Three graded stakes on turf highlight Sunday's card at Woodbine including the $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile.
Woodbine serves up two more Breeders’ Cup Challenge races on Sunday, the Grade 1, $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile and the Grade 2, $300,000 Canadian on an outstanding 11-race betting card.
The Ricoh Woodbine Mile will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 in the final edition of the Jockey Club Tour on Fox series. The 90-minute telecast gets underway at 5:00 pm ET.
Wise Dan won the last two editions of the Woodbine Mile, but colic surgery this summer put his fall campaign in a bit of a delay, and he will now make his final prep for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 4.
Kaigun, who finished second behind Wise Dan in the Makers 46 Mile (G1) at Keeneland this spring, is the 5-2 morning line favorite. The gelding won the Play the King (G2) over the Woodbine turf in his last outing.
The winner of the race will earn an automatic starting spot in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.
Two races earlier on the card the ladies will battle in the Canadian with an automatic starting spot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) up for grabs. The race drew a field of 10 with Solid Appeal the 5-2 morning line favorite.
The stakes action starts in the sixth race, which is the Grade 1, $300,000 Northern Dancer Turf, which could produce a contender or two for the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1).
The Pizza Man comes into the race riding a five-race winning streak and is the 2-1 morning line favorite.
Let’s head out to Woodbine for Sunday’s featured betting race of the day:
Woodbine Race 9 The Canadian G2 (Post time 5:12 ET)
10 Solid Appeal 5-2
3 Deceptive Vision 7-2
2 Lexie Lou 3-1
9 Industrial Policy 15-1
Analysis: Solid Appeal was the beaten favorite in this race last year. She came into the race off wins in the Nassau (G2) and Dance Smartly (G2) over the grass here and then was sixth in the Beverly D. (G1). In last year’s running she tracked the early pace and weakened to finish eighth at 5-2.
This year she comes into the race off a win in the Nassau and then a fifth in the Diana (G1) at Saratoga where she had a less than stellar trip. She was rank off heels in the early going and had to be taken up, was under a hold while continuing to race rank and came up the indie with some late interest, beaten just two lengths for the top spot.
The fourth place finisher Abaco came back to win the Ballston Spa (G2) while three others ran second in stakes in their next starts including runner up Stephanie’s Kitten, who came with a good late run in her next start to run second in the Beverly D. (G1) at Arlington Park. The Reade Baker trainee has won five of her eight starts over the Woodbine turf in her career.
Deceptive Vision was nailed in the final jump last out in the Dance Smartly (G2) going nine furlongs over the turf at Woodbine in a tough beat. The filly ran third in the Nassau two back behind our top pick, beaten 1 1/4 lengths.
She returns here for just her third start since February and she may still have some upside potential. She will be right in the mix early and she sure has enough pedigree to handle the distance. She is by A.P. Indy out of the stakes winner Eye of the Sphynx ($688,340) who has dropped a pair of stakes winners in Hotep ($727,675) and Eye of the Leopard ($920,517).
Lexie Lou comes into this race riding a three race winning streak, taking the state bred Wonder Where last out going 1 1/4 miles over the Woodbine turf. The outing was her first career start on the lawn. She beat the boys two back over the polytrack taking the Queens Plate.
She has now earned $1.3 million, not bad for a filly that was purchased back in 20121 for just $5,576. She may end up getting too much attention on the tote here.
Wagering
WIN: #10 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 3,10 / 2,3,9,10
TRI: 3,10 / 2,3,9,10 / 2,3,8,9,10
Belmont Park Fall Championship Meet Special
Michael Dempsey’s full card reports for the entire fall championship meeting at Belmont Park from Sept. 5 until Oct 26. The package includes “Super Saturday” on Sept. 27 which will feature six graded stakes, including five Grade 1 races, headed by the 96th edition of the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 ¼ miles. New York Showcase Day will take place on Saturday, Oct. 18, and will be comprised of eight stakes races restricted to New York-breds, with purses totaling $1.75 million.
