Trainer Charles LoPresti was full of praise for both his horse and Woodbine’s
“I think this is the best turf course in North America,” LoPresti said. “I
Wise Dan, coat gleaming and content in his new surroundings, was piloted by
“He was happy to stand and watch everybody work on the main track,” Schmidt
LoPresti was pleased with Wise Dan’s morning exercise.
“He barely picks his feet up off the ground,” LoPresti noted. “He has a very
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Wise Dan will be tracking the early pace as usual, and Excaper might be the
one to take up the front-running role from fellow pace factor Dimension.
Excaper will try to make his first stakes win a memorable one in the one-mile
turf tilt.
“He’s training very well. He trained well last weekend and is sharp,” said
conditioner Ian Black, who won this event in 2008 with Rahy’s Attorney.
While the gray Exchange Rate colt is happiest when on the lead, Excaper had
to settle into a pressing trip last time out in the Play the King Stakes when
Mile rival Dimension gunned to the lead and made all the fractions en route to a
2 1/4-length win.
On Sunday, Excaper will leave from post 2, and Black expects his colt to get
the jump on his rival to take the lead.
“I’m happy with post 2 because the horse with the one-hole (Riding the River)
is probably going to take back so we’ll have the rail. I’d be surprised if
Dimension goes with us,” Black said.
Excaper posted a sub :44 half in his winning seasonal debut over a firm turf,
but Black is hopeful for a more forgiving half-mile on Sunday.
“How about a :50,” Black laughed. “I think the turf is going to be firm, but
not as firm as it was when we ran before. I don’t think we’ll see a :44 half.”
And as for facing the Horse of the Year?
“You certainly wouldn’t go looking for Wise Dan, but we’re in our own
backyard in a six-horse field so we might as well take a swing,” Black said.
Dimension rallied to be second to two-time Canadian champion sprinter Essence
Hit Man in his Woodbine debut on Polytrack, and then set the pace last time out
to notch a first graded stakes win in the Play the King, raced at seven furlongs
over the Woodbine turf.
What style jockey Davy Moran will employ in the Mile for owner-trainer Conor
Murphy remains to be seen.
“He’ll be up there. We’ll see how he breaks and what the pace is like. If
Excaper is happy to go on, we’ll see, but he doesn’t need the lead,” Murphy
said.
Dimension, who hammed it up for watching photographers, galloped on the
Polytrack Saturday morning.
“I hope he’s as keen to get his picture taken tomorrow,” Murphy grinned. “I
took him to the main track this morning and he galloped five furlongs. I’m
keeping him to the same schedule as before the last race.”
Murphy will hope the turf stays firm throughout the weekend and is pleased
with how his five-year-old Medicean gelding has trained up to the event.
“I expect the turf will be firm, and for us, the firmer the better,” Murphy
said. “The horse is fresh today. He was happy coming off the track and you have
to be happy if you’re going to take on Wise Dan.”
A reminder that first race post time for Sunday’s Woodbine Mile card is 12:50
pm (EDT). Sportsnet 360 will provide special 90 minute live coverage of the
racing extravaganza from Woodbine from 4:30-6 p.m.
For more photos of Wise Dan and his Mile rivals, visit www.woodbinemile.com.
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com