Gierkink's preview: Woodbine Mile caps strong card

Woodbine Mile preview

The Jackpot Hi 5 lands on the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, which is the finale on a superb 11-race card. The carryover is $432,756, and there is not a mandatory payout.

Eleven entrants will line up in the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In qualifier, which will be run in lane one for a cool $1 million.

Kaigun (5-2) had a hot pace to chase when he rallied to capture the local prep, the seven-furlong Play the King Stakes, over stablemate Lockout. The ground should have some give to it on Sunday, which should be fine for Kaigun, but not for Lockout (10-1).

Grand Arch’s (4-1) outside draw is a negative, but he’s a legitimate contender off an explosive score in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes and a narrow loss to favored Seek Again in the Grade 2 Fourstardave at Saratoga.

Grand Arch is sent out by trainer Brian Lynch, who also entered Dorsett (15-1) and Silver Freak. Dorsett is a live longshot after running the race of his life to finish fourth in the Fourstardave, in just his second start of the year and second for Lynch.

Silver Freak (20-1) figures to set a lively pace, with the 3-year-old Bobby’s Kitten (15-1) in close proximity. Only two front-runners have been victorious in the 17-year history of the race, and a 3-year-old has never won it. Silver Freak’s accomplished turf rider, John Velazquez, has won the Woodbine Mile a record four times. The talented Joel Rosario has the call on Bobby’s Kitten.

Jack Milton (7-2) figures to be an underlay under regular rider Javier Castellano, who rode him to victory in the Grade 3 Poker at Belmont on May 26. He split Grand Arch and Dorsett when third in the Fourstardave, and might be peaking in his second start after a summer break.

River Seven (20-1) is proven over giving turf, and could hit the ticket at a fat price. After breaking from post 1, he figures to save ground on paths which haven’t been used since the Aug. 17 Breeders’ Stakes. Jesse Campbell rides River Seven for trainer Nick Gonzalez, the same combination which won last year’s Queen’s Plate.

“The best race of his life was in the Labeeb Stakes last year, when it was a soft-to-yielding turf,” said Gonzalez. “Some of the other horses struggled on it, and he just loved it. I think a mile is his best distance, too.”

His Race to Win (15-1) overcame a slow pace to win the Grade 3 Seagram Cup in his last appearance on Polytrack. His turf for is spotty, but it includes a third-level allowance score at Keeneland.

“He doesn’t have a whole lot of turf experience, but his first race of the season at Keeneland was very good,” said trainer Malcolm Pierce. “I just hope he’s good enough to run with these guys.”

The Pizza Man heads Northern Dancer

Chicago invader The Pizza Man seeks his sixth consecutive stakes win in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf. Other than his talent, his two main assets are his tactical speed and his ability to handle any type of ground. He’s a deserving 2-1 on the line under Florent Geroux, who won two stakes here earlier this summer. Trainer Roger Brueggemann supplemented him for $6,000, and must be confident that The Pizza Man will deliver again.

Other contenders include front-runner Reporting Star (12-1), Karibu Gardens (4-1), and Perfect Timber (10-1) who just missed in last year’s Northern Dancer under John Velazquez.

Aldous Snow (3-1) prefers firm turf. Forte Dei Marmi (20-1), last year’s Northern Dancer winner, enjoys some cut in the ground, but the durable 8-year-old has been in poor form this year.

Lexie Lou gets acid test in Canadian

The popular Queen’s Plate winner Lexie Lou meet older opposition for the first time in the Grade 2 Canadian, a competitive BC Win and You’re stakes.

Lexie Lou is 3-1 on the line, but she should be favored over Solid Appeal (5-2), who’s coming off a troubled fifth in the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga.

The Canadian is the second leg of the late pick four, which has a guaranteed pool of $200,000. If you can get by this leg without a favorite prevailing, it should pay be handsomely, and I recommend using Deceptive Vision (7-2, La Tia (6-1) , and Industrial Policy (15-1).