Woodbine Mile draws field of 12 topped by Courageous Cat
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Courageous Cat, winner of the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile over Hollywood Park’s turf course on July 2, has been made the 3-1 favorite for Sunday’s 15th running of the Woodbine Mile.
A field of 12 was announced here Thursday at the draw for the Woodbine Mile, a turf race for 3-year-olds and upward which offers Grade 1 status and a purse of $1 million. The Woodbine Mile is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In series and guarantees the winner a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
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Courageous Cat, who is trained by Bill Mott and checked into Woodbine on Thursday, will begin from the post 4 under jockey Patrick Valenzuela.
The Kentucky-bred Courageous Cat will have a new part-owner as Pam and Martin Wygod, who bred the 5-year-old, have sold an interest to Will Farish.
Side Glance and Dance and Dance finished a neck apart when first and second in the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes in Salisbury, England on Aug. 11 and drew the No. 9 and No. 11 posts, respectively, for the Woodbine Mile.
Woodbine has made Side Glance the 4-1 second choice and Dance and Dance the fourth choice at 6-1.
Jimmy Fortune rides Side Glance and Jamie Spencer has the call on Dance and Dance.
Turallure, the 5-1 third choice, and Right One, who has been listed at 8-1, are in from south of the border.
Charles Lopresti trains Turallure, who won Saratoga’s Grade 2 Bernard Baruch over 1/8 miles of grass at in his last start on Aug. 26. He will start from post 8 under the returning Julien Leparoux.
Right One, conditioned by Christophe Clement, won Belmont’s Grade 3 Poker over seven furlongs of turf in his last start on July 16. He will be ridden by Garrett Gomez for the first time and drew the 5 hole.
Court Vision, winner of last year’s Woodbine Mile at 7-1, has been listed at 10-1 this year.
Sold recently to Spendthrift Farm and now trained by Dale Romans, Court Vision will be making his first start since mid-June and will break from post 12 with his regular rider, Robby Albarado, returning to the saddle.
Grand Adventure has been made the shortest price of the five local horses in the Woodbine Mile at 8-1.
Trained by Mark Frostad and ridden by Patrick Husbands, Grand Adventure is coming off a troubled sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Play the King, a seven-furlong turf race which is the major local prep for the Woodbine Mile. He will break from post 6.
Riding the River, who just missed as the runner-up in the Play the King; Woodbourne, third in last year’s Woodbine Mile; Kara’s Orientation, cutting back in distance off a front-running score here in the Grade 2 Sky Classic over 1 1/4 miles of turf; and Hollinger and Forte de Marmi, both of whom will be saddled by Roger Attfield, round out the field.
Forte dei Marmi has been racing in England and will be first-time Attfield after checking in Tuesday evening along with Side Glance, Dance and Dance, and Wigmore Hall, who has been entered in Sunday’s Grade 1 Northern Dancer.
The $500,000 Northern Dancer, a 1 1/2-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and upward, attracted a field of eight.
Woodbine Mile 2011 Field
Post |
Horse |
Trainer |
Jockey |
|
|
Hollinger |
R. Attfield |
T. Pizarro |
|
|
Forte Dei Marmi (GB) |
R. Attfield |
J. Velazquez |
|
|
Woodbourne |
R. Tiller |
E. Wilson |
|
|
Courageous Cat |
W. Mott |
P. Valenzuela |
|
|
Right One (FR) |
C. Clement |
G. Gomez |
|
|
Grand Adventure |
M. Frostad |
P. Husbands |
|
|
Riding the River |
D. Cotey |
R. Dos Ramos |
|
|
Turallure |
C. Lopresti |
J. Leparoux |
|
|
Side Glance (GB) |
A. Balding |
J. Fortune |
|
|
Kara's Orientation |
S. Chircop |
E. Ramsammy |
|
|
Dance And Dance (IRE) |
E. Vaughan |
J. Spencer |
|
|
Court Vision |
D. Romans |
R. Albarado |
