Remarkable News leads pack

Remarkable News, a remarkably consistent colt trained by Angel Penna Jr., will open up as a lukewarm 5-2 choice in the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile on Sunday.

A field of 13 was announced for the Woodbine Mile, a turf race for 3-year-olds and upward, at the draw for post positions Thursday.

Remarkable News drew post 7 and will be ridden by Javier Castellano, who has been aboard for all nine of his starts. A 4-year-old, Remarkable News has six wins, two seconds, and a third.

While Remarkable News would appear to be favorably drawn, post position has not been much of a factor in the Woodbine Mile's brief history. Leroidesanimaux won the Woodbine Mile last year from post 1, whereas 2000 winner Riviera broke from the outside in the field of 13.

Winner of Saratoga's Grade 2 Fourstardave last time out, Remarkable News has the benefit of experience over the Woodbine course. He prevailed by a nose in the Grade 3 Connaught Cup on May 28.

Three Valleys comes into the Woodbine Mile off a score in the Grade 3 Oceanport over 1 1/16 miles on turf at Monmouth on Aug. 6. Trained by Bobby Frankel and ridden by Ramon Dominguez, Three Valleys will begin from post 8 as Woodbine oddsmaker Jennifer Morrison's 7-2 second choice.

Frankel has a second Woodbine Mile entrant in Diamond Green (15-1), who will start from post 6 under Jose Santos.

Ad Valorem, who checked in from England late Wednesday morning, drew post 5 and is the third choice at 4-1. Trained by Aidan O'Brien and to be ridden by local stalwart Patrick Husbands, Ad Valorem has won Group 1 races in England this year and last.

One of the entrants who could pull an upset Rebel Rebel, who will be ridden by Edgar Prado. Rebel Rebel, who defeated Remarkable News in Belmont's Grade 3 Poker two starts back, drew post 11 and will open as the fourth choice at 8-1.

Rounding out the field are California shippers Becrux, Captain Kurt, and Sweet Return; Therecomesatiger, who invades from Chicago; Ballast, based in Maryland; England's Vanderlin; and local hopefuls Dalavin and Shoal Water.

All entrants for the Woodbine Mile were required to be in a stall here and have their presence reported to the race office no later than 11 a.m. on Friday, in accordance with Woodbine's selectively applied stakes race surveillance program.