Rain may have been a blessing for Temeraine

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Last week at Keeneland rain forced the Sycamore Stakes to be moved from the turf to the synthetic main track which prompted the scratch of the top three favorites, including Temeraine.

The 4-year-old gelding. instead, will be one of an expected field of 12 starting Sunday in the $1 million Canadian International at Woodbine.

"We were going to run (Temeraine) at Woodbine or (at Keeneland)," trainer Tom Proctor said. "We wanted to kind of come there and (the Sycamore coming of the grass) pushed us in that direction."

Temeraine won the 1 1/2-mile Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 14. He was second to Rahystrada in the Arlington Handicap and fifth in the Arlington Million. The 1 1/2-mile International will be the gelding's first start at Woodbine.

"He's really stepped up," Proctor said. "He's run well the last three races. There are some real nice horses in (the International) and he fits in, but he has to keep running well."

Owned by Niall Racing, Temeraine has won five of 16 career starts and $436,493.

Although Sunday will be the first time jockey Luis Contreras will be aboard Temeraine, the rider successfully rode Left A Message to victory in the 1 1/2- mile Flaming Page Stakes for Proctor at Woodbine this summer.

In alphabetical order here are the probable starters for the Canadian International: Forte Dei Marmi, Eurico Rosa da Silva; Hyper, Joel Rosario; Irish Mission, Gary Boulanger; Joshua Tree, Ryan Moore; Lucayan, Stephane Pasquier; Now We Can, Thierry Thulliez; Perfect Timber, John Velazquez; Seismos, Andrea Atzeni; Slumber, Mike Smith; Stormy Len, Edgar Prado; Temeraine, Luis Contreras and Twilight Eclipse, Julien Leparoux.