NOTABLE SPEECH (GB) will seek to become just the second horse to win two Woodbine Mile (G1) races after the great Wise Dan when he meets seven fellow turfers in the $1 million event on Sept. 12.
The 5-year-old horse by the great sire Dubawi (Ire) is nearing the end of his racing career (he will enter stud for 2027) and he will try to duplicate the Woodbine Mile and Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) double that he conquered in 2025. The horse’s owner, Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick are going for their fourth Woodbine Mile in the last five years as only Win for the Money, trained by Mark Casse, interrupted the Godolphin domination in 2024.
The Woodbine Mile is race 9 on Turf Champions Day. The Mile, E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1), Summer Stakes (G1) and Natalma Stakes (G1) are also Win and You’re In stakes races for the Breeders’ Cup events at the end of October at Keeneland.
Notable Speech, a nine-time winner in 18 races, won last year’s Woodbin Mile around the tight, inner turf as the E.P. Taylor turf was being renovated. But the horse figures to like this course better and he comes in off an easy score in the City of York takes (G1) with a 124 Timeform rating. While last year he defeated sold runners such as My Boy Prince and Gas Me Up (who is entered again this year), Notable Speech will have more notable challengers this year in the form of the brilliant DETERMINISTIC, the New York based 5-year-old who has won six straight graded stakes races, five of them at the Grade 1 level dating back to last May.
Owned by St. Elias Stable (co-owners of Prince of Wales Stakes winner Military Time), Ken Langone, Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable and trained by Miguel Clement, Deterministic has his usual rider Kendrick Carmouche named and they start from the rail post. The horse’s three races in 2026 resulted in Beyer Figures of 104, 100 and 100, giving him a huge edge over his North American rivals.
The ‘big two’ favourites have a couple of European invaders to consider in the Mile. ARCHIVIST (GB), also by Dubawi, has been sent to Woodbine by Wathnan Racing, which has a huge strike rate when it ships its top horses anywhere in the world. The 4-year-old gelding won three modest races through this spring but has won his last pair of outings including a seven-length romp on the Group 3 Stransall Stakes at York. The third place finisher from that race, Persica, has since come back to win the Group 3 Superior Mile.
SILIUS (IRE) is a French raced colt by, you guessed it, Dubawi, and he ships in for the successful stable of Wertheimer et Frere. Trained by Christoper Ferland, Silius has won eight of 21 races, five at the one mile distance. He picked up his first Group win in his latest, winning the Group 3 Prix Messidor over an unlucky Erdenali, who came back to win the Group 1 Prix de Moulin last weekend.
Silius is an improving colt and his older full brother, Silawi (Ire), came to Woodbine and won the Canadian International (G1) last fall.
There are two Ontario breds in the field: GAS ME UP and PIERRE. Gas Me Up was third to Notable Speech in the Mile last year and seventh behind that rival in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. The 6-year-old gelding likes the Taylor turf and he comes off his second win in the King Edward, winning by an inch over Piper’s Factor and fellow Mile entrant Irish Aces.
PIERRE returns home after he was sold through a digital sale for $100,000 by Al and Bill Ulwelling to Lawrence Roman. Trainer David Jaconson has raced Pierre, a son of Tapiture, once, and the gelding was second by a nose with a 96 Beyer at Saratoga.
IRISH ACES has placed in two stakes at Woodbine in his three starts since he missed more than a year of racing. He is trained by Brendan Walsh. ITSASTORMYMONDAY is a five-time winner at Woodbine, three of those on the inner turf, and he is owned by La Huerta Inc. and trained by Don MacRae.
Field for the $1 million Woodbine Mile (G1)
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