Cindy's Horse Racing Website Index

2008 Woodbine Mile and Northern Dancer Stakes Entries


Honorary Drawmaster and new head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs Ron Wilson

Date: 09/04/2008

Results are here!

One of the biggest races on the Woodbine racing calendar is the $1 million Woodbine Mile (G1), and to make it even bigger this year it was been moved a bit early in the year and combined on the same card as the $750,000 Northern Dancer Stakes (G1) presented by V-Tech. Celebrating its 12th running in 2008, the Mile is run on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course for older horses under allowance weights generally has had large fields and exciting finishes, with such past winners as Leroidesanimaux, Labeeb, Geri, and Shakespeare adding to the race's short but already colorful history. The Northern Dancer Stakes will be run for the third time this year, and features top older turf horses going 1 1/2 miles.

Final entries were taken and post positions were drawn in a special lunchtime ceremony at the trackside tent at Woodbine on Thursday, with special guest Ron Wilson as the honorary drawmaster. Wilson, the new head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, drew the entry sheets at random while racing secretary Steve Lym drew the numbered pills in the traditional double-blind system. Wilson spoke about his expectations for the upcoming NHL season, taking over a Maple Leafs squad that has missed the playoffs three consecutive years and is clearly in a rebuilding phase going into the 2008-09 campaign.


Kip Deville wins the 2007 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) at Monmouth Park
As expected, Kip Deville is the 6-5 morning line favorite and will break from post 4 under regular rider Cornelio Velasquez. After finishing second by a length to Shakespeare in last year's edition, the IEAH Stables colorbearer has reeled off three straight wins, the Breeders' Cup Mile, the Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland, and then the Poker Handicap at Belmont Park. Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said, "He's been in a Kip Deville zone. It looks like that time off (between the Maker's Mark and the Poker) did that horse good. It's worked for him. (In the Poker) Kip was raring to go. He ran a big race. He was right on the lead. The way he is now, we just let him fall into the race the way he wants to because he knows what to do what when to do it. If he finds himself on the lead (in the Woodbine Mile) that's fine with us."


Drawing the posts with track announcer Dan Loiselle, drawmaster Ron Wilson, and racing secretary Steve Lym
Trainer Bobby Frankel is shipping in 4-1 second choice and 4-year-old filly Ventura, who will break from the 8 hole for owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms. Her last race was a nose defeat in the CashCall Mile at Hollywood in July after winning the Just A Game at Belmont, and she has worked out at Saratoga since that race. Regular rider Garrett Gomez gets the call again on Sunday. Frankel, who has won the Mile twice, with Riviera in 2001 and Leroidesanimaux in 2005, said about taking on Kip Deville, "No problem. But we're looking for a little pace in the race. She just got beat an inch (in the CashCall), but I think the 1-turn mile will set up good for her. She's not a big filly, but she's a nice filly, a little on the high-strung side."

Leading the local contingent is 5-1 third choice Just Rushing for the Tucci Stables, exiting a win in the Play The King at Woodbine last time out. Regular rider Jim McAleney, who gets the call again on Sunday, said of the 7-year-old gelding, "(Trainer) Sid (Attard) gave me all the confidence in the world (before the Play The King). He said 'Don't be afraid to use this horse. He's ready and he's good.' The way he ran the last 2 times, I thought if I could get the lead he could show the class he's got. He did and he's brilliant."


Better Talk Now wins the 2007 Manhattan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park.
The undercard feature is arguably a tougher race than the main event. A field of ten older horses will contest 1 1/2 miles on the turf in the $750,000 Northern Dancer Stakes (G1). 2004 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Better Talk Now, who has not won since the 2007 Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park, is the 5-2 favorite and will break from the 5 hole. He was second to Grand Couturier in the Sword Dancer at Saratoga last time out, and then before that, finished third behind Red Rocks and Curlin in the Man O'War at Belmont Park. Regular rider Ramon Dominguez will be aboard the 9-year-old gelded son of Talkin Man on Sunday afternoon.

In to challenge the Graham Motion trainee include German invader Quijano, who was third in last year's Canadian International, the 3-1 second choice out of post 2. His last start was a distant second in the Deutchland Preis at Dusseldorf after winning the Gran Premio di Milano at San Siro. Andrasch Starke gets the call again for trainer Peter Schiergen. Along with Kip Deville in the Mile, IEAH Stable and trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. will look for the Grade 1 sweep with Suburban Handicap winner Frost Giant out of post 3 as the 6-1 third choice. Rudy Rodriguez, who was aboard for the 40-1 upset at Belmont Park, gets the call again.

Post time for the Woodbine Mile will be 5:35 pm ET and for the Northern Dancer Stakes will be 4:25pm ET on Sunday. There is also another stakes races on the undercard, the $300,000 Canadian Stakes (G2), which features a field of 11 older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on the turf with a post time of 2:46pm ET. The Woodbine Mile and Northern Dancer Stakes will be broadcast in Canada on The Score network on a special telecast from 4:00 - 6:00 PM ET, and will also be available via simulcast across North America.

Here are the entries with post positions and morning line odds for both races. Free past performances are available from BRISnet for the Northern Dancer Stakes and the Canadian Stakes. Past performances are also available for the Woodbine Mile, although these are for the nominations and so there are extra horses who did not enter included which you will have to just ignore.

The Woodbine Mile (G1) $1,000,000
PostHorseOwnerTrainerJockeyOdds
1MulmurSam-Son FarmMark FrostadEurico Rosa da Silva10-1
2Rahy's AttorneyEllie Boje Farm, Mitch Peters, Dean Read &
Jim and Jean MacLellan
Ian BlackSlade Callaghan12-1
3Just RushingTucci StablesSid AttardJim McAleney5-1
4Kip DevilleIEAH Stables, Pegasus, Roberts & CohenRichard Dutrow Jr.Cornelio Velasquez6-5
5Wollemi PineKinghaven Farms, Harvey Clarke &
Greg Thompson
Ian BlackEmma-Jayne Wilson6-1
6Ice BearAugustin StableMac BensonChantal Sutherland15-1
7PalladioHaras Santa Maria de ArarasRoger AttfieldRichard Dos Ramos20-1
8VenturaJuddmonte Farms Inc.Robert FrankelGarrett Gomez4-1


The Northern Dancer Stakes (G1) $750,000
PostHorseOwnerTrainerJockeyOdds
1Cloudy's KnightS J Stables LLCFrank KirbyJames Graham12-1
2QuijanoStiftung Gestut FahrhofPeter SchiergenAndreas Starke3-1
3Frost GiantIEAH Stables, Cohen, & PegasusRichard Dutrow Jr.Rudy Rodriguez6-1
4Champs ElyseesJuddmonte Farms Inc.Bobby FrankelGarrett Gomez8-1
5Better Talk NowBushwood Stable LLCGraham MotionRamon Dominguez5-2
6Strike a DealJayeff B StablesAlan GoldbergRajiv Maragh12-1
7Spice RouteHarlequin RanchesRoger AttfieldJim McAleney15-1
8March SideRobert EvansNeil DrysdaleMike Smith20-1
9French BeretSam-Son FarmMark FrostadEurico Rosa da Silva12-1
10Seaside RetreatW.S. Farish Jr.Mark CassePatrick Husbands10-1


Woodbine Mile info online:

The trophies for the Woodine Mile (right) and the Northernn Dancer Stakes

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