The pair returns after teaming up to win the Woodbine Mile for the second straight year with Notable Speech on Sept. 12.
asserted
pair → return → Sept.
Godolphin’s Arabian Crown, a French-bred also trained by Appleby, will be among seven horses vying for the win in the Grade 1 $750,000 Canadian International turf race at Woodbine.
asserted
Crown → breed → Woodbine
Godolphin and Appleby won the ‘21 International when British-bred Walton Street earned a 5 3/4-length victory with celebrated jockey Frankie Dettori aboard.
asserted
Street → win → victory
Two years later, Godolphin, Appleby and jockey William Buick teamed up with Irish-bred Nations Pride for a 2 1/4-length victory.
asserted
Godolphin → team → victory
Nations Pride was third in last year’s race, which was won by fellow Irish-bred Silawi.
asserted
which → win → Silawi
Godolphin also won the International in 2000 (Mutafaweq) and 2004 (Irish-bred Sulamani).
asserted
Godolphin → win → 2000
Arabian Crown, a son of Dubawi, is a multiple graded stakes winner but will chase his first success at the Grade 1 level.
asserted
Crown → grade → level
The five-year-old gelding has six wins from 13 career starts coming into his first North American engagement.
asserted
gelding → have → engagement
Appleby believes Woodbine’s E.P. Taylor turf course is perfectly suited for his horse.
asserted
course → believe → horse
“The ground is always maintained to a very high standard, and the galloping track should suit his running style,” said Appleby.
asserted
Appleby → maintain → style
“He has won on both soft and good-to-firm ground.
asserted
He → win → firm
Tawny Port, second in last year’s International by a nose to Silawi, will also return Saturday.
asserted
Port → return → Silawi
The seven-year-old has finished in the money 18 times (seven wins, six seconds, five thirds) in 34 career starts and is trained by Miguel Clement for Peachtree Stable.
asserted
old → finish → Stable
“I’m feeling great,” said Clement.
asserted
Clement → feel → ?
“He (Tawny Port) won the Bowling Green (2 1/16 miles over the turf at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 9) in his last start and he’s also doing great.
asserted
he → win → start
“He’s seven, yet somehow, he keeps improving.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
He’s a pleasure to watch and I feel like he’s aging like fine wine.
asserted
he → ’ → wine
He was an unlucky second in this race last year (run on the inner turf), but this track (E.P. Taylor) should suit his running style.
asserted
track → run → style
The American-bred dark bay is in good order ahead of his return engagement.
asserted
bay → breed → engagement
Tawny Port will be ridden by Sahin Civaci on Saturday.
asserted
Port → ride → Saturday
“He is so enthusiastic in his training that you don’t have to train him overly tough, which is ironic considering he’s running those longer distances,” said Clement.
asserted
Clement → have → distances
“But he thrives with that (lighter training) and he’s a happy horse.
asserted
he → thrive → that
“He runs much better when he’s happier.
asserted
he → run → ?
He’s feeling like King Kong rather than being trained aggressively.”
asserted
He → feel → Kong
The field also includes Woodbine-based Dancin in Da’nile.
asserted
field → include → Da’nile
The seven-year-old has four wins, five second-place finishes and five third-place efforts from 35 career starts.
asserted
old → have → starts
The Gail Cox-trainee will be ridden by Canadian Pietro Moran, the ‘25 King’s Plate winner aboard Mansetti.
asserted
trainee → ride → Mansetti
The full race field, with post position, horse and jockey, includes:
1) Arabian Crown, Jamie Spencer; 2) Dancin in Da’nile, Moran; 3) Purview (Great Britain), Christopher Hayes 4) Il Siciliano, Rafael Hernandez; 5) Ancient Egypt (Ireland), David Egan; 6) Tomasello, Emma-Jayne Wilson; and 7) Tawny Port, Civaci.
Irish-bred Joshua Tree is the only three-time winner of the Canadian International, doing so in 2010, 2012 and 2013 with a second-place finish in 2011.
asserted
Tree → include → 2011
Also of note, in 1973 the legendary Secretariat capped a stellar racing career by winning this event at Woodbine.
asserted
Secretariat → cap → Woodbine
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2026.
asserted
report → publish → Press
The Aporia
