Multiple Grade 1 winners The Usual Q.T. and Court Vision headline a highly-competitive field of 13 for Sunday’s $1 million Woodbine Mile.
The 14th edition of one of the premier grass races in North America will be televised live across Canada on The Score, in a special two-hour presentation from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm ET, with post time scheduled for
5:40 pm. The winner receives $600,000.
For the third consecutive year, the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile is part of the ‘Win and You’re In’ Breeders’ Cup Challenge, giving the winner a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Mile, November 6 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
Post positions were drawn Thursday at Woodbine with guest drawmaster Dion Phaneuf, captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.
The Usual Q.T., trained by Jim Cassidy, is the 3-1 morning line choice from post 11. He arrives from California after a fifth-place finish to Richard’s Kid in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on August 28 at one and
one-quarter miles over Del Mar’s synthetic surface. The two-time Grade 1 winner (2009 Hollywood Derby and 2010 Eddie Read), to be ridden by Victor Espinoza, has earned just over $1 million, while winning eight of his 16 starts.
“He came out of the race (Pacific Classic) really well,” said Cassidy. “I thought, initially, three weeks (between races), that’s a little tight. But he doesn’t seem to be any worse for it. He’s put on his weight again. He acts good. I really have no reason to think he won’t perform well.”
The four-year-old gelded son of Unusual Heat burned up California racing last year, winning six turf races in a row from August to December. This year, The Usual Q.T., owned by Don Van Racing, Michael Nentwig, George Saadeh and Jeffrey Byer, recorded a career best 103 Beyer (Daily Racing Form Speed Rating) while capturing the mile and one-eighth Eddie Read over the Del Mar turf on July 24, decisioning one of his Woodbine Mile rivals, Victor’s Cry, in the process.
New York-based Court Vision, trained by Rick Dutrow for owners IEAH Stables and Resolute Group Stable, is the field’s leading money-winner with over $1.9 million while winning seven of 23 outings. He drew post four as the 7-2 second choice. The five-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Gulch has collared three Grade 1 races in his career – 2008 Hollywood Derby, 2009 Shadwell Turf Mile and the 2010 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (through disqualification).
However, Court Vision hasn’t competed since June 5 when a lacklustre sixth to Winchester and Gio Ponti in the mile and one-quarter Manhattan
Handicap at Belmont Park. He’s been training impressively at Saratoga since, though and won last year’s Shadwell off a similar three month layoff, before finishing an excellent fourth to superstar Goldikova in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.
“We’re kind of looking for him to do the same thing (win off a layoff) up there with you guys,” said Dutrow. “I’m hoping he likes that grass (at Woodbine) and I’m hoping he’ll like the one-turn (mile).”
Robby Albarado, who has spent the last month recovering from a fractured clavicle suffered in early August at Saratoga, has been named to ride. Dutrow has twice finished second in the Mile, with Rebel Rebel (IEAH and Resolute) in 2006 and Kip Deville (IEAH and Partners) in 2007.
Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Famous Name (PP12, 6-1), a five-year-old son of Dansili, is the only Mile contestant from overseas, arriving from Ireland under the care of trainer Dermot Weld. A winner in nine of 19 career starts who has earned over $1.3 million, the British-bred most recently finished sixth to Cape Blanco in the mile and one-quarter, Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on September 4, but was less than two lengths behind the highly-regarded runner-up, Rip Van Winkle.
“We’d like it if we can get a few showers. He does run well (in the soft going),” said Weld. To be ridden by Pat Smullen, Famous Name, a five-time Group 3 winner, will be trying to give Juddmonte a second consecutive Woodbine Mile triumph, following on the heels of Ventura last year. The only other British-bred to win the Mile was Labeeb in 1998.
Amongst the five locally-based challengers, Sam-Son Farm’s Grand Adventure and Jim Dandy Stable’s Ontario homebred Smokey Fire figure to be well-backed.
Grand Adventure (PP13, 8-1), a son of Grand Slam, won the Connaught Cup and King Edward at Woodbine earlier this year and most recently was second to stablemate Windward Islands in the mile and one-eighth Nijinsky Stakes, July 24. Trained by Mark Frostad, who, along with Sam-Son Farm, are two-time Mile winners (Quiet Resolve in 1999 and Soaring Free in 2004), the four-year-old colt, who finished ninth in last year’s Mile, will be handled by Patrick Husbands, who won the 2001 Mile aboard Numerous Times.
Smokey Fire (PP6, 15-1), trained by Sid Attard, enters off a neck win in the Play the King Stakes on August 29, his sixth victory in only 11 career starts. The five-year-old gelded son of Smoke Glacken will be ridden by Jono Jones. Attard trained 2001 Woodbine Mile winner Numerous Times.
Attard will also send out Norseman Racing Stable’s Signature Red (PP7, 20-1), who captured the six-furlong Highlander Stakes over the Woodbine turf course on July 4. The four-year-old son of Bernstein will be ridden by Eurico Rosa da Silva.
In addition to The Usual Q.T., three other Mile hopefuls are coming from California. Third choice Victor’s Cry (PP2, 4-1), trained by Eoin Harty for Equilete Stable, won the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park on May 31, notching a career best 105 Beyer, before finishing second to The Usual Q.T. in the Eddie Read. The five-year-old son of Street Cry will be ridden by Corey Nakatani.
“If not the best, he (The Usual Q.T.) is certainly one of the very best turf horses in America, possibly at a distance of ground more than a mile,” said Harty. “I think the (Mile) distance plays to my advantage. I think I can beat him at a mile. I would have beaten him at a mile at Del Mar.”
British-bred Crowded House (PP1, 12-1) is now trained by Ben Cecil for Carmen Burrell, Jonathan Harvey and Canadian J. Paul Reddam. The four-year-old son of Rainbow Quest won England’s Racing Post Trophy Stakes in 2008, but has not been able to find the winner’s circle in 10 subsequent starts. However, after racing in Dubai and England earlier this year, Crowded House arrived in the United States and has performed well in two outings – fourth to The Usual Q.T. in the Eddie Read, then a close second, just three-quarters of a length behind Richard’s Kid in the Pacific Classic. He’ll be ridden by Joel Rosario. Cecil trained last year’s Woodbine Mile runner-up, Ferneley.
Riviera Cocktail (PP9, 20-1), a four-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway, is trained by Neil Drysdale, a three-time winner of the Woodbine Mile (Labeeb, 1998, Touch of the Blues, 2003 and Becrux, 2006). To be ridden by Edgar Prado, Riviera Cocktail, a four-time winner in 14 starts, was most recently fourth in the one mile Wickerr at Del Mar on July 28 for owners Joe Allen, Norman Cheng and Gallagher Equine.
AJ Suited Racing Stable’s Zifzaf (PP3, 30-1) arrives fresh from New York, a winner in two of three starts this year for trainer Jimmy Toner. The four-year-old son of 2000 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner War Chant was most recently third to Get Stormy in the mile and one-sixteenth Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga, August 1. He’ll be ridden by Julien Leparoux, winner of the Eclipse Award last year as North America’s outstanding jockey.
Trainer Alan Goldberg will send out Richard Santulli’s Straight Story (PP5, 12-1), a speedy four-year-old Giant’s Causeway colt who most recently took the West Point Stakes for New York-breds on August 19 at Saratoga, after finishing an excellent fourth to Chinchon in the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park on July 3. He’ll be ridden by Rajiv Maragh.
Rounding out the local contingent are Auteur and Woodbourne. Bruce Lunsford’s Auteur (PP8, 50-1), trained by Barbara Minshall, won his most recent race, an optional claimer on August 14 at the one mile distance on the turf. The four-year-old gelded son of El Prado will be ridden by Mike Smith.
Woodbourne (PP10, 30-1), trained by Robert Tiller for The Very Dry Stable, exits a narrow loss to 2008 Mile winner Rahy’s Attorney in the With Approval Stakes, August 14. The six-year-old gelded son of Danzig, who was claimed for $50,000 on July 2, will be handled once again by Chantal Sutherland.
The stakes record time for the Woodbine Mile is 1:32.04, set by Ventura last year when she became the first filly/mare to win the race. Quiet Resolve ($91.10 in 1999) is the longest-priced winner while Leroidesanimaux is not only the shortest-priced winner ($3.30) but also established the largest margin of victory, seven and three-quarter lengths, in 2005.
Only three favourites have won the Mile in its first 13 editions – Soaring Free in 2004, Leroidesanimaux in 2005 and Shakespeare in 2007. Although no Woodbine Mile winner has won the Breeders’ Cup Mile, two horses who raced in the Woodbine Mile have won the Breeders’ Cup Mile – 2007 runner-up Kip Deville and Silic (1999), who had finished fifth. Three other Woodbine Mile winners – Geri (1997), Touch of the Blues
(2003) and Leroidesanimaux (2005) – all went on to finish second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Two other turf stakes highlight an exceptional Woodbine Mile card…the Grade 1, $750,000 Northern Dancer Stakes, presented by V-Tech, at one mile and one-half for three-year-olds and upward, which includes 2008 Pattison Canadian International winner Marsh Side and 2010 Singspiel winner Spice Route, and the $300,000, Grade 2 Canadian Stakes, at one mile and one-eighth for fillies and mares, with Points of Grace and Miss Keller heading the field.
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