Diamond Green joins Mile field

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sunday's Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile gained another probable entrant Tuesday, when trainer Bobby Frankel said Diamond Green would make the trip north from his base at Belmont Park.

The addition of Diamond Green brings the prospective field for the Woodbine Mile to 14. The lineup will be announced at a special post position draw here Thursday, beginning at noon in the trackside tent.

Diamond Green would be the second representative in the Woodbine Mile for Frankel, who also has Three Valleys pointing for the race. In his last start, Saratoga's Grade 2 Fourstardave over 1 1/16 miles on turf Aug. 6, Diamond Green finished third behind Remarkable News, the probable Woodbine Mile favorite. Before that, Diamond Green raced here in the Grade 2 King Edward, a 1 1/8-mile turf race in which he finished third behind Sky Conqueror and Le Cinquieme Essai as the odds-on choice.

Frankel had not named Diamond Green's rider by Tuesday.

Rider pleased with Vanderlin

Vanderlin, who checked in from England early last Sunday morning, jogged over the training track and got a thumbs-up from exercise rider Leanne Masterton.

"He seemed a bit dull at home, but I couldn't be happier with him now," said Masterton. "He seems as good as ever."

A 7-year-old gelding, Vanderlin made three starts at Woodbine last year, winning the Grade 2 Play the King over seven furlongs on turf Aug. 27 and then finishing fourth in the Sept. 18 Woodbine Mile. Following a trip to Keeneland, where he finished second in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile, Vanderlin returned to Woodbine and finished fourth in the Grade 2 Nearctic over six furlongs on turf Oct. 23.

Martin Dwyer, who was Vanderlin's regular rider here last year, had been expected to return, but it was announced on Tuesday that Richard Hughes would have the mount. Hughes rode Vanderlin in the Shadwell Turf Mile.

Desormeaux to ride Sweet Return

Kent Desormeaux was named as the rider of Sweet Return, a 6-year-old who is trained in California by Ron McAnally.

Sweet Return has lost to Aragorn in his last two starts, finishing second in the Grade 1 Eddie Read at Del Mar and fourth in the Grade 2 Del Mar Breeders' Cup at one mile.

Candidates

Woodbine Mile
Purse: $1 million; 1 mile, turf; Grade 1