Woodbine Mile: Wise Dan 6-5 favorite in field of nine

Barbara D. Livingston

Wise Dan can give his trainer, Charlie Lopresti, a repeat win in the Woodbine Mile. Lopresti won the race last year with Turallure.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Turallure won last year’s Grade 1 Woodbine Mile for trainer Charlie Lopresti at odds of 6-1.

But when Wise Dan goes postward for Lopresti in this year’s $1 million Woodbine Mile on Sunday it will be at a considerably lower price, based on his dominant last-out victory in Saratoga’s Grade 2 Fourstardave over one mile of yielding going.

Post positions for the Woodbine Mile were announced here Thursday at a ceremonial draw in the trackside tent.

The Grade 1, $500,000 Northern Dancer, a 1 1/2-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up; the Grade 2, $300,000 Canadian, at 1 1/8 miles on turf for fillies and mares; and the $150,000 Ontario Derby, for 3-year-olds on the main track; will be the supporting features on Sunday’s program.

Wise Dan, a 5-year-old gelding who will have regular rider John Velazquez in the irons, will begin from post 3 and was made the 6-5 morning-line favorite by Woodbine oddsmaker Ernie Perri.

“I would have liked to be a little farther outside, but it’s okay,” Lopresti said.

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Cityscape, a 6-year-old horse who is one of three European invaders in the Woodbine Mile along with Dance and Dance and Worthadd, is the second choice at 5-2.

James Doyle, who piloted Cityscape to victory in the Grade 1, $5 million Dubai Duty Free over 1 1/8 miles of turf in March, will be in the irons as the 6-year-old horse breaks from post 7.

Big Band Sound, a 5-year-old horse who was a convincing winner of the Grade 2 Play the King prep at seven furlongs on the turf here Aug. 26, is rated the top local hopeful at 6-1.

Trained by Danny Vella and ridden by Tyler Pizarro, Big Band Sound will begin from post 5.

“I love it,” Vella said. “I was a little worried when it got down to just post 5 and 9. It’s tough to run outside on this course.”

Worthadd, a 5-year-old horse who is a multiple Group 2 winner of nine of 17 starts and more than $950,000, exits a close second-place finish in Germany and is listed at 8-1.

Trained by Mark Prescott, Worthadd will be ridden by locally based Luis Contreras and drew the outside post.

Riding the River, a 5-year-old gelding who is at 10-1 on the morning line, was a closing second in the Play the King after winning the one-mile King Edward and 1 1/8-mile Nijinsky over the local turf course.

Patrick Husbands has the mount on Riding the River for trainer and part-owner Dave Cotey.

Dance and Dance, a troubled sixth in the Woodbine Mile last season, returns for trainer Ed Vaughan and is 12-1 on the morning line. Garrett Gomez has the mount on Dance and Dance.

Rounding out the field will be locally based Hunters Bay, Artic Fern, and Hollinger.