the turn to engage Are You Kidding Me as Golden Sabre struggled to find racing room in third. Interpol, with a powerful stretch drive, took command late in the lane and dug in to hold off the surging Golden Sabre by a neck. 

Last time out, in the 1 1/2-mile Northern Dancer, Interpol stalked surprising pacesetter Danish Dynaformer before seizing command as the field turned for home. Habibi, the only mare in the field, closed stoutly late but Interpol hung tough to take the race by a half-length in 2:33.56 over a yielding E.P. Taylor Turf Course.   

Interpol will mark the first starter in the International for Attard, who was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2013. It's a race that Attard would dearly love to win.