Saturday’s 39th running of the $1 million, Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, which provides an automatic berth into the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF, drew a field of eight older males. Six-time Group/Grade 1 winner Notable Speech, who won both last year’s Woodbine and Breeders’ Cup Mile races, will face off against four-time Grade 1 winner Deterministic, who has won his last six consecutive starts, all at the graded level. Five winners of the Woodbine Mile have gone on to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile in the same year, with three of those horses trained by Charlie Appleby. Wise Dan, the only horse to win the Woodbine Mile twice, completed the Woodbine Mile/Breeders’ Cup Mile double in both 2012 and 2013. In 2017, World Approval won both races for trainer Mark Casse, while Appleby trainees Modern Games in 2022, Master of The Seas in 2023, and Notable Speech last year most recently completed the double.
Here’s a look at the field from the inside (rail) post position out:
Deterministic, a 5-year-old son of Liam’s Map, enters off six consecutive graded stakes victories in New York under Kendrick Carmouche, who retains the mount. Previously trained by the late Christophe Clement, Deterministic has won the Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes and Fourstardave Stakes twice for Miguel Clement, who took over his father’s stable after Christophe died in 2025. Gas Me Up, one of two Ontario-breds in the field, is fresh off a narrow victory in the bet365 King Edward Stakes going this mile distance at Woodbine Aug. 15 under Fraser Aebly, who will remain in the irons. The 6-year-old Hard Spun gelding won last year’s King Edward as well before going on to finish third in the 2025 edition of the Woodbine Mile for trainer Kevin Attard. Even-money morning-line favorite Notable Speech, a 5-year-old son of Dubawi, returns to North America for the first time since his bid in the Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes at Keeneland in April for Charlie Appleby. Overs the summer, Notable Speech has won two Group 1 races in England including his most recent start in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes by 2 ¾ lengths. Regular rider William Buick remains aboard. Like Notable Speech, Archivist is also coming off a win at York in England and is by Dubawi. Archivist dominated the Sky Bet Strensall Stakes by 7 ¼ lengths last time out on Aug. 22 in his first start at the group stakes level. The 4-year-old gelding will be making his first start in North America for trainer Hamad Al Jehani, who has two wins from four career starts at Woodbine. Joao Moreira will make the trip to Canada for his only mount of the day to ride Archivist for the first time. Kentucky-based Irish Aces will be making his third consecutive start shipping to Woodbine. He finished second in the bet365 Connaught Cup Stakes going 7 ½ furlongs in July and then third by a head in the mid-August King Edward won by Gas Me Up. The Mshawish gelding trained by Brendan Walsh will have Pietro Moran back aboard as he seeks his first win at the graded stakes level and mile distance. Silius, the third European shipper by Dubawi in this field, won the Prix Messidor at Chantilly in France July 19 in his most recent start. The 4-year-old colt is trained by Christophe Ferland, who seeks his first win in North America, and will have John Velazquez aboard for the first time. Itsastormymonday, the longest price on morning line with 30-1 odds, is coming off back-to-back wins at the allowance optional claiming level for the Woodbine connections of trainer Donald MacRae and jockey Rafael Hernandez. The 4-year-old Get Stormy gelding has three wins and a second racing on Woodbine’s turf course. Pierre, the second Ontario-bred in the field, drew the outside post for trainer David Jacobson. Previously trained by Kevin Attard, Pierre started his career at Woodbine and switched to the Jacobson barn in July. Last time out for his new trainer, Pierre finished second by just a nose in an allowance optional claiming race at Saratoga. Javier Castellano will be aboard for the first time.
Analysis and Main Contenders:
While on paper, this year’s edition of the Woodbine Mile could be considered a two-horse race, Archivist has enough potential that, if fulfilled, can put him in the winner’s circle. In 2025, the Woodbine Mile was run on the inner turf around two turns, which could be a big factor as this year’s Mile will be around the one-turn E. P. Taylor turf course. Archivist is coming off two key races in England that might augur to an affinity for this turf course. On July 31, Archivist won the Coral Golden Mile Handicap at Goodwood, which was also held at a one-turn mile on the turf. Last time out, the Dubawi gelding absolutely dominated a terrific field in the Sky Bet Strensall Stakes at York in England, which was a 1 1/16-mile race which went around a single left-hand turn (same as North American racing). Archivist closed down the long stretch to win by 7 ½ lengths with third-place finisher Persica going on to win a stakes race at Haydock Park in his next start. Also entered in the Strensall at York was multiple group race winner Jonquil and multiple group winner Damysus, flattering Archivist’s impressive victory even more.
Archivist also sports a career 4-for-5 record at the mile distance on turf and has connections who’ve shipped to North America and won big races, including stablemate Silawi who won the Canadian International Stakes last October. Trainer Al Jehani Hamad is a career 2-for-4 at Woodbine, with two graded stakes wins by horses who were also making their first start in North America. These connections are certainly shipping in Archivist with confidence – plus Joao Moreira, a four-time leading rider in Singapore who also set the single-season record for wins in Hong Kong twice, is flying into Canada for this lone mount. He has 6-1 morning-line odds that might tick higher at post time due to the support Notable Speech and Deterministic will receive from bettors. Archivist presents terrific value considering his affinity for a one-turn mile on turf and ability to win at the group level in dominant fashion while running counterclockwise.
Time and time again, Deterministic has proven just how special and talented of a horse he is. To win six consecutive graded stakes, including four Grade 1s, is nearly an impossible feat; however, Deterministic just keeps on rolling. His win streak started in May of 2025 with the Fort Marcy Stakes at Belmont at the Big A followed by the Resorts World Casino Manhattan and Fourstardave at Saratoga. Deterministic was then sidelined for nine months and returned to win those same three races in 2026. Kendrick Carmouche has been in the saddle for each of these victories. Deterministic earned a 112 Equibase Speed Figure or higher in all six of his most previous starts (topped by a 120 in this year’s Manhattan) and defeated seven different Grade 1-winning horses in those races. He’s has come out of the 2026 Fourstardave in good order (a race that earned a 118 class rating) and has posted two solid works since. Miguel Clement does not bring a lot of horses to Woodbine, but he wins at 25% with five wins from 20 starts all-time at this track, including three graded stakes victories. While nine of Deterministic’s10 career wins were in the state of New York, he has been able to ship and win before, notably scoring in the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs in September 2024. Another positive for Deterministic is his forwardly-placed running style, which could put him in front early with very little pressure in the Woodbine Mile. Deterministic could very well make it seven straight graded stakes wins Saturday and should be on every ticket.
Notable Speech has shown his tremendous talent from the get-go, winning four consecutive races including the English Two Thousand Guineas to begin his career in 2024 as a 3-year-old. He went on to win the Sussex Stakes and finish third by just three-quarters of a length in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in his sophomore campaign (earning a career-best 122 Equibase Speed Figure). At the age of 4, Notable Speech got off to a rocky start going zero-for-four at the Group 1 level in Europe but never finishing worse than 2 ½ lengths back. Last September, he shipped to Woodbine to get his first win of the year in this very race then came back to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile in his next start. Notable Speech started his 5-year-old campaign back in the U.S. in April at Keeneland with a fourth-place finish in the Maker’s Mark Mile and returned home to England in May to win the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and City Of York Stakes, the latter on Aug. 22. Notable Speech is returning to North America for the first time since the Maker’s Mark in top form and has every right to be the morning-line favorite. However, Notable Speech can be beaten, as we saw in the Maker’s Mark and in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June when he finished sixth. Charlie Appleby and William Buick clearly come to Woodbine to win, and have taken three of the last four editions of the Woodbine Mile. Notable Speech should be on every ticket, but he presents minimal value from a wagering perspective, especially considering his inconsistent performances this year at age 5.
The rest of the field with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races is Gas Me Up (117), Irish Aces (116), Silius (NA), Itsastormymonday (99) and Pierre (108).
Win Contenders in Preference Order:
Archivist
Deterministic
Notable Speech
