For the third time in four years, Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby are headed to the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF with a "Win and You're In" ticket earned in the Canadian $1 million Grade 1 Rogers Woodbine Mile Stakes after Notable Speech overcame a slow start to win the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series qualifying race at Woodbine Sept. 13.

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These same connections completed the Woodbine Mile/Breeders' Cup Mile "double" in 2022 with Modern Games and did it again in 2023 with Master of the Seas. They'll try for the "three-peat" on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Things didn't start perfectly for 4-year-old Notable Speech Saturday at Woodbine. He broke a beat slowly from the No. 2 gate and saw the No. 3 runner, South African import One Stripe, swerve in front of him. Jockey William Buick recovered and managed to secure a ground-saving spot behind the early leaders.

Notable Speech got outside rivals while negotiating the second turn on Woodbine's inner turf course, breezed by the leaders, and won off by 1 3/4 lengths at the finish.

Buick said he had visions of a repeat of Notable Speech's last race in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in France when the colt looked poised to win after three straight disappointing outcomes earlier in the season but was hampered by traffic and settled for a close second-place finish.

"He's had an unfortunate season. It's nice to get a win by his name," said assistant trainer Alex Merriam.

Notable Speech finished the mile on firm going in 1:35.33. My Boy Prince was second, Gas Me Up third, and Naptown fourth. One Stripe settled for fifth in his North American debut for trainer Graham Motion. Last year's Woodbine Mile winner Win for the Money finished sixth.

Notable Speech's 3-year-old season last year was highlighted by a victory in the Group 1 English Two Thousand Guineas and ended with a third-place finish, beaten just three-quarters of a length, in the 2024 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF when he was without the benefit of a North American warmup outing like he got on Saturday.

"I don't see any reason why he's not as good as last year," Merriam said. "He ran a solid (Breeders' Cup) race last year. I think the experience of going there and coming here again will help him sharpen up for the two turns" at Del Mar.

Argos Beats Euro Invaders to Win bet365 Summer Stakes

U.S.-trained Argos denied Europeans their fourth win in the Grade 1 bet365 Summer Stakes in the last five years when he prevailed over Godolphin's Wild Desert in a thrilling photo finish Sept. 13 at Woodbine.

Argos gave trainer Riley Mott, the son of Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott, the second Grade 1 win of his career. Mott had landed his first Grade 1 victory earlier this summer with World Beater in the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes.

Argos won by a head. (Michael Burns/Woodbine)

The stretchout to a mile for the 'Win and You're In' Canadian $502,000 Summer Stakes proved to be the key for Argos, a son of Nyquist out of the Irish-bred Acclamation mare Athenian. Ridden for the second time by jockey Flavien Prat, Argos benefited from a ground-saving rail trip while tracking frontrunning Marcus J behind fractions of :23.26, :48.14, and 1:12.38.

Argos angled out seven-wide turning for home full of momentum and set his aim on the leaders down the center of the course. He made the lead and just held off a furious late charge from runner-up Wild Desert.

Argos ($15.70) prevailed by a head and stopped the timer in 1:36.90 over a firm inner turf course.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Wild Desert, who trailed the field most of the journey, finished a length in front of third-place finisher Two Out Hero.

With his win in the Summer Stakes, a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, Argos earned a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Oct. 31 at Del Mar. – Molly Rollins

Corsia Veloce Remains Unbeaten with Johnnie Walker Natalma Win

Later on the card, Corsia Veloce remained undefeated with a gritty score in the Canadian $500,000 Grade 1 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes. The 2-year-old filly improved her record to a perfect 3-for-3 with her victory in the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series 'Win and You're In' race.

Corsia Veloce. (Michael Burns/Woodbine)

Fraser Aebly, one of the rising stars of Woobine's jockey colony, captured his first Grade 1 win with Corsia Veloce. The young jockey delivered a textbook ride for trainer Josie Carroll, settling off a moderate early tempo before splitting horses and driving the filly to daylight at the top of the lane. Corsia Veloce outdueled stubborn frontrunners La Culasse and Hot Mash to the wire to win by a half a length. Corsia Veloce ($26.50) completed the turf mile in 1:37.42.

A winner at Woodbine on the turf and all-weather main track sprinting, Saturday's race was Corsia Veloce's first mile attempt around two turns.

"It is so special. I've trained others in the family, which makes it feel even nicer for all of us," Carroll said. "It's very exciting. A filly like this, you don't often go three-for-three with a baby like this, and the way she did it so gamely, it just gives you shivers."

The Natalma victory Secured Corsia Veloce a starting slot in the $1 million John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf starting gate Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

Hot Mash, an impressive debut winner at Ellis Park in her last start, finished second a neck ahead of 57-1 shot La Culasse in third. Favored European shipper Dance to the Music was fourth. – Molly Rollins