Woodbine Mile undercard: Fields for 4 graded stakes

Woodbine's Saturday program features four graded stakes on the undercard of the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile

The winners of the Woodbine Mile, Summer Stakes (G1) and Natalma Stakes (G1) will be entitled to automatic entry into their respective Breeders’ Cup races, to be contested at Del Mar on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Woodbine also will host the Vigil (G3) and Ontario Matron (G3) on Saturday.

Attard sends 3 in Summer Stakes

Trainer Kevin Attard will send out three unbeaten horses, Bill of Ice, Marcus J and Two Out Hero, in the Summer Stakes for 2-year-olds. 

“It would be a career highlight, Desruisseaux said. “It’s a Grade 1 and a win-and-you're-in. It would be pretty exciting, for sure.”

The Natalma Stakes for 2-year-old fillies will be contested over one mile on the inner turf for the first time. 

Desruisseaux already has set career bests this year with 13 wins and earnings of $465,267.

The trainer said he’s excited about the prospects for Dixie Law, a Tiz the Law filly out of the Union Rags mare Bit Of Dixie that is owned by her breeder Garland Williamson.

Desruisseaux has been working with Dixie Law since mid-March.

“She’s been a plus since she's got here,” Desruisseaux said. “She’s really easy to train and a really nice filly.

“She was probably one of the bigger 2-year-olds I had come in this spring, but she’s gone through a growth spurt in the summer, and she's blossomed a little bit. She's filled out. I think even next year she's going to be even bigger and better.

Dixie Law comes into the Natalma off a win in her only career start, a maiden special weight over six furlongs on the turf July 12 at Woodbine with Rafael Hernandez up. Sitting mid-pack for much of the race, Dixie Law closed with a flourish to win.

Desruisseaux said he liked Dixie Law’s “versatility” in that race.

“I've always said to the owners that I think the further the better for her. When she came with that run, it was kind of expected. We always thought she was really nice, and she had been breezing really well going into the race. So, we were expecting good things, and luckily, she prevailed.”

After that start, Dixie Law was scratched out of the Catch A Glimpse Stakes on Aug. 16 over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course at Woodbine.

“It was unfortunate to miss the Catch A Glimpse,” Desruisseaux said. “She got sick on me on the day of entry. So, obviously, we're not going into the race totally like we would have liked to, but she's had really good breezes in the interim, and we're pretty excited to get going.”

If Dixie Law wins the Natalma, the prospect of maybe taking her to the Breeders’ Cup would be another dream-come-true moment for Desruisseaux.

“It would be huge. Obviously, we would have to see how she comes out of (the Natalma). They’re 2-year-olds. You never know. Knock on wood that she's sound and everything. If she wins, I'm sure the boss (Williamson) would like to go. You don't get too many opportunities like that.”

Trainer Charlie Appleby will also send over unbeaten Godolphin homebred Dance To The Music to contest the Natalma.

In her most recent start, Dance To The Music won the Sweet Solera Stakes (G3) on Aug. 9 at Newmarket.

“She was taking on more experienced fillies on this day and was very professional, keeping on well when challenged,” Appleby said.

Dance To The Music, a daughter of Dubawi out of the Noverre mare Miss Lucifer, is a full-sister to 2021 Breeders’ Cup Mile champ Space Blues.

“(The Natalma) will be (Dance To The Music’s) first time on a turn and the track is tighter than anything she will have encountered before, but she has been pleasing us in her work at home, so we come (to Woodbine) with plenty of confidence.”

Simcoe storms into Vigil in top form

Simcoe, trained by Katerina Vassilieva, heads into the Vigil Stakes at Woodbine in stakes-winning form.

Simcoe, who stormed to the lead early and then powered away down the lane for an authoritative 5 3/4-length score in the Bold Venture (G3) at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 16, will face eight rivals in the Vigil, a seven-furlong, main-track engagement for 3-year-olds and up.

“I was a little bit surprised at how easily he drew away from the rest of the field,” Vassilieva said of the Bold Venture victory, which marked Simcoe’s first added-money win. “One thing that Rafi (jockey Rafael Hernandez) and I spoke about this time was making it our intention to get the lead because we noticed in his last start before the Bold Venture when he did make it to the lead, he didn’t stop. He fought with the horse who was challenging him, but he didn’t give it up. This time, he made it look so easy.”

The final time was a sharp 1:15.42.

“In a couple of his races before that, at Turfway Park, it was the same thing,” Vassilieva said. “When he got to the lead and was challenged, he didn’t back down. Whenever we would decide that wherever he breaks out of the gate, just let him stay there, the result wasn’t always what we hoped. He tends to run evenly when he’s stalking. For the Bold Venture, we decided to go for it, and it worked out well.”

A homebred for Chiefswood Stables Limited, the 5-year-old gelding, now 18: 6-4-0, has a record of 4-4-0 over his last eight engagements.

“He has this big, beautiful stride,” Vassilieva said. “It might have taken his trainer longer than it should have to figure out what he wanted to do. He won at two turns earlier in his career as a 3-year-old. He’s a very big horse, and we felt that he wanted a route distance. It’s when we shortened him up to seven-eighths and shorter that he really flourished at those distances.”

The son of Uncle Mo out of the Pulpit mare Aurora Lights came into the season looking and feeling like he was at the top of the game.

Vassilieva, a multiple graded-stakes winner, took notice of it right away.

“He came back to Woodbine this season a much more confident horse because he had such a successful time at Turfway Park in the winter. He’s been so consistent ever since. He knows he’s been doing well and he knows he’s the man. He carries himself with a lot of confidence and poise.

“He came out of his last race in very good order, and he’s looking like he’s sitting on another big effort.”

Simcoe breezed four furlongs in 49.0 over the Woodbine main track Saturday in preparation for the Vigil.

“He is a true athlete. He’s very focused and professional when it comes to training and racing. He has a good mind, and a lot of heart.”

Attard trio primed for Ontario Matron test

Sovereign Award-winning trainer Kevin Attard will send out the trio of Wild Pansy, defending champion Fashionably Fab and 2024 King’s Plate winner Caitlinhergrtness in the Ontario Matron Stakes. 

Wild Pansy, owned by Repole Stable, will make her first North American start in the 1 1/16-mile main-track feature for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up.

A daughter of Siyouni out of the Frankel mare Ejtyah, the 5-year-old has posted a third and pair of wins in her last three starts, including a last-out score in the Prix de la Rotonde de Minerve at Chantilly on Nov. 12.

"The last two starts were quite impressive,” Attard said. “She dug down to win by a neck at Deauville and then won by almost two lengths at Chantilly. In the race before those ones, she was third but wasn't far back at all.

“We've had the chance to look at some of her races, and it's very impressive. She's obviously in good form and she settled in well here right from the start. Her last start was in November, but everything we've seen from her leading up to the race is very encouraging."

Bred in England by Rabbah Bloodstock, the bay mare has recorded a series of works at Woodbine over three surfaces, main track, turf training track and dirt training track, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:03.60 on the dirt training track, in preparation for the Ontario Matron.

"We're excited for this new chapter in her career,” Attard said. “She's moved well over all three surfaces that she's trained on. She is very easy to work with. You can see the talent is there and so is the mindset." 

Wild Pansy debuted with a second over eight furlongs at Chantilly on April 3, 2023. Fifteen days later, at Lyon Parilly, she broke her maiden, again at eight furlongs, courtesy of a 2 1/2-length score in the Desir De Mai Maiden Stakes.

"She has run very well on the Poly and at the distance, so we're hoping for a big performance on Saturday,” Attard said.

Attard also will send out who last year’s winner, Sovereign Award recipient as 2025 champion older main-track female and multiple graded-stakes winner Fashionably Fab.

Sporting a record of 20: 10-0-4, Fashionably Fab’s stakes success includes victories in the 2024 editions of the Belle Mahone (G3) and La Prevoyante and the 2022 Shady Well. She won five straight races, all stakes, from Sept. 12, 2023, to June 1, 2024.

The daughter of Silent Name out of the Curlin mare Flashy’s Legacy debuted with a third in September 2022 and then won her next three starts, including the Shady Well that December. 

A homebred for Terra Racing Stable, the 5-year-old dark bay has raced three times this year, including a third in her most recent start, the 1 1/16-mile Trillium Stakes (G3) on July 26.

“I thought her last race was quite good,” Attard said. “She came with a really nice run and had a lot of energy in the late going. The hope now is that she can build off that effort and run a big one here.

"We'd love to see a repeat of last year's race. She just kept on coming and was so determined down the lane. Her first two starts of this year (fifth in the Belle Mahone (G3) and eighth in the Dominion Day (G3)) were disappointing, but she is showing that she is back to her old self.”

Fashionably Fab covered four furlongs in 49.6 over the main track Saturday.

“We've always liked her for a lot of reasons,” Attard said. “She has the ability to take on talented competition and we're happy with the way she is coming into the race. “The distance is definitely in her wheelhouse, so we’re looking for a big one from her."

Cailtinhergrtness, the 2024 King’s Plate winner and Canada’s champion 3-year-old female, named after WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark, will contest her ninth straight stakes fixture.

The 4-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Belatrix made a winning seasonal debut in the 1 1/16-mile Belle Mahone (G3), a main-track race for fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up.

It was the first graded-stakes crown for the WinStar Farm chestnut filly.

Cailtinhergrtness was eighth in the Nassau (G2) on June 28, second in the Trillium (G3) on July 26 and fifth in the E.P. Taylor (G1) on Aug. 16.

“The last two times she raced on the Poly and at this distance, in the Belle Mahone and the Trillium, she ran very impressively,” said Attard. “It’s been an up-and-down year so far Caitlin, but we know what she is capable of. She is coming into the race in great order.”

Bred in Ontario by Jesse Korona, Caitlinhergrtness is 13: 4-2-2.

“She’s hooked some tough competition this year, and that’s the case once again,” Attard said. “We are hoping she shows her true self on Saturday, and all signs point towards that being the case.”