2019 Woodbine Mile Horse Racing Betting Preview & Odds

Eleven older horses are expected to contest the Ricoh Woodbine Mile in Toronto, Canada.

This Grade 1 event is a 2019 Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, and the winner will earn a berth in the Breeders’ Cup TVG Mile at Santa Anita.

The Woodbine Mile is carded as Race 9. The starting time will be 5:42 p.m. ET. The turf is expected to be firm.

Strong Contenders For the Ricoh Woodbine Mile

Got Stormy and Awesometank are fillies facing the boys. Check out the full list of horses and their odds below:

• Pros: Got Stormy is a true turf miler. She’s won or placed in ten of eleven starts at the distance, including a 2 1/2-length victory over Raging Bull last time out in the Fourstar Dave Handicap (G1) against the boys.
• Cons: Got Stormy earned a career-best speed figure in the Fourstar Dave last month. Sometimes horses regress off top efforts.
• The Play: Got Stormy previously won a graded stakes at Woodbine. She had a strong work over the course last week. The drawback? She’ll be hammered at the windows, making her the short-priced favorite.

• Pros: Synchrony captured the King Edward Stakes (G2) over this course last out, and recorded the fastest time by slightly over a second from four one-mile turf races on the card that day. Michael Stidham gave the son of Tapit a strong pre-race bullet breeze. Synchrony has finished out of the money only once this year.
• Cons: Synchrony hasn’t raced for two months, and he was off the board in both starts against Grade 1 company.
• The Play: Synchrony has one of the highest late-pace speed figures in the group.

Use on top and underneath.

• Pros: Awesometank kept up her European form in her North American debut. She chased the rabbit Thais from second place in the Beverly D. Stakes (G1), tired a little and placed second behind last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf heroine Sistercharlie. Trainer Will Haggas placed with his only other stakes runner at Woodbine.
• Cons: Will Awesometank fall victim to the “Euro Bounce?” the symptom is so prevalent among international horses that there’s a name for it. Awesometank hasn’t recorded a breeze since her victory on August 10.
• The Play: Awesometank is cutting back in distance, and she’s four for six at a mile. She could be overlooked in favor of Get Stormy. If Awesometank moves forward, she could surprise.

Live longshot, use on top and underneath.

• Pros: Raging Bull won or placed in four of five starts at a mile. He has back class, having won the Hollywood Derby (G1) in December. This year, the Chad Brown trainee hit the board in two of four starts, all against Grade 1 company. Joel Rosario, his regular rider from last year returns to the saddle.
• Cons: Raging Bull hasn’t returned to last year’s form. Yes, he’s shown improvement in his last two starts, but he also finished a sizable 2 ½ lengths behind Get Stormy.
• The Play: Raging Bull is a one-run closer. He’ll have pace to run at, but at morning odds of 3-1, I’ll look elsewhere for the win spot.

Use underneath.

• Pros: Lucullan won both his starts this year, and is improving. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has shipped to Woodbine for graded stakes only twice in the last five years but has a 100% win/place rate.
• Cons: Sure, Lucullan won both starts, but put him in the “who did he beat” category. He was all out to best Sacred Life in Saratoga’s Lure Stakes, and that one was a modest second to Qurbaan in the Bernard Baruch Stakes (G2).
• The Play: Lucullan finished third both times he stepped into graded company. He may be a cut below, but he’ll be forwardly placed and with a good trip worked out by top jock Luis Saez, Lucullan could surprise.

Use underneath.

• Pros: Made You Look is the other Chad Brown horse. He won and placed in two of three starts over firm courses this year, but wasn’t up to the task on good to yielding going.
• Cons: Made You Look was last seen being passed in the final stages of the Fourstar Dave Handicap, finishing a distant four lengths behind Get Stormy and Raging Bull.
• The Play: Made You Look is a cut below top company. Maybe he can hold on for a lesser spot in the exotics. If you’re playing the superfecta, consider him for fourth place at a bomb price, otherwise toss.

If you’re playing the superfecta, consider him 4th at a bomb price or toss.

• Pros: This local horse has won both starts this year, including the Play the King Stakes (G2). He’s won or placed in all six starts over the Woodbine turf.
• Cons: Silent Poet proved he could handle graded company in his last start, but that was at seven furlongs. He may be one of the pacesetters, and those types only win 9% of the time this meet.
• The Play: The Woodbine Mile is a strong field filled with graded stakes shippers. However, Mr. Havercamp won the Play the King last year and finished second in this race.

Use underneath.

Who NOT To Bet On At The Ricoh Woodbine Mile?

The following horses have either had less-than-stellar performances or are straight out outclassed.

• Pros: El Tormenta had some traffic trouble in the stretch of the Play the King Stakes (G2), and finished fourth. He’s hit the board in six of ten starts at Woodbine.
• Cons: Since changing his running style to a pace presser/mid-pack runner, he’s hit the board only twice, and was beaten twice by Silent Poet in lesser contests.
• The Play: Appears outclassed. TOSS.

• Pros: He finished second by a neck to El Tormenta in the Connaught Cup (G2) and was beaten only two lengths by Synchrony in the King Edward Stakes.
• Cons: Emmaus has low late-pace speed figures and hasn’t shown the ability to beat lesser horses.
• The Play: Appears outclassed. TOSS.

• Pros: American Guru had a consistent form last year, and is coming off a two-length victory over this course.
• Cons: That win came against optional claimers. This is a huge step up, and his forwardly placed running style and late pace speed figures say he’ll be passed in the stretch.
• The Play: Appears outclassed. TOSS.

• Pros: None.
• Cons: Every race has a “why is he in here?” horse. Admiralty Pier is that horse.
• The Play: TOSS.

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