Eleven listed as likely for Woodbine Mile

Courageous Cat will try to stay perfect in 2011 (Benoit Photos) Shoemaker Mile (G1) winner COURAGEOUS CAT (Storm Cat) is among 11 probables for Sunday’s C$1 million Woodbine Mile (Can-G1). As of Monday, his prospective rivals include defending champion COURT VISION (Gulch), winless since his triumph at Woodbine last year; Bernard Baruch H. (G2) hero TURALLURE (Wando); Jaipur S. (G3) victor RIGHT ONE (Fr) (Anabaa); and the progressive English shipper SIDE GLANCE (GB) (Passing Glance). Likely favorite Courageous Cat represents Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who won the inaugural Woodbine Mile in 1997 with an 8-1 outsider named Geri. A homebred campaigned by Pam and Martin Wygod, Courageous Cat has started just 13 times in his career, but has won six of them. The lightly-raced five-year-old is two-for-two this season, taking the June 10 Poker S. (G3) at Belmont Park by 2 1/4 lengths, and the July 2 Shoemaker at Hollywood Park by a neck, both at one mile.  “There’s nothing not to like about them,” Mott said of the winning efforts. “They were both good races. The Poker was very good, and he came back on short rest and ran very well in the Shoemaker (beating Caracortado [Cat Dreams]). He held him safe. It looked they could have gone around again and he would have still won.

“As of right now, we’re happy with the progress he’s made since, so we’re
cautiously optimistic. We’ve got to hope that things stay good for another
week.”  

Courageous Cat put the finishing touches on his preparation by breezing five
furlongs in a bullet :59 4/5 over Saratoga’s firm Oklahoma training turf on
Sunday. He will be ridden by veteran Pat Valenzuela, who won the 2006 Woodbine
Mile aboard Becrux (Ity). 

Right One, third to Courageous Cat in the Poker two starts back, has been
freshened since his score in the July 16 Jaipur. Trained by Christophe Clement,
he will not be joined by his illustrious stablemate, two-time turf champion Gio
Ponti (Tale of the Cat), who had likewise been considered for the Woodbine
prize.

Court Vision would be making his first start for new connections. Since his
fourth-place effort in the June 18 Colonial Turf Cup, the royally-bred
six-year-old was purchased privately by Spendthrift Farm and transferred to the
barn of Dale Romans. He was previously trained by Rick Dutrow for IEAH Stables,
Golden Goose Enterprises, Resolute Group Stables and WinStar Farm.

Right One is owned by Ghislaine Head of the prominent French racing family (Ross Woodson/Horsephotos.com) At least one of his human associations will be familiar. Court Vision will reunite with Robby Albarado, who engineered his 2010 Woodbine Mile victory. The Andrew Balding-trained Side Glance has earned his way into Grade 1 company after a productive summer in England. The former handicapper comes off his first career Group victory in the August 11 Sovereign S. (Eng-G3) at Salisbury, defeating fellow social climber DANCE AND DANCE (Royal Applause [GB]) by a neck. Dance and Dance’s trainer, Ed Vaughan, believes that the improving gelding can turn the tables on a more conventional track. “It was a very undulating track,” Vaughan said of Salisbury. “You’ve never seen anything like it. It’s up and down and in and out, and he was very unbalanced on it the whole way around. As soon as he met the rising ground in the final furlong, he took off and he flew home. If it had been further, he would have beaten Side Glance.”

Vaughn also commented on Dance and Dance’s upward mobility.

“It took him five attempts to eventually break his maiden,” Vaughan said.
“He’s just progressed a little bit each year, but we’ve had a bigger jump up the
ratings this year and he’s really come to the fore.

“I think it’s a physical thing,” he observed. “He looks great physically this
year, stronger than he ever has. And yet, strangely enough, he’ll be the
smallest horse in the field, there’s no doubt about that. He’s a very small,
little horse but he’s toned up and really strong and he’s holding his condition
really well.”

Dance and Dance looked poised to land the competitive Royal Hunt Cup heritage
handicap at Royal Ascot on June 15, but got caught in a mosh pit.

“He just got bulldozed out of the way,” Vaughan said. “He should have gotten
the stewards’ ruling, he was beaten a half-length and it cost him his momentum
and he switched gears. He is the moral winner.”

The formerly British-based FORTEI DEI MARMI (GB) (Selkirk) will make his
debut for Canadian Hall of Famer Roger Attfield, who will also send out
HOLLINGER (Black Minnaloushe).

Hollinger ranked as Canada’s champion two-year-old male following a perfect
season in 2009, but he has not won since. Attfield believes that he could be
sitting on a breakthrough.

“He was a champion two-year-old, but he didn’t train on as a three-year-old
as he had some physical issues,” Attfield said. “He had a back issue that needed
a lot of time, so we just gave him the rest of the three-year-old year off.” 

Wigmore Hall, shown prior to his fourth in the Arlington Million, will try 1 1/2 miles in the Northern Dancer (Four Footed Fotos) After four starts on the comeback trail this year, Hollinger is showing signs of his former brilliance.  “He’s training super now,” Attfield said. “He’s doing as well as he’s ever done, actually. Whether or not he can step up into that kind of competition we’ll find out, but I don’t think he’s ever been better.”  Attfield is encouraged by Hollinger’s strong six-furlong work over the Woodbine training turf Sunday under jockey Tyler Pizarro in 1:12.  “He worked very, very well and finished strong,” Attfield said. “It was a good work.  Tyler was very happy with him.”  The remaining three Woodbine Mile contenders are also locally-based: WOODBOURNE (Danzig) and GRAND ADVENTURE (Grand Slam), the respective third and eight-place finishers in last year’s running, and RIDING THE RIVER (Wiseman’s Ferry).

The post position draw, scheduled for Thursday at noon (EDT), will be
streamed live at the special
Woodbine Mile microsite.
James Reimer, the outstanding second-year goaltender for the NHL’s Toronto Maple
Leafs, will be the drawmaster.

Sunday’s other Grade 1 event, the 1 1/2-mile Northern Dancer Turf S., is
expected to attract a field of 10: AL KHALI (Medaglia d’Oro), BOURBON BAY (Sligo
Bay [Ire]), HAILSTONE (City Zip), HOTEP (A.P. Indy), KARA’S ORIENTATION
(Orientate), LAUREATE CONDUCTOR (Bernstein), MUSKETIER (Ger) (Acatenango),
SEASIDE RETREAT (King Cugat), SIMMARD (Dixieland Band) and the globetrotting
WIGMORE HALL (Ire) (High Chaparral [Ire]).