After rolling to a convincing win in the Fourstardave (G1) at Saratoga, Got Stormy will seek a second consecutive Grade 1 victory over males in Saturday’s $1 million Woodbine Mile. The four-year-old filly has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite in an 11-horse field and the prestigious turf affair serves as a “Win & You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
The 23rd running of the Woodbine Mile is the centerpiece of a 12-race program that includes a trio of supporting graded stakes.
Winner of last summer’s Ontario Cotillion (G3) on Woodbine’s turf, Got Stormy placed in a pair of graded attempts this spring before recording a smashing four-length score in the restricted De La Rose at Saratoga. She bounced out of that performance so well Mark Casse elected to wheel her back seven days later in the Fourstardave and the daughter of Get Stormy continued to move forward off a short rest, rolling to a 2 ½-length decision.
Casse will be seeking his third Woodbine Mile triumph following the back-to-back successes of champions Tepin and World Approval in 2016-17. Tyler Gaffalione, who missed the Fourstardave due to a prior commitment, retakes the reins aboard Got Stormy.
Fourstardave runner-up Raging Bull comes next on the morning line at 3-1. One of two for leading turf trainer Chad Brown, the Grade 1-winning colt will have Joel Rosario up. Stablemate Made You Look will seek to improve upon a fifth in the Fourstardave and is an early 12-1 with Luis Contreras.
English Group 3 winner Awesometank, second when making her U.S. debut in the Beverly D. (G1) at Arlington, is another filly trying to beat male rivals. William Haggas trains the four-year-old, who has been pegged at 8-1, and jockey John Egan accompanies the international raider.
Other runners of interest include six-time graded stakes victor Synchrony, who enters off a one-length tally in the June 29 King Edward (G2) at Woodbine; Lucullan, winner of the Lure at Saratoga last out; and last-out Play the King (G2) winner Silent Poet.
The $300,000 Northern Dancer (G1) has attracted Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) winner Old Persian. Listed as the even-money favorite for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, the four-year-old colt exits a third in the August 11 Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1) at Hoppegarten (Germany) and James Doyle will be in to ride.
Six long-distance turf horses will contest the 1 ½-mile affair and Brown is responsible for Grade 2 scorer Focus Group, third in the Canadian International (G1) last fall. Roger Attfield will send out Tiz a Slam, who brings a three-race win skein to the mix after taking the Louisville (G3), Singspiel (G3) and Nikinsky (G2).
In the $250,000 Canadian (G2), seven distaffers will square off at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Brown has Grade 1 vixen Competitionofideas, third most recently in the Beverly D., and the Jimmy Jerkens-trained Holy Helena could also vie for favoritism off a win in the June 29 Dance Smartly (G2) at Woodbine.
The stakes action kicks off with $125,000 Bold Venture (G3) at 6 ½ furlongs on the Tapeta track. Four-time Sovereign Award winner Pink Lloyd, the 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year and an 18-time stakes winner at Woodbine, tops a field of seven. The 3-5 morning line favorite has captured five straight for Robert Tiller this year and Eurico Da Silva retains the mount.
