In a display of sheer determination, a trait that earned him the 2025 Eclipse Award for champion turf male, Notable Speech returned to Woodbine Sept. 12 and won the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile Stakes for a second consecutive year.

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Ridden by William Buick, the Charlie Appleby-trained Notable Speech was a 1 1/4-length winner over Deterministic, who was riding a six-race win streak, including four Grade 1s, heading into the race. Deterministic lost no respect in defeat as the pacesetter under Kendrick Carmouche.

Notable Speech raced behind and in-between horses for much of the one-mile race but was never far off the pace that Deterministic set with fractions of :24.36, :47.89, 1:10.73, and 1:21.89. The winner's final time over the firm course was 1:33.86. Notable Speech returned $3.40 as the 3-5 favorite.

With three furlongs remaining, Notable Speech's chances of winning were in doubt as he was without running room but turning for home Buick found a seam that the horse eagerly seized and sailed to victory while receiving urging from the rider's crop.

Appleby's assistant Alex Merriam said, "He's a tough horse. (Buick) knows him well. I think (Deterministic) had it fairly easy in front. Once (Buick) got him out, he has such a turn of foot."

Finishing third 2 1/4 lengths behind second choice Deterministic was Gas Me Up, who was followed under the wire by Itsastormymonday, Pierre, and Silius.

The Godolphin homebred Notable Speech, a 5-year-old son of Dubawi, won last year's Rogers Woodbine Mile on Woodbine's inner turf course while the E.P. Taylor course that he ran on Saturday was under renovation.

After winning last year's Woodbine Mile, Notable Speech followed up with a victory in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF at Del Mar. Notable Speech will likely look to repeat in this year's running of the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF at Keeneland Oct. 31.

The $739,614 Woodbine Mile is a part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, giving Notable Speech an automatic fees-paid berth "Win and You're In" berth to defend his title in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

The Woodbine Mile was the 10th career win from 19 starts for Notable Speech who has earnings of $4,428,249.

Godolphin's Al Hudaiba Wins Summer Stakes

Godolphin homebred Al Hudaiba didn't disappoint as the favorite with a victory in the Grade 1 $500,000 bet365 Summer Stakes Sept. 12 at Woodbine. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Al Hudaiba was a 1 3/4-length winner over the Miguel Clement trained runner-up, Oscar.

Al Hudaiba. (Rebecca Gullett/Eclipse Sportswire)

Al Hudaiba did show some immaturity in the stretch run by ducking to the outside once he had the lead, but he and jockey William Buick were already wide and clear of other horses and it didn't matter. Sent-off as the 0.65-1 favorite in the eight-horse field of 2-year-olds, Al Hudaiba returned $3.30 to win. He completed the one-mile distance over firm ground in 1:35.66, which was a tad slower than Voyager's winning time of 1:35.06 in the Natalma Stakes earlier on the card.

Al Hudaiba was making his North American debut in the Summer Stakes after winning three races in five starts in his native England, including the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse in July.

Buick said in a postrace interview on the simulcast show that this was not the first time that Al Hudaiba showed quirky behavior.

"He's done it when winning races and he's done when not winning races," Buick remarked. "He was straightforward today until inside the last furlong, really. He's a very talented colt and to still win like he did doing that, you have to have a fair level of ability."

Following Oscar under the wire was Induction in third and Big Money Man in fourth.

Appleby won the Summer Stakes for a third time, as did Godolphin. It was Buick's second victory in the race.

The Summer Stakes is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, and Al Hudaiba earned an automatic "Win and You're In" berth into the Oct. 30 Brown Advisory Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland.

Voyager Tops Juvenile Fillies in Natalma Stakes

Voyager. (Sophie Shore/Eclipse Sportswire)

It was easy traveling for Voyager enroute to a 1 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes Sept. 12 at Woodbine.

Ridden by Javier Castellano for trainer Mark Casse, the 2-year-old daughter of Justify received a patient ride from the Hall of Famer in the one-mile turf race. Voyager came from off the pace and began making up ground with three furlongs remaining and thundered down the center of the turf course. She held off runs from runner-up De la Renta, and third-place finisher Embouteillage, who secured the show photo over Bounce Back. Lamirada, the 5-2 favorite in the 11-horse field of 2-year-old fillies, tired and finished seventh after setting a pressured pace through fractions of :23.09, :46.13, and 1:10.20.

Voyager's final time over a course rated firm was 1:35.06. The winner returned $9.50.

In an interview with Woodbine's simulcast show, Castellano said, "Mark told me to ride with a lot of confidence. She finished really well. Very professional horse."

This is Voyager's second win from four career starts. She broke her maiden in her third start in her turf debut, Aug. 1 at Saratoga Race Course.

The $363,679 Natalma Stakes was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" race and offered an automatic berth to the John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Oct. 30 at Keeneland. 

Gimme a Nother Adds E.P. Taylor Stakes to Win Streak

Gimme a Nother wins another. (Rebecca Gullett/Eclipse Sportswire)

Undefeated in her native South Africa, Gimme a Nother is also crafting herself a terrific résumé in North America as evidenced by her latest win in the Grade 1 $540,655 E. P. Taylor Stakes going 1 1/4 miles on turf Sept. 12 at Woodbine.

Gimme a Nother saved ground off the early leaders under jockey John Velazquez before scooting through an opening in the stretch to post a comfortable victory. See The Fire took place honors in a mad scramble to round out the top four finishers with Jancis third and Venetian Lace in fourth.

The E. P. Taylor Stakes is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series and Gimme a Nother earned an automatic "Win and You're In" berth into the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

The 6-year-old Gimme a Nother completed the distance in 2:02.71 over a firm turf course and returned $8.90 to win.

Dating back to last September, Gimme a Nother has now won four consecutive stakes on North American soil. Her other wins were the Grade 2 2025 John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar, this year's Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park, and Colonial Downs' Grade 2 Beverly D. Stakes.

"She came to me undefeated," said Graham Motion, who has trained the mare since her arrival. "That was a lot of pressure, but she's been remarkable. Hoped to get her to the Breeders' Cup last year and didn't quite work out. Ever since we gave her a little break over the winter, she's been unbeatable."