Modern Games leads deep cast set for Woodbine Mile
The 26th running of the Woodbine Mile, worth $1 million and contested over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, has attracted an accomplished field of 11 hopefuls.
Under the terms of the Breeders’ Cup “win and you’re in” Challenge Series, the Woodbine Mile winner will be entitled to a fees-paid berth for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile to be run on Nov. 5 at Keeneland.
Once again, the Mile has attracted a formidable group of turf talents, a combination of local and international standouts, accompanied by some of the highest profile trainers and jockeys in the sport.
From a Breeders’ Cup victor, to a local defending Mile winner, to a two-time Canadian Horse of the Year, to four Irish-breds and two Brazilian-breds, this year’s race serves up several intriguing storylines.
Godolphin’s Modern Games will be making his first appearance back in North America since his memorable Breeders’ Cup triumph. Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby will be looking to duplicate their Woodbine success from 2021, as they hit the Canadian International (G1), Summer and Natalma trifecta.
William Buick will make the trip to ride for Godolphin and Appleby on Saturday.
“We feel that Modern Games will be suited to the E.P. Taylor Turf course because of his versatility,” said Appleby.?“He has shown he can perform on tracks internationally and in Europe.”
The son of Dubawi, who sports a record of 5-2-1 from 10 starts, won four straight races starting last September through to this May.
As for the 3-year-old’s best attributes, Appleby landed on a trio of skills.
“His professionalism that he has shown to date, versatility and class,” said the trainer, who chose Modern Games’ Grade 1 triumph at Longchamp this May as the horse’s most impressive win to date. “He’s a progressive horse that every time he was set a challenge, he stepped up again.”
Owned by Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I, Ivar, a two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile participant, brings a record of 6-0-2 from 12 starts into the Mile. Trained by Paulo Lobo, the 6-year-old son of Agnes Gold arrives at Saturday’s race off a win in the $100,000 Jonathan Schuster Memorial Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis, posting a one-length score in the 1 1/16-mile trek, in a track-record time of 1:39.49.
“When he would race in Argentina, he knows very well how to run a mile with one turn,” said Lobo. “It [E.P. Taylor] reminds me a little bit of the course at San Isidro in Argentina, which he used to run on. He’s very accustomed to that, so I believe he will enjoy the course at Woodbine.
“His turn of foot is what comes to mind first for me,” continued Lobo. “He can really put in a powerful late run. Hopefully, there can be some strong early pace and it will set up nicely for him.”
Well-travelled Wakanaka, owned by Team Valor and Gary Barber, took to the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on July 24 and delivered her connections, including trainer Bill Mott, an impressive win in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes. She sports a record of 7-4-1 from 13 career starts.
Trainer Mark Casse, who won back-to-back runnings of the race, in 2016 with Tepin and in 2017 with World Approval, will chase his third Mile victory with a pair of runners.?
March to the Arch, a 7-year-old son of Arch, ran second in the 2020 Mile and was fourth last year. The Live Oak homebred, who has three stakes triumphs on the Woodbine green, is 8-5-4 from 33 starts.
Casse’s other chance for Mile glory comes in the form of Get Smokin, a graded stakes winner in both 2020 and 2021. The 5-year-old chestnut son of Get Stormy-Hookah Lady is 4-5-2 from 20 starts for Ironhorse Racing Stable, BlackRidge Stables, T N T Equine Holdings, and Saratoga Seven Racing Partners. This will be the gelding’s first test over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
Finest Sound, a 5-year-old son of Exceed And Excel-Amplifier, is chasing his first stakes win for owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed Obaid al-Maktoum. His resume includes a trio of runner-up finishes in group events, including the Group 1 Jebel Hatta Sponsored by Emirates Airline. The Simon and Ed Crisford trainee has recorded 16 top-three efforts from 20 starts and has posted a win, two seconds and a third in his past four engagements.
Team Valor International’s Homer Screen won five of his six starts in Brazil before heading to the U.S. to compete. The late-closing 6-year-old son of Adriano is 5-1-0 from 10 lifetime races. The chestnut, trained by Neil Drysdale, was second, at 28-1, in the American (G3) at Santa Anita on June 19.
Mighty Heart, two-time (2020-21) Canadian Horse of the Year, will look to get back to his winning ways in the Mile. Trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Josie Carroll, the 5-year-old son of Dramedy has contested nine consecutive graded events, winning the Autumn (G2) last November at Woodbine. The one-eyed bay, bred and owned by Larry Cordes, is 6-2-5 from 20 starts.