Cindy's Horse Racing Website Index

2009 Woodbine Mile and Northern Dancer Turf Entries


Honorary Drawmaster and head coach of the Toronto Raptors Jay Triano

Date: 09/17/2009

RESULTS ARE HERE!

One of the biggest races on the Woodbine racing calendar is the $1 million Woodbine Mile (G1). Celebrating its 13th renewal in 2009, the Mile is run around one turn of the E.P. Taylor Turf Course for older horses under allowance weights. Past winners such as Leroidesanimaux, Labeeb, Geri, and Shakespeare adding to the race's short but already colorful history. Like last year, again the Mile is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" program, with the winner earning an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Mile field at Santa Anita on November 7th.

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 Jay Triano as the honorary drawmaster. Triano, the head coach of the Toronto Raptors and the first Canadian-born head coach in NBA history, drew the entry sheets at random while racing secretary Steve Lim drew the numbered pills in the traditional double-blind system. Triano spoke about going to the harness races in his native Niagara Falls, and about some of the key signings made during the offseason by general manager Bryan Colangelo, including forward Hedo Turkoglu obtained from the Orlando Magic in a four-team deal this past July.


Woodbine Mile favorite Bribon winning the 2009 Met Mile (G1) at Belmont Park
Metropolitan Handicap (G1) winner Bribon is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the field of 10 and drew post 5. After that victory in May over the Belmont dirt, he won an allowance at Saratoga by 2 3/4 lengths in his first try on the turf in 25 months, earning him a trip to Toronto. Trainer Robert Ribaudo said, "It worked out better than we expected. We decided we had nothing to lose. There really wasn't anything on the horizon in New York at 1 mile on the dirt and worth any significant money, while in the back of my mind I knew this race in Canada had a great purse at the right distance. If we can get a race into him on the grass we can think about it." Regular rider Alan Garcia gets the call again on Sunday.


Drawing the posts with track announcer Dan Loiselle, drawmaster Jay Triano, and racing secretary Steve Lym
In to challenge him include last year's Woodbine Mile winner Rahy's Attorney at 9-2 and last year's Woodbine Mile runner-up and Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Ventura at 7-2. Rahy's Attorney won both the King Edward and the Nijinsky Stakes at Woodbine, before finishing 6th in the Sky Classic at 1 3/8 miles. He cuts back to his preferred distance on Sunday out of post 8 with regular rider Slade Callaghan aboard.

One of the more intriguing entries in this year's edition is Bajan invader Daylight Express, a 30-1 outsider out of post 6, making his first start outside Barbados. He comes in off a 4 race winning streak at the Garrison Savannah including the Barbados Gold Cup, is a career 5 for 7 at the distance, and will have regular rider Anderson Ward in the irons for trainer Robert Peirce.


Last year's Northern Dancer Turf winner Champs Elysees is back to defend his title
The undercard feature is the $750,000 Northern Dancer Turf Presented by VTech (G1) for older horses going 1 1/2 miles on the turf, carded as race 8 with a post time of 4:34pm Eastern, as the major local prep for the Pattison Canadian International to be run October 17. Last year's Northern Dancer Turf winner Champs Elysees will be back for trainer Bobby Frankel and owner-breeder Juddmonte Farm, with regular rider Garrett Gomez back in the irons in post 6. Also in the field are last year's Canadian International winner Marsh Side out of post 5, and this year's Singspiel Stakes winner Musketier from post 2.

Kicking off the stakes action on Mile day is the $300,000 Canadian Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles around one turn of the turf, carded as race 4 at 2:30pm Eastern, as the major local prep for the E.P. Taylor Stakes also on October 17. Last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner and Eclipse Champion Turf Mare Forever Together drew post 5 for trainer Jonathan Sheppard and regular rider Julien Leparoux.

The Woodbine Mile will be on Sunday September 20 at Woodbine, with the first race going to post at 1pm and the Woodbine Mile going off as race 10 at 5:35pm ET. The full card will be available via simulcast across North America, as well as on HPI-TV in Canada and TVG Network in the USA. In addition, the 3 stakes races will be shown in a special 2-hour telecast on The Score network in Canada from 4:00-6:00pm Eastern.

Here are the entries with post positions and morning line odds for all three races. Free BRISnet past performances are available here for the Northern Dancer Turf 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
PostHorseTrainerJockeyOdds
1Sand CoveRoger AttfieldRichard Dos Ramos20-1
2SterwinsMalcolm PiercePatrick Husbands8-1
3FerneleyBen CecilRafael Bejarano8-1
4Field CommissionDan VellaJulien Leparoux12-1
5BribonRobert RibaudoAlan Garcia5-2
6Daylight ExpressRobert PeirceAnderson Ward30-1
7Grand AdventureMark FrostadEurico Rosa da Silva30-1
8Rahy's AttorneyIan BlackSlade Callaghan9-2
9VenturaBobby FrankelGarrett Gomez7-2
10Jungle WaveSid AttardTodd Kabel6-1

The Northern Dancer Turf (G1) $750,000
PostHorseTrainerJockeyOdds
1MarlangDebbie EnglandRichard Dos Ramos15-1
2MusketierRogrt AttfieldRafael Bejaranoscratched
3QuijanoPeter SchiergenAndrasch Starke10-1
4MedjoolMark CasseCorey Fraser15-1
5Marsh SideNeil DrysdaleJavier Castellano6-1
6Champs ElyseesBobby FrankelGarrett Gomez4-1
7Cobotown RonAnalisa DelmasTyler Pizarro20-1
8Just as WellJonathan SheppardJulien Leparoux5-2
9MarchfieldMark CassePatrick Husbands7-2
10SolitaireH. James BondChantal Sutherland12-1

The Canadian Stakes (G2) $300,000
PostHorseTrainerJockeyOdds
1Much ObligedMalcolm PiercePatrick Husbands6-1
2Princess HayaMichael MatzRafael Bejarano8-1
3She's the UmpireY. BelsoeurRobert Landry12-1
4Dance to My TuneMark CasseEmma-Jayne Wilson8-1
5Forever TogetherJonathan SheppardJulien Leparoux9-5
6Points of GraceMalcolm PierceLuis Contreras5-2
7LomakiEric CoatrieuxJono Jones8-1

Woodbine Mile info online:

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

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