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Honorary Drawmaster and new head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs Ron Wilson |
Date: 09/04/2008
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 |
Drawing the posts with track announcer Dan Loiselle, drawmaster Ron Wilson, and racing secretary Steve Lym |
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. |
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 | |||||
Post | Horse | Owner | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
1 | Mulmur | Sam-Son Farm | Mark Frostad | Eurico Rosa da Silva | 10-1 |
2 | Rahy's Attorney | Ellie Boje Farm, Mitch Peters, Dean Read & Jim and Jean MacLellan | Ian Black | Slade Callaghan | 12-1 |
3 | Just Rushing | Tucci Stables | Sid Attard | Jim McAleney | 5-1 |
4 | Kip Deville | IEAH Stables, Pegasus, Roberts & Cohen | Richard Dutrow Jr. | Cornelio Velasquez | 6-5 |
5 | Wollemi Pine | Kinghaven Farms, Harvey Clarke & Greg Thompson | Ian Black | Emma-Jayne Wilson | 6-1 |
6 | Ice Bear | Augustin Stable | Mac Benson | Chantal Sutherland | 15-1 |
7 | Palladio | Haras Santa Maria de Araras | Roger Attfield | Richard Dos Ramos | 20-1 |
8 | Ventura | Juddmonte Farms Inc. | Robert Frankel | Garrett Gomez | 4-1 |
The Northern Dancer Stakes (G1) $750,000 | |||||
Post | Horse | Owner | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
1 | Cloudy's Knight | S J Stables LLC | Frank Kirby | James Graham | 12-1 |
2 | Quijano | Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof | Peter Schiergen | Andreas Starke | 3-1 |
3 | Frost Giant | IEAH Stables, Cohen, & Pegasus | Richard Dutrow Jr. | Rudy Rodriguez | 6-1 |
4 | Champs Elysees | Juddmonte Farms Inc. | Bobby Frankel | Garrett Gomez | 8-1 |
5 | Better Talk Now | Bushwood Stable LLC | Graham Motion | Ramon Dominguez | 5-2 |
6 | Strike a Deal | Jayeff B Stables | Alan Goldberg | Rajiv Maragh | 12-1 |
7 | Spice Route | Harlequin Ranches | Roger Attfield | Jim McAleney | 15-1 |
8 | March Side | Robert Evans | Neil Drysdale | Mike Smith | 20-1 |
9 | French Beret | Sam-Son Farm | Mark Frostad | Eurico Rosa da Silva | 12-1 |
10 | Seaside Retreat | W.S. Farish Jr. | Mark Casse | Patrick Husbands | 10-1 |
Woodbine Mile info online:
The trophies for the Woodine Mile (right) and the Northernn Dancer Stakes |
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