Woodbine Mile lures Modern Games - and this time you can bet on him

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Through no fault of his own, Modern Games’s victorious North American debut was quite controversial in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The Godolphin homebred has come back across the pond from England in strong form and will be favored against older opposition in Saturday’s $1 million Woodbine Mile.

The Grade 1 event is one of three Lasix-free, Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re in qualifiers here Saturday, along with the Grade 1 Summer and Grade 1 Natalma, both for 2-year-olds. The Grade 3 Seaway completes an impressive stakes lineup on the 12–race card. Post time is 1:10 p.m.

Modern Games came into the Grade 1 BC Juvenile Turf at Del Mar off back-to-back decisive wins in England. Due to a mix-up at the gate, he was mistakenly scratched by the track veterinarian and then reinstated by the stewards to run for purse money only before scoring by daylight after a tardy start.

Modern Games won his season opener in the Group 1 French 2000 Guineas in May before ending up third in the Group 1 French Derby.

Trainer Charlie Appleby’s assistant Christopher Durham felt the distance was too short for Modern Games when the son of Dubawi finished fifth as the favorite in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly on July 10.

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“It was seven furlongs,” Durham said. “He’s probably best over a mile.”

Modern Games finished second on short rest on July 27 in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood behind the unbeaten Baaeed, widely considered to be the world’s best grass runner.

“We were all happy after that race,” Durham said.

William Buick retains the mount on Modern Games, who will try to become the first 3-year-old to win the Woodbine Mile.

“We feel that Modern Games will be suited to the E.P. Taylor turf course because of his versatility,” Appleby told Woodbine’s media department. “He has shown he can perform on tracks internationally and in Europe.”

Finest Sound is the other shipper from England in the 11-horse field, and a pretty good one at that.

A late-blooming 5-year-old, he lost his last race in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood by just a neck to Jadoomi, who returned to capture a Group 2 stakes in Ireland.

Andrea Atzeni, who won the Grade 1 Canadian International on Desert Encounter in 2018 and 2019, was named on Finest Sound by trainer Simon Crisford.

Ivar, the third-place finisher in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, ships in from Kentucky off a course-record performance in the $100,000 Jonathan B. Shuster Memorial Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“He can really put in a powerful late run,” trainer Paulo Lobo said. “Hopefully, there can be some strong early pace and it will set up nicely for him. When he would race in Argentina, he knows very well how to run a mile with one turn. He’s very accustomed to that, so I believe he will enjoy the course at Woodbine.”

The local contingent includes Shirl’s Speight, Town Cruise, and the Mark Casse-trained duo of Get Smokin and March to the Arch.

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Shirl’s Speight won the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland in April. He was a dull fifth most recently here July 23 in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup, after which he was scratched from the Grade 2 King Edward on a humid day Aug. 21.

After working five-eighths in a bullet 59.40 last Saturday under Emma-Jayne Wilson, Shirl’s Speight could be cycling back up to a peak performance. Trainer Roger Attfield said he regretted running him on a sweltering day in the Connaught Cup.

“He melts in hot weather,” Attfield said. “I wasn’t going to run him, and then I ran him and was annoyed with myself because he got heat prostration going home. It was a mess, so we had to get him back on course. He’s in very good shape. Emma does a great job with him.”

Town Cruise went gate-to-wire at 8-1 in last year’s Woodbine Mile for owner-trainer Brandon Greer, who is removing the blinkers. The powerful chestnut was beaten seven lengths in both of his outings this year, the Niagara Stakes and the King Edward. He could get caught up in a pace duel with the speedy Get Smokin, who’s coming off a fourth behind Casa Creed, Regal Glory, and Masen in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga.

March to the Arch was a troubled second in the 2020 Woodbine Mile and finished fourth in last year’s renewal.

Completing the field are Homer Screen, Mighty Heart, Wakanaka, and War Bomber.