Multiple Grade 1 winner MODERN GAMES (Ire), currently the 3-to-1 favourite to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) this year according to odds at the Costa Rican-based Bovada, is expected to have 11 rivals taking him on next Saturday in the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile worth $1 million.
The early forecast for Saturday in Etobicoke is mostly sunny and 25 C, feeling like 30C with humidity.
The $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile headlines a “Super Saturday” of world-class turf racing on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. The $500,000 Pattison Summer Stakes (Grade 1) for two-year-olds and $500,000 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes (Grade 1) for two-year-old fillies will also take place over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course on September 17.
All three races are Win and You’re In’ Events for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland on November 4 and 5.
All three races are Lasix-free.
Modern Games, owned by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby, was one of the world’s top 2-year-olds in 2021 and capped his season with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Del Mar, although he raced for purse money only.
This year, Modern Games won the French 2000 guineas (Poule D’Essai des Poulains (G1)) in May at Longchamp and most recently, a solid second to the undefeated Baaeed in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on July 27.
The competition for Modern Games is solid.
Trainer Paulo Lobo said earlier this year that he has big plans for his trainee IVAR (Brz), who was third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile and fourth in the 2020 edition. The dark bay got a late start to 2022 but won his return at Horseshoe Indianapolis in the J B Schuster Stakes, rallying to win in 1:39.40 for 1 1/16 miles on turf. The 6-year-old by Agnes Gold is 6-for-12 in his career and his big win was the Grade 1 Shadwell Mile at Keeneland in 2020.
Another European, FINEST SOUND (Ire) is in town for Simon and Ed Crisford. A 5-year-old gelding by Exceed and Excel, Finest Sound was second by a neck in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood to stablemate Jadoomi, who came back this past weekend to win the Group 2 Boomerang Mile at Leopardstown. Finest Sound had three races in August and one was a win in a seven furlong conditions Stakes.
SHIRL’S SPEIGHT won the Grade 1 Makers Mark Mile at Keeneland in April, rallying from behind a slow pace. Since then, the Roger Attfield-trained horse has been 4th in the Turf Classic, 3rd on the dirt in the Salvator Mile and most recently 5th in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup.
The Connaught Cup winner was the speedy FILO DI ARIANNA who has never lost at Woodbine. The Brazilian-bred owned by Gary Barber, Peter Deutsch and Wachtel Stable came back from the Connaught to win the one-mile King Edward (G2). His three wins this year all came with Lasix.
Casse will also enter front-running GET SMOKIN, a gelding by Get Stormy who was fourth in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga in August. Get Smokin’s last win was in May 2021 when he took the Seek Again Stakes at Belmont. The Casse team will also have its trusty 7-year-old MARCH TO THE ARCH in the field for Live Oak Plantation. This guy was second in the 2020 Woodbine Mile to Starship Jubilee and fourth in last year’s edition to Town Cruise.
TOWN CRUISE will be making his third start of 2022 in this year’s Mile for Brandon and Terry Greer following a fifth place finish in the King Edward.
Neil Drysdale, no stranger to Woodbine, is sending California-based HOMER SCREEN (Brz) for Team Valor. A Group 2 winner in Brazil in 2020, the 6-year-old has had three races in 2022 including a second in the Grade 3 American Stakes and a fourth in the July 31 Eddie Read at Del Mar.
Team Valor will also be represented by the filly WAKANAKA (Ire), who won the Grade 2 Dance Smartly at Woodbine on July 24 over Fev Rover, who came back to win the Canadian Stakes (G2).
Canada’s 2-time Horse of the Year MIGHTY HEART, fifth in the 10 furlong Niagara Stakes on July 30, will seek his first grass win in the Woodbine Mile for owner Larry Cordes and trainer Josie Carroll. WAR BOMBER, winner of the Grade 3 Seagram on Tapeta on Aug. 14 and a turf stakes winner, is also expected to be in the field.
Prospective field for Ricoh Woodbine Mile
Filo Di Arianna (BRZ) – Mark Casse – Kazushi Kimura
Finest Sound (IRE) – Simon Crisford – Andrea Atzeni
Get Smokin – Mark Casse – Rafael Hernandez
Homer Screen (BRZ) – Neil Drysdale – Joe Bravo
Ivar (BRZ) – Paulo Lobo – Joe Talamo
March to the Arch – Mark Casse – Patrick Husbands
Mighty Heart – Josie Carroll – TBA
Modern Games (IRE) – Charlie Appleby – William Buick
Shirl’s Speight – Roger Attfield – Emma-Jayne Wilson
Town Cruise – Brandon Greer – Daisuke Fukumoto
Wakanaka (IRE) – Bill Mott – Manny Franco
War Bomber (IRE) – Norm McKnight – Sahin Civaci
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