Woodbine Mile Rivals Cruisin' for a Breeders' Cup Spot
By: Nick Costa, Trackside with Trackman
Get your passports ready folks, we are crossing into Canada for our ThoroFan race of the week, the 26th running of the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.
Contested over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor turf course, the $1 million event is part of the Breeders' Cup ‘Win and You're In' Challenge Series. Under the terms of the series, the winner is entitled to a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Mile, to be run on November 5 at Keeneland.
A solid mix of eleven North American and International turf horses make up this year’s edition of the Mile, including the defending champ of the race, a Breeders’ Cup winner, a two-time Canadian Horse of the Year, a quartet of Irish-breds and a pair of Brazilian-breds. In addition, five Hall-of-Fame trainers representing the U.S. and Canada will saddle half of the field.
Post time for the Woodbine Mile is scheduled for 5:35pm
Modern Games (IRE) makes his first appearance back in North America since his memorable Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf triumph last fall. The three-year old colt is versatile and has demonstrated his class both internationally and in Europe. The 3-year-old son of Dubawi, who has record of 5-2-1 from 10 starts, won four straight races beginning last September through to this May. Trained by Charlie Appleby, who has been very successful when shipping into Woodbine, Modern Games has stepped up his performance every time he was given a challenge. The Godolphin owned runner enters the Woodbine Mile off a second-place finish in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes to the unbeaten superstar Baaeed. William Buick will make the trip to ride.
Two-time (2020-21) Canadian Horse of the Year, Mighty Heart, will look to get back to the winner’s circle in the Mile. Trained by Canadian Hall of Famer Josie Carroll, the 5-year-old son of Dramedy, who sports a 6-2-5 from 20 lifetime starts, has been blanked in five consecutive races since winning the G2 Autumn Stakes last November at Woodbine. The one-eyed bay will be piloted by Justin Stein.
There is a filly in the Mile starting gate and her name is, Wakanaka (IRE). The 4-year-old daughter of Power, who began her career racing in Italy but now resides in the barn of U.S. Hall of Fame inductee, Bill Mott, scored an impressive win back in July in the G2 Dance Smartly Stakes on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. Her record from 13 career starts is 7-4-1. Manny Franco gets the call.
Bringing in a race record of 5-0-1 from 11 starts, War Bomber (IRE), conditioned by Norm McKnight, was claimed in his fourth career start for 25k in August of 2021. The 4-year-old son of War Front has won 3 of 4 turf starts at Woodbine and has also won twice on the Tapeta surface, most recently a 18-1 score in the G3 Seagram Cup last month. Sahin Civaci will be in the irons.
The fourth and final Irish-bred horse, Finest Sound, is still seeking his first stakes win. The resume for the 5-year-old son of Exceed, sports a three runner-up finishes in group events, including the Group 1 Jebel Hatta which kicked off his 2022 campaign. The Simon Crisford trainee has recorded a win, two seconds and a third in his past four races and his overall record is 4-5-7 from 20 lifetime races. Andrea Atzeni makes the overseas trip to ride.
The Brazilian-bred, Homer Screen, who goes out for Hall-of Fame trainer, Neil Drysdale, won five of his six starts in his native country before heading stateside to compete. The 6-year-old son of Adriano has a 5-1-0 from 10 lifetime races. The late-running chestnut just missed, at 28-1, in the G3 American two back at Santa Anita. Joe Bravo, who was aboard for the horse’s first two U.S. starts is back in the saddle.
Ivar (BRZ) is a two-time Breeders' Cup Mile participant who has won 6 races from 12 starts. The 6-year-old son of Agnes Gold arrives in Toronto off a one-length win in track-record time in the Jonathan Schuster Memorial Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The Paulo Lobo trainee finished third in the 2021 BC Mile at Del Mar and was fourth in the 2020 edition at Keeneland. Connections are hoping for a strong early pace so their runner can utilize his powerful late run. Regular rider Joe Talamo stays aboard.
Canadian Hall-of Fame trainer Mark Casse, who won back-to-back editions of the Mile (2016-17), will send out the duo of March to the Arch and Get Smokin. A seven-year-old son of Arch, March to the Arch, is no stranger to Woodbine or the Woodbine Mile. The bay gelding sports an overall record of 8-5-4 from 33 races.
March to the Arch was second in the 2020 Woodbine Mile and fourth in last year’s running. The Florida-bred has three stakes’ victories on the Woodbine grass and heads into the Mile off a fourth-place finish in the G2 King Edward Stakes last month. Patrick Husbands will ride.
Get Smokin arrives at the $1 million race off a fourth-place finish at Saratoga in the G1 Fourstardave. The five-year old son of Get Stormy took the lead out of the gate and led until the eighth pole before being overtaken. This will be his first start at Woodbine. Rafael Hernadez takes the mount.
Legendary Canadian trainer and dual Hall of Famer, Roger Attfield, sends out Shirl’s Speight. The 5-year-old son of Speightstown rode a three-race winning streak from January through April, including a nose victory in G1 Makers Mark Mile at Keeneland. He possesses a 5-0-2 record from a dozen starts, including a win over the E.P. Taylor turf course. The ride goes to Emma-Jayne Wilson.
The Woodbine Mile program will also feature the Grade 1 $500,000 Summer Stakes for two-year old colts, the Grade 1 $500,000 Natalma Stakes for two-year old fillies and the Grade 3 $150,000 Seaway Stakes for older fillies and mares.
Selections:
1st – #2 Ivar
2nd- #5 Modern Games
3rd – #4 Finest Sound
Wager: $100 Mythical ThoroFan dollars
$40 win on Ivar - $20 Exacta Box Ivar/Modern Games - $10 Exacta Ivar and Modern Games over Finest Sound
Good luck and as always, Enjoy the race!!
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