Turf Champions Day at Woodbine features three Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” races, highlighted by the $1 million Rogers Woodbine Mile Stakes, which offers an automatic berth into the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
The Woodbine Mile drew a field of nine, including Stanley House coming off a dominant front-running, four-length victory in the Niagara Stakes. The 8-5 morning-line favorite is Notable Speech for trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick, the same duo that captured this race in 2022 and again in 2023. One Stripe, a South African-bred making his debut in North America, has back-to-back Group 1 wins at this mile distance on the turf at Kenilworth in South Africa. Hunt Master was claimed for $50,000 in his most recent start at Woodbine and will face a tough test here, however he does have a stakes win on the Woodbine inner turf, winning the Overskate Stakes by a neck last October. Wyoming Bill is coming off a monster effort in the Grade 2 Bet365 King Edward Stakes last time out at Woodbine, finishing second by three-quarters of a length while earning a 102 Equibase Speed Figure, and picks up the services of elite rider Frankie Dettori on Saturday. My Boy Prince has been steadily improving every race since the Grade 3 Bryan Station Stakes at Keeneland last October and has put in four huge efforts since being reported as a gelding in March of this year. Naptown was claimed for $40,000 in June at Laurel Park and enters the Woodbine Mile off consecutive wins at Colonial Downs, however this gelding will be taking a giant leap in class. Last year’s Woodbine Mile winner, Win for the Money, is still chasing another victory, having come up short in five consecutive graded stakes races since that win for trainer Mark Casse. Gas Me Up rounds out the field in post-position nine, fresh off a win in the King Edward Stakes last time out, earning a career-best 103 Equibase Speed Figure for trainer Kevin Attard.
Analysis and Main Contenders:
Gas Me Up, a 5-year-old gelding by Hard Spun, has had an unconventional career with just eight lifetime starts. He began racing in 2022 for Peter Eurton, breaking his maiden in his third start at Del Mar before finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Zuma Beach Stakes. He then went on a 20-month layoff. When he resurfaced in June 2024 for Attard, he rallied to win an allowance-optional claiming race at Woodbine, only to head back to the sidelines for more than 11 months. Since returning this summer, Gas Me Up has been sharp, finishing a close fifth to Hunt Master, then posting back-to-back wins, including a decisive score in the King Edward Stakes at Woodbine last time out. With three straight triple-digit Equibase Speed Figures since his latest comeback, he’s shown both talent and resilience. A proven graded stakes winner, Gas Me Up looks like the top threat to challenge Notable Speech in the Woodbine Mile.
Notable Speech is the deserving 8-5 morning-line favorite with a strong résumé that includes two Group 1 victories and a close third, beaten by a half-length, in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile in his North American debut. The Godolphin team of Appleby and Buick have dominated this race in recent years, winning back-to-back editions in 2022 and 2023 with Modern Games and Master of The Seas, both of whom went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile in their respective years. Appleby and Buick have been remarkably efficient in North America, winning at a 36% clip together (19-for-53), with 16 Grade 1 wins since the start of 2021. From a numbers standpoint, Notable Speech towers over the field, earning 120+ Equibase Speed Figures in three of his last five starts, averaging 118 overall with a late pace figure of 120 that ranks best in the field. While he hasn’t won in his last six outings, all against Group/Grade 1 company, he remains the class of the race and is a must-use on any ticket.
Wyoming Bill may be the sleeper of the field and offers intriguing value. The Curlin colt has been steadily improving throughout his 4-year-old season, posting consecutive 102 speed figures coming into this race, including a strong late rally to finish three-quarters of a length behind Gas Me Up in the King Edward last time out. After spending much of his 3-year-old campaign on dirt and all-weather surfaces, he has now made four consecutive turf starts this year, finishing second, first, third, and second. On Saturday, he picks up Dettori, who has been in top form and is fresh off winning the Kentucky Downs riding title. While a win might be ambitious expectations against this group, Wyoming Bill has the right profile to make a serious impact underneath, especially if he delivers another rally like the one he showed in the King Edward.
The rest of the field (with best Equibase Speed Figure in a similar race): Stanley House (107), One Stripe (SAF) (113), Hunt Master (104), My Boy Prince (105), Naptown (96), and Win for the Money (114).
Win Contenders in Preference Order:
Gas Me Up
Notable Speech
Wyoming Bill
