Handicapper's Corner: Woodbine Mile (G1)

Woodbine Mile - All That Glitters is Green

By: Nick Costa, Trackside with Trackman

Our Thoro-Fan blog this weekend takes us north of the border. Woodbine Race Track in Toronto, Ontario, is squarely in the spotlight on Saturday with the Grade 1, $800,000 Breeders Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ Woodbine Mile, the featured race on a card packed with four lucrative stakes.

The Woodbine Mile has an illustrious winner's list that includes two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan (2012, 2013), sensational filly Tepin (2016) and World Approval who used this race last year as a springboard to a Breeders’ Cup Mile Championship.  Other notable winners include Court Vision (2010) who pulled off a stunning upset in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile,and 2016 Arlington Million winner, Mondialiste, who captured the Woodbine Mile in 2015.

The race is open to 3-year-olds and up traveling eight furlongs over the E.P. Taylor turf course and the field of nine horses, including a filly, represent some of the finest grass runners in North America and Europe.

This contentious grass contest goes as race 8 on the 12-race card with post time slated for 4:48 p.m. ET. 

 Here's how field looks from the rail out.

1 - Good Samaritan – Joel Rosario/Bill Mott – Following consecutive off-the-board finishes in New York on conventional dirt, where he is a multiple Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 stakes placed, this colt gets back to the grass where he began his career and was very successful, including rallying from last place to win the Summer Stakes (G2) over this surface and distance in 2016. Trainer Bill Mott won the inaugural edition of this event in 1997. 


2 - La Sardane – Rafael Bejarano/Neil Drysdale – Filly will take on the boys for the second consecutive race after contesting last month’s Play the King stakes over soft ground that she obviously detested, finishing fifth after setting the pace. With a Group 2 win in France and a Grade 3 win in the States, she now looks to add a Grade 1 title to her resume and become the third female to capture this race. Trainer Drysdale is a three-time Woodbine Mile winner.
 
3 - Delta Prince – Javier Castellano/James Jerkens – Five-year old horse has never been off the board in nine career starts and always flashes his natural liking for the turf wherever he shows up to race. Enjoyed a fine moment of his career this June, winning the King Edward (G2) over this very course and distance following nearly a ten-month layoff. Top notch grass performer then came back with a gritty and hard-fought near miss performance in the Fourstardave (G1) at Saratoga over a turf course labeled good.

4 - Vanish - Ademar Santos/Vito Armata - Local Woodbine runner was claimed two back for $40k out of a winning optional claiming effort racing one-mile over this course. He then rewarded his new owners with a second-place finish in the August 25^th Play the King (G2) across seven furlongs of yielding turf. Broke his maiden on Woodbine’s synthetic track in the Claredon Stakes in his second start as a juvenile, so the talent was there early. Is being given a tall order in this spot, but this is home and he does like this grass surface.

5 - Mr Havercamp – Eurico da Silva/Catherine Day Phillips - This Ontario-bred runner is 6 for 9 lifetime and is a local fan favorite, as well as a multiple stakes winner, including an impressive victory here in the August 25^th Play the King over yielding ground. He will try to keep his perfect 4 for 4 record over this turf course intact as he seeks Grade 1 glory. His sire (Court Vision) won this edition in 2010.
 

6 - - Lord Glitters – Jamie Spencer/David O’Meara - Consistent runner who’s been in good form all year, comes across the Atlantic after contesting a pair of Group 1’s, which included a runner-up showing in the Queen Anne at Ascot in June, and a Group 2 event at the same venue, before finding the winner’s circle in his latest at York in a Group 3 event.  He owns a 6-8-1 record from 17 starts and possesses a dangerous turn of foot.

7 - Oscar Performance – Jose Ortiz/Brian Lynch – As the betting favorite in the Arlington Million (G1) last time out, the three-time Grade 1 stakes winner was pulled up and vanned off. It was reported he took a bad step. Following the race, he was given a complete examination and found to be in good health. He has been working regularly in the mornings for this engagement. He was a sharp looking winner of the Poker Stakes (G3) in his 2018 debut off a seven-month layoff and is unbeaten in two starts at the one-mile distance.

8 - Divisidero – Jevian Toledo/Kelly Rubley – Multiple Grade 1 winner began the year in a new barn with trainer Rubley calling the shots, and she hopes her charge can make his Canadian debut here a winning one. The colt has carried good form since returning to the races in 2018 and turned in a tremendous effort two back, rallying impressively to take top honors in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap. Last time out, he was two lengths behind runner-up Delta Prince in the Fourstardave (G1).

9 - Stormy Antarctic– Gerard Mosse/Ed Walker – Well traveled, ultra- consistent foreign horse brings solid form to the race. He’s competed against strong company in Europe where he’s a Group 2 and 3 winner and has been second three times in Group 1 events. He can run on the lead or come from off the pace, so he’s versatile. He likes some give in the ground, however, the expected firm ground won’t hinder his chances at this top level. 



Summary:

The contest appears wide open, but I’ve settled on the European Lord Glitters who looms very menacing in this spot.

Lord Glitters has landed in the exacta in 14 of his 17 careers starts and his most impressive outing was in defeat when a solid runner-up in the Queen Anne at Ascot. Trainer O’Meara has taken the same route with this grey gelding as he did with Mondaliste who won this race in 2015, so he knows how to accomplish the mission. The French-bred, English based Lord Glitters has performed extraordinary while keeping world class company in Europe. He is in great form, adds Lasix and should really enjoy the long stretch of this course.

Delta Prince was very sharp winning the King Edward after 10-months away. Then at Saratoga, he caught softer turf than he prefers, but fought on tenaciously for second. This is his third start off the layoff, so he should be in peak form on a turf course expected to be firm, which is more to his liking. 

Oscar Performance had a rough day in his last start at Arlington, but the fact he is back this soon after being vanned off, indicates all is well the three-time Grade 1 winner. If he’s at his best, he certainly can win this.

Play: With $100 Thoro-Fan dollars, I will bet $20 to win on Lord Glitters and play him in a $5 exacta box with Delta Prince. Both horses in $5 straight exactas over Oscar Performance. Play all three in a $10 trifecta box. 

Good luck and enjoy the race.