Qatar Racing Limited Look to Defend Woodbine Mile Crown

Qatar Racing Limited, who captured last year's Mile with Trade Storm, will look to defend their crown on Sunday with the improving three-year-old colt Mr. Owen.

Trained by Francois Rohaut, the bay son of Invincible Spirit is out of Mrs. Lindsay who captured the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes for Rohaut and owner Bettina Jenney, in 2007 at Woodbine. While very talented, Rohaut does not find there to be any similarity between the young colt and his famous dam.

"Definitely not," said Rohaut. "He looks like his sire Invincible Spirit. He doesn't stay like most of his father's progeny and is much easier to train than his dam."

With three wins to his name, Mr. Owen arrives at the Mile from a half-length score in the Prix Les Experts onAugust 4 at Deauville over firm ground.  The effort redeemed Mr. Owen's sixth-place run in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat on July 12 at Chantilly.

"He had the worst draw (Post 12 in a field of 12) so we decided to wait and come from behind," said Rohaut of the Deauville score. "It was the first time we tried that and he showed an amazing turn of foot to come from last to first."

Mr. Owen, who arrived at Woodbine late Wednesday night, has trained forwardly into Sunday's $1-million test.

"Mr. Owen stayed in Deauville to prepare for this race. He had regular work with other three-year-olds who all ran well in stakes during the last weeks. He seems to be in top condition," said Rohaut.

Rohaut will be hoping for dry weather heading into Sunday's race.

"He prefers firm or good to firm going, even if he won on good to soft," said Rohaut.

The top conditioner is hopeful that Mr. Owen can follow in his mom's footsteps and provide a second Grade 1 success at Woodbine. 

"Mrs. Lindsay was my first Grade 1 winner abroad and Bettina Jenney was there with all her family to support Mrs. Lindsay," recalled Rohaut of the 2007 E.P. Taylor triumph. "We spent a fantastic day...it is always a great pleasure to have a runner here."

PLATINUM GLORY LEADS BUSY MILE WEEKEND FOR DEPAULO

Maiden winner Platinum Glory will try for a glorious upset in Sunday's $1-million Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile.

Trained by Mike DePaulo for owner John Di Scola, the Ontario-bred Dunkirk grey has flashed serious talent in just nine career starts.

"He was second in the Grade 2 King Edward going a mile," said DePaulo of Platinum Glory's wide-closing effort behind Mile rival Tower of Texas. "He finished fifth last time going seven-eighths (in the G2 Play the King), so we're hoping a little more ground might get us a little closer."

Platinum Glory showed promise as a juvenile, enough promise for DePaulo to debut the colt in the Vandal Stakes where he finished sixth following a slow start.  After a fourth-place run in a seven furlong sprint, Platinum Glory completed his campaign with a solid second-place effort when routing for the first time.

Unfortunately, that race also came with a setback as the colt cracked a bone in his foot.

Although he made just two sophomore starts, both showed potential.

"We only got a few races into him last year but they were good races. He broke his maiden and finished second in an allowance," said DePaulo. "He's come back this year and ran well. He's just been a little unlucky."

Winless in four starts as a four-year-old, Platinum Glory overcame a slow start in his seasonal debut to finish a closing second behind the improving Marten Lake.  He then made his turf debut in spectacular fashion by rounding out the exactor in the King Edward, a result which came as no surprise to DePaulo.

"His mom is by El Prado who is a very good turf sire, a good sire period. There's a lot of turf in his family," said DePaulo.

Platinum Glory breezed five furlongs over the turf in 1:02.60 in his final prep for the Mile.

"He worked on his own. They were going easy. He's had enough starts so he's good and fit," said DePaulo.

He may be long odds on the board come Sunday, but the expected hot pace to be set by multiple Grade 1 winner Obviously could play a big part in what is an important weekend for the DePaulo barn.

"He wants to take back and take a run at them. Hopefully he can take a big piece of it," said DePaulo.

DePaulo will also be a factor in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Win and You're In events as he sends out the undefeated filly Caren in the Grade 2 Natalma Stakes and maiden winning colt Gigantic Breeze in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes, both at a mile on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Caren's mare, Jo Zak, has produced nine winners including Jill Robin L who won Gulfstream Park's Grade 2 Bonnie Miss in 2002. DePaulo picked out Caren for owner Robert Marzilli at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton sale for a handsome $45,000.  With three wins on the Woodbine 'Poly' including scores in the Shady Well and Nandi Stakes, Caren has already paid back her connections, and then some, with $192,000 in purse earnings.

"I thought we paid a lot of money for her, but I thought she was really nice," said DePaulo. "When we bought her, I thought she would be a turf horse and I'm hoping that's true. It's funny, I wondered if she'd be able to run on the 'Poly' because I know her sire, Society's Chairman, was certainly at his best on grass."

Precocious from the start, Caren has also developed a bit of a reputation as a horse to take a wide berth around in the barn.

"From the first bunch of breezes she was very smart and very eager," said DePaulo. "She's a fighter, a biter, a kicker a little bit of everything. 

"The first stakes she ran in she took some pressure and kept going. The other horse took a run at her and she was able to hold her off. She's shown some heart and some guts.  We're hoping she can get the mile, her father was certainly a miler."

Gigantic Breeze, a Giant's Causeway chestnut owned by Hopefield Farm, debuted with a narrow neck score in an off-the-turf maiden allowance tilt on August 21.  

"The race went a little slow but I think this horse is a lot better on the turf. He's a different horse on the grass," said DePaulo. 

Although the maiden score earned just a 65 Beyer Speed Figure, the conditioner is confident Gigantic Breeze will improve in the Summer Stakes. He made his final Summer prep on September 6 covering five furlongs over the turf in 1:00.60.

"He works better on grass and his gallop out times have been better than his work times," noted DePaulo. "He always finishes good and strong. It looks like he could use more ground."

TURNCOAT TAKES A SHINE TO THE GREEN SCENE

It’s a tough introduction to the high-stakes world of stakes racing, but trainer Laurie Silvera believes Turncoat, a five-year-old son of Notional, will come up with his best effort in Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile.

He hadn’t raced on turf until start No. 14 of his 16-race career, but the results have indeed been pleasing for his connections ahead of his first stakes appearance, one that comes against some salty competition.

“It’s a tall task, but I believe he will run well,” said Silvera. “He’s as genuine as they come. Yes, he will be facing some very tough horses, but I believe his best route is one mile on the turf. He has certainly raced well lately. Hopefully, he can come up with his best one yet on Sunday.”

Turncoat certainly didn’t betray his connections faith when he was given the chance on the turf, winning on July 18, at the mile distance.

His grass efforts have produced a victory, a fourth and a second. 

In his last start, on August 23, contested at six furlongs on the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course, Turncoat, as the mutuel favourite, came charging in the long stretch run to the wire. 

The chestnut gelding narrowly missed, settling for the runner-up spot, a half-length behind the winner. 

“He fights very, very hard,” offered Silvera. “When I first got him, I said to myself, ‘This is a very well put-together horse.’ His conformation – you can’t fault him at all. He’s a nice-looking horse.”  

Omar Moreno, champion apprentice jockey of 2009 and winner of both the Sovereign and Eclipse Awards in 2010, once again gets the call.

RICOH WOODBINE MILE TO BE BROADCAST LIVE ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

The 19th edition of one of the premier grass races on the continent will be televised live from 4:30PM – 6:00 PMacross Canada on TSN2 and across the U.S. on FOX Sports 1 as part of The Jockey Club Racing Tour, featuring Grade 1 events from across North America. Post time for the Ricoh Woodbine Mile is slated for 5:45 P.M. EST. The winner receives $600,000, while the runner-up gets $200,000.

The live broadcast will also feature the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes, a grassy 1 1/8-mile Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In event for fillies and mares. The Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes will be shown on tape.

PROBABLE FIELD FOR THE GRADE 1 $1-MILLION RICOH WOODBINE MILE (11)

HORSE / OWNER / TRAINER / JOCKEY

Grand Arch / Jim and Susan Hill / Brian Lynch / Luis Saez

Kaigun / G. Barber, Quintessential, Horse’n Around / M. Casse / P. Husbands

Lea / Adele B. Dilschneider & Claiborne Farm / Bill Mott / Joel Rosario

Mondialiste / Geoff and Sandra Turnbull / David O'Meara / Fergal Lynch

Mr. Owen / Qatar Racing Limited / Francois Rohaut / Umberto Rispoli

Obviously / Anthony Fanticola & Joseph Scardino / Phil D'Amato / Joe Talamo

Platinum Glory / John Di Scola / Mike DePaulo / Jesse Campbell

Reporting Star / Copper Water Thoroughbred Comp./ Pat Parente / Luis Contreras

Tower of Texas / T. F. Van Meter II & S. Dilworth / Roger Attfield / E. da Silva

Turncoat / Irish Wisky Racing LLC / Laurie Silvera / Omar Moreno

Za Approval / Live Oak Plantation / Mark Casse / TBA

Source: Woodbine Communications Office