A slow pace and an awkward move on the turn for home were not enough to keep the five-year-old horse NOTABLE SPEECH (GB) from charging to his second consecutive Woodbine Mile (G1) victory, earning another berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) in the process.
Owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, Notable Speech was sensational in his 1 1/4-length victory over the top miler in the U.S. Deterministic, who came in with six consecutive graded stakes wins.
It was a big day for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin as it won the Summer Stakes (G1) as well with the two-year-old homebred colt Al Hadaiba. Both Godolphin winners are trained by Charlie Appleby, who was winning his 100th Group 1 with Al Hadaiba and his 12th Group 1 at Woodbine since 2018.
Notable Speed won the 2025 Woodbine Mile over eight rivals on the inner turf course, as the E.P. Taylor course was being renovated. The horse then took his tack to California where he won the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
This summer, following a win in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and then a sixth in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) , Notable Speech was turned back to seven furlongs for the Aug. 22 City of York Stakes. He won that with ease and was expected to train up to the Breeders’ Cup while stablemate Opera Ballo was said to be headed to Woodbine. Instead, the barn changed plans and Opera Ballo raced in the Prix de Moulin (G1) (finishing fourth) and Notable Speech was back in Canada.
Making his first-ever run on the Taylor turf, Notable Speech and jockey William Buick stalked Deterministic through fairly slow pace fractions of 24.36 and 47.89. Trained by Miguel Clement, Deterministic was loping along and it seemed very likely he would be tough to beat.
But Notable Speech burst between horses late on the turn, appeared to clip heels with longshot Pierre before digging in and quickening in a jaw-dropping manner. Deterministic could not answer.
The time of 1:33.86 was good for a 101 Beyer Figure, the same number he earned in last year’s Mile win. Archivist was a late scratch from the Mile after shipping from Europe. Irish Aces was also a late scratch.
Now with 10 wins in 19 races, Notable Speech, a homebred son of Dubawi (GB), has earned $4,428,249.
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