2017 Woodbine Mile Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes will be contested Saturday, September 16 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Horses three years old and upward will line up on Woodbine's turf track and race one mile searching for the winner's share of the generous $800,000 purse and the automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar November 4.

A field of 12 will take to the track in the Woodbine Mile - race 12 on Woodbine's stacked Saturday card. Post time is 6:34 PM. Let's take a brief look into the past performances of all 12 combatants for this lucrative and competitive G1 stakes.

2017 Woodbine Mile Entries at Woodbine Racetrack

Deauville 5-2

Experienced Aidan O'Brien trained colt has placed in 12 of 15 career starts - four wins, four seconds and four third-place finishes. He won the 2016 G1 Belmont Derby Invitational and has placed in seven of eight career starts since. Last time out was a third in the G1 Arlington Millions August 12 which followed a second in the G3 ICON Meld Stakes in Britain July 23 and consecutive thirds - the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot June 20 and the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in May. He won the Group 3 Huxley Stakes at Chester in May as well. Deauville has been a factor in every race the last year with exception of a seventh in this year's Dubai World Cup and will be looking to snap a four-race losing streak from gate 6 with Jamie Spencer aboard the morning line favorite.

World Approval 7-2

Mark Casse trained gelding has nine wins, two seconds and four third place finishes in 22 career starts. He put his name on the radar with a win in July, 2015 in the G3 American Derby and has been decent since. Last time out was a nice bounce back 2 1/4 length win in the G1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga August 12 which followed a bit of a disappointment - a fifth in the G1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park June 10, a nice 2 1/4 length win with a field-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure in the G2 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico May 20, an easy 2 1/4 length win in the minor EG Vodka Turf Classic at Tampa Bay April 2 and six months away. Other quality results include an OK third in the G1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine last September 17, a good win in the G1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park July 3, 2016, an OK third behind the terrific Flintshire in the 2016 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park June 11, 2016, a second in the G1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic May 7, 2016 and another second in the G2 Muniz Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds last March. He also won the G3 Saranac Stakes in 2015. World Approval has been competitive at times in his career and hopes to build on a nice effort last time out. He shoots for his third graded stakes win in four starts with John Velazquez guiding the intriguing morning line second choice and 124-pound highweight - from the rail.

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Lancaster Bomber 3-1

Aidan O'Brien trained colt has just one win in his 11 career starts to go along with three second-place finishes. He finished second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf but has been just OK since. Last time out was a sixth in the Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes in Britain August 2 which followed a very respectable second in the Group 1 St. James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and three straight off-the-board finishes including a decent fourth in the Group 1 UAE Derby in March. Lancaster Bomber has been fairly competitive so far but has yet to claim a stakes win. Jockey Wayne Lordan will try to change all of that from gate 10.

Dutch Connection 6-1

British bred CB Hill trainee has 20 career starts with five wins, five seconds and a pair of third-place finishes. He arrives off a nice win in the Group 3 Wetherbys Racing Bank Supreme Stakes at home August 27 which followed consecutive sixths including the competitive G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot in June. His only North American start resulted in a twelfth in the Breeders' Cup Mile in November. Dutch Connection has placed in just one of his last six starts overall - that coming last time out and hopes to build on that effort Saturday. Mikael Barzalona rides from post 11.

Mondialiste 8-1

Irish bred entry - 2015 winner of this race has five wins, six seconds and five -third-pace finishes in 29 career starts. He also finished second behind the sensational but now retired Tepin in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile. He was OK after that culminating in a nice win in the G1 Arlington Millions in August, 2016 but has failed to post victory since that race. Last time out was a sixth in the Group 3 Betfred Mobile Strensall Stakes August 26 after a good second in the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes July 29 and another sixth in the Ganton Stakes June 17 - all results at York. He failed to place in his previous four starts as well including the 2016 Breeders' Cup Turf. Mondialiste has shown form in the past, will be out for his second win in this race while snapping an eight-race losing streak. Jose Ortiz will be in the saddle from gate 8.

Conquest Panthera 12-1

Mark Casse trained gelding has four wins and three third-place finishes in 10 career starts. He arrives off a nice win on this track in the G2 Play the King Stakes August 19 which followed an OK third in the G2 Wise Dan Stakes June 17 and an eighth in the G1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic May 6 - both at Churchill Downs. Before that were consecutive thirds - the G2 Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland April 14 and the G3 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream in March and two straight Allowance scores this past winter. Conquest Panthera has been decent in his career so far, has won both starts on this track and off a career-best effort could be a factor this weekend with Patrick Husbands guiding him from post 7.

Tower of Texas 12-1

Defending runner-up ion this race - Roger Attfield trained gelding has five wins, eighth seconds and four third place finishes in 23 career starts - 21 at Woodbine. He enters off a fourth in the G2 Play the King Stakes on this track August 19 which followed an OK third, a half-length back in the G2 King Edward Stakes here July 2, a career-best effort - a win in the G2 Connaught Cup here June 3 and an ugly tenth in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland in October. Before that were three straight runner-up finishes - just a half-length behind Tepin in the G1 Woodbine Mile and the 2016 King Edward Stakes included. He was away from the track for 10 months but prior to that had three wins and two seconds in summer 2015 here - the best being a 2 3/4 length score in the 2015 King Edward Stakes. He has placed in 11 of his last 14 starts and hopes for his biggest win to date with Eurico Rosa Da Silva in the irons from gate 2.

Long on Value 15-1

Bill Mott trainee was at his best in 2014/2015 when he won the minor Mystic Lake Derby, the G2 Twilight Derby and the G3 Canadian Turf Stakes and has been decent since. Last time out was an OK third in the listed Troy Handicap at Saratoga August 6 which followed a twelfth in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot in June and a respectable runner-up finish in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March. Before that was a third in the listed Gulfstream Park Sprint in January and a tenth in the minor Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct in November. Long on Value now has seven wins, five second and four third-place finishes in 29 career starts and will be after a first win in nearly 14 months (7 races) Saturday. Joel Rosario has the mount from post 3.

Arod 20-1

Defending fifth-place finisher in this race - Irish bred Chris Waller trainee has four wins, five seconds and four third-place finishes in 24 career starts. He arrives at this year's edition in less-than-spectacular form - a sixteenth last time out in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap at Caulfield April 15 followed a nineteenth in the Group 1 Star Doncaster Mile April 1 and a tenth in the Group 2 Ajax Stakes in March. He did place in five straight Group stakes races in 2015 including a Group 2 and Group 3 score but hasn't been the same since. He tries for his first win in 26 months Saturday with Harry Bentley in the reins from post 9.

Dragon Bay 20-1

Has placed in 10 of 19 career starts for trainer Stuart Simon - five wins, two seconds and three third place finishes. He enters off a fourth in the G2 Sky Classic Stakes on this track August 20 after a terrific win in the G2 Nijinsky Stakes at Woodbine July 29, a disappointing sixth in the G2 King Edward Stakes here July 2 and a nice win in the G2 Eclipse Stakes on this track May 20. Before that was a fifth in an Allowance at Keeneland April 19, a seventh in the G3 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park March 4, a win in the minor English Channel Stakes at Belmont Park in October and an OK second in the G3 Ontario Derby on this track in September. Dragon Bay has been a tad tough to figure out, mixing in good wins with underwhelming results. He hopes to gain a little consistency Saturday and to avenge an unflattering effort in his last start. Gary Boulanger is scheduled to ride from post 5.

Glenville Gardens 20-1

Defending seventh place finisher in this race - Sid Attard trained gelding has nine wins, two seconds and two third-place finishes in 19 career starts. He won the minor Labeeb Stakes here November 6 and has been up and down in three starts since - a seventh place finish in the G2 Connaught Cup Stakes on this track June 3 was followed by an Allowance Optional Claiming score here July 22 and an OK third last time out in the G2 Play the King Stakes on this track August 19. In 2015, he had a nice three race win streak - all on this track including the minor Labeeb Stakes, an Allowance Optional Claiming and a Claiming. In 2016, he won the G2 Play the King Stakes here - so we know this horse can run. Glenville Gardens has won five of his last nine starts overall and will be looking for his first graded stakes score in 13 months Saturday. Luis Contreras gets the call from the outside post 12.

Best Bard 50-1

James Smith trained gelding has 43 career starts with seven wins, 11 seconds and six third-place finishes. He enters off a Claiming score on this track August 6, a fourth in a Starter Allowance here July 5 and a third and a second respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races on this track earlier this year. His only graded stakes action came in 2015 when he finished fifth in the G2 King Edward Stakes on this track. Best Bard steps up in sketchy form and will have Rafael Manuel Hernandez in the irons from gate 4.

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2017 Woodbine Mile Odds & Entries

Race 12 on Woodbine's Saturday card with a Post Time of 6:34 PM.