Woodbine: Kenny Peck’s all-stakes pick five play for Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026
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RACE 6: The 20-cent, $250,000-guaranteed pick five kicks off with what appears to be the most difficult race of the sequence, as this Vigil Stakes can be won by any of the eight horses entered. At seven furlongs, it’s a difficult race to plot in terms of race flow, and most of these runners have, at one point or another, posted a Beyer good enough to win it. (8)
RACE 7: The Summer Stakes, as usual, has drawn a good number of European ship-ins, and this contingent may have the edge on the locals. AL HUDAIBA, SWORD SALUTE, and BIG MONEY MAN all carry strong credentials, though I’ll also include OSCAR, a game first-out winner coming in from Saratoga, and INDUCTION, who won his debut in impressive fashion at Colonial, drawing off after making a bid on the turn. (5)
RACE 8: This Ontario Matron features no shortage of speed, and that should work to the advantage of a horse like WAR PAINTER, who will be looking to come from off the pace and make the last run. She was off the board in her latest, on the turf, but she was caught too close to a quick early pace. That dull effort two back can be attributed to a “bounce” in her second start off a layoff. FANTASTICAL is another who stands to benefit from the projected pace. She was aided by a favorable race flow in her last win, but a similar scenario is unlikely to unfold here. SPEEDY FREEZE has a good closing kick, and though she’s probably better at shorter distances she could fall into an ideal trip in this one. (3)
RACE 9: The $1 million Woodbine Mile drew a strong field, and the horse to beat in here may well be 2025 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner NOTABLE SPEECH, who comes into this race off a seemingly ideal sprint prep in his latest. He has the speed to stay closer to the pace than he has in prior North American starts, as he proved in that last one. DETERMINISTIC has won six straight, and the Beyers have been strong and steady. He could prove to be the one to catch from the hedge, though he obviously has the ability to come from just off the pace if need be. ARCHIVIST and SILIUS make their respective North American debuts. Archivist has won his last two in England with good late runs, while Silius ships in from France with enough speed to get position early. (4)
RACE 10: The E.P. Taylor Stakes goes through DIAMOND RAIN, who was a head short in this race prior to a very good effort in the BC Filly and Mare Turf. She’s a stone closer in need of some help from the pacesetters, but there is proven speed in this field and she figures to be rolling late under William Buick. She’s been sharp in 2026 and has seemingly improved with each start since her seasonal debut back in May. (1)
THE PLAY: ALL / 1, 3, 8, 9, 12 / 1, 2, 5 / 1, 3, 4, 6 / 4 = $96 ticket
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