Motion Looking For A Grade I Sweep in Toronto

Trainer Graham Motion is a horseman whose record on the international stage speaks for itself. The England-born, Maryland-based winner of the G1 Dubai World Cup and veteran of multiple trips to Royal Ascot heads into this Sunday's international festival at Woodbine Racetrack with more than a realistic chance of sweeping the famed facility's two featured GI events, the C$800,000 Pattison Canadian International and C$500,000 E. P. Taylor S.

Motion has already had a productive season at Canada's premier track, having taken this summer's GII Sky Classic S. with Albert Frassetto's Can'thelpbelieving (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), September's GII Canadian S. with Gestut Fahrhof's standout filly Quidura (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Woodbine's top turf race for 2-year-old males, the GII Summer S. with West Point Thoroughbreds' GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf-bound 'TDN Rising Star' Untamed Domain (Animal Kingdom).

The Kentucky Derby-winning conditioner returns to greater Toronto for its two top turf events, led by two offspring of stellar global sire Dubawi, Flaxman Holdings' Erupt (Ire) defending his title in the International and the aforementioned Quidura, the possible post-time favorite for the E. P. Taylor over 1 1/4 miles. He also has Gestut Brummerhof's barn favorite Messi (Ger) (New Approach {Ire) in the 1 1/2-mile International for a potent one-two punch.

While Quidura has been with Motion's Fair Hill-based yard for over a year, Erupt is a new acquisition. Last fall, the multiple G1/GI winner landed the International with finesse under Stephane Pasquier for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. This year, he looks to reverse a series of poor performances, including an effort unbefitting of his moniker in the GI Sword Dancer S. at Saratoga on Travers Day last out. Based with Motion since, he is giving his new conditioner the confidence to go back to Canada and try to win its apex grass event again.

“He is doing very well and seems to be very straight-forward to me,” Motion said. “He's a really nice horse to be around and has had a couple nice works for me. I'm not trying to change too much with him. Last time at Saratoga, it was pretty firm and they went fast up front and he was a little close to that, which was a little different for him. This course [at Woodbine] is much more to his liking, but we saw that last year, obviously.”

It is not the first time Motion has been sent a talented European performer with considerable back class by the Niarchos Family's Flaxman Holdings. In 2010, Aruna (Mr. Greeley) came over from France and won a series of top races for Motion, including the GI Spinster S. More notably, 2012 G1 Epsom Derby runner-up Main Sequence (Aldebaran) joined Motion's yard in his 5-year-old season–like Erupt–and reeled off sharp victories in four consecutive Grade I events to land Eclipse champion older male and turf male honors. The last of Main Sequence's quartet came in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita, a race that is not out of Erupt's splash zone with a return to his best form.

“Honestly he's not much like [Main Sequence], but he's a professional horse who does his work well and obviously has a lot of class about him,” Motion said. “I feel good about him and we're hoping he can show that.”

Quickly joining the ranks of favorites since arriving in his care last year is Quidura, who has faced tough competition in 2017, including a heartbreaking head loss to divisional leader Lady Eli (Divine Park) in Saratoga's GI Diana S. in July and an emphatic victory in the Canadian last out, a Breeders' Cup Challenge 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Perhaps Motion's best chance at victory Sunday, Quidura aims for her first victory at the top level.

“Coming off her race in the Canadian, I think she handled it all very well and we would really like to win a Grade I with her,” Motion said. “She's a very nice filly, very generous and runs her race every time. I thought the Diana was awkward because she was on the lead and that's not her style. Her [stalking] trip last time was more true to her style.

“I don't think she will go to the Breeders' Cup, but I can't completely rule it out. It is asking a lot of her to run in both,” he continued. “We were unable to beat Lady Eli when we were getting seven pounds from her, but you never say never.”

Another likely to skip the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in November is Sagamore Farm, Needle in a Haystack and The Club Racing's reigning queen of the Motion barn Miss Temple City (Temple City). A three-time Grade I winner, she ran respectably, but ultimately failed to hit the board in a title defense of the GI Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland last weekend.

“I think we're unlikely for the Breeders' Cup Mile with her, as she's in the sale,” Motion said. “I think she ran a very good race last week, but I also don't think she had an ideal race. In order to run in the Breeders' Cup, she's going to have to run against a solid group of males and give her best performance. At this stage in her career, she doesn't owe us a thing.”

But Motion is definitely pressing on with Untamed Domain.

“You want to be part of these races at the end of the year. I am excited about Untamed Domain in particular,” he continued. “He reminds me a lot of his sire [Motion-trained Animal Kingdom]. He has a great attitude and turn of foot. Fingers crossed that we keep him right between now and then. I also may or may not run [two-time GI-placed] Maya Malibu (Malibu Moon) in the [GI Breeders' Cup] Juvenile Fillies. I wish she had a different post in the Frizette. She's certainly the best dirt 2-year-old I have right now and I think she's going to like two turns. It's just a matter of whether or not it's asking too much of her at this point in her career.”

In the meantime, the winner of nearly 2,500 races is focused squarely on Sunday at Woodbine and adding to his impressive 26 career GI wins. While a sweep would make history and add to a season that has already earned him $6.5 million in purses, a victory in just one of the races would give him an exemplary 150 career graded stakes wins.