Woodbine Mile: Notable Speech, Deterministic square off in heavyweight bout
:quality(75))
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Notable Speech made quite a statement when winning last year’s $1 million Woodbine Mile on the tight inner turf with a sweeping wide rally, after which he doubled up in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar. Last year’s Eclipse Award-winning champion male turf runner should be just as effective over the refurbished main course in Saturday’s renewal of the race, which has lured a quality field of eight.
The Woodbine Mile is among four Grade 1 stakes on the outstanding card that are Lasix-free and Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re in qualifiers, along with the Summer, Natalma, and E.P. Taylor.
Owned by Godolphin, Notable Speech has started four times this year for trainer Charlie Appleby, beginning with a troubled fourth in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland in April. He went back to England in May to take the Group 1 Lockinge at Newbury and then got a break after a dull sixth June 16 in the Group 1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.
Cutting back from a mile to seven furlongs at York on Aug. 22, Notable Speech won the City of York in dominating fashion, his sixth Group/Grade 1 triumph. He races over a one-turn mile on Saturday under regular rider William Buick.
“The turning track at Woodbine suits his run style particularly well, and he tends to be at his best when there is a good, strong pace to aim at, which he should get here,” Appleby said.
Appleby’s record with Godolphin runners at Woodbine is impressive, to say the least. With 21 starters, all in Grade 1s, he has 10 wins, five seconds, and three thirds. That includes Woodbine Mile scores with Modern Games in 2022 and in 2023 with Master of The Seas. Both of them went on to win the BC Mile.
The speedy Deterministic is seeking his seventh consecutive graded stakes score under Kendrick Carmouche, starting from post 1. Trained by Miguel Clement, the 5-year-old’s last two triumphs came in Grade 1 company at Saratoga, in the 1 3/16-mile Manhattan and the one-mile Fourstardave.
“It’s a very tough race, but I think he’s the best turf horse in North America,” Clement said. “It’s going to be a great showdown [with Notable Speech], probably what everyone wants to see.”
Deterministic worked five furlongs in 1:02 over a “soft” turf training course at Saratoga Sept. 2, much to the delight of Clement.
“I think he’s sitting on yet again another big performance,” Clement said.
Archivist and Silius are both coming off victories in Group 3 company in Europe. Either one could play the role of spoiler.
Archivist was a productive handicapper in England before romping in the 1 1/16-mile Strensall Stakes at York on Aug. 22. Over a left-handed course, he rallied outside off a quick pace to win going away by 7 1/2 lengths. He defeated 17 rivals on a right-handed course two back at Goodwood. His connections – Wathnan Racing and trainer Hamad Al-Jehani – won last year’s Grade 1 Canadian International with Silawi.
“He ran a very good race at Goodwood and did it in a very good way,” Al-Jehani said. “After that race, I knew the Strensall would be very good for him. We were very confident that he would have a good result, but we didn’t expect that type of huge performance from him, to be honest. We knew he was a nice horse, and after the finish line, we knew that he could be a Group 1 horse.”
Silius, trained by Christophe Ferland, will be ridden by fan favorite John Velazquez, who took the Aug. 15 King’s Plate aboard Luster and has won the Woodbine Mile a record five times. A full brother to Silawi, Silius prevailed in a blanket finish last out in the Prix Messidor at Chantilly. He dropped a nose decision in his penultimate race at Longchamp in the Prix de La Porte Mail to Khovikhov, who subsequently finished seventh in another Group 3 stakes in France.
Gas Me Up heads the local contingent under Fraser Aebly. He ran third in the 2025 Woodbine Mile in advance of a wide seventh in the BC Mile. Off a five-month layoff Aug. 15, he won the Grade 2 King Edward for the second year in a row by a whisker on the inner turf.
Trainer Kevin Attard said Gas Me Up is better than ever and is excited to get him back on the main turf.
“He loves that course – he’s 3 for 3 on it,” Attard pointed out. “To me, he’s best around one turn. It’s coming up to be a real salty race, but we have the home-field advantage.”
Rounding out the Woodbine Mile field are Irish Acres, Itsastormymonday, and the supplemented Pierre.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.