Will Notable Speech Give Appleby Another Woodbine Mile?

Saturday’s Woodbine Mile (G1) isn’t just a Grade 1 race. The one-mile grass contest at Woodbine is a pivotal steppingstone toward the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), to which it offers a “Win and You’re In” berth.

On six occasions since 2011, the Woodbine Mile has produced the Breeders’ Cup Mile champion, with five horses sweeping both races. The two most recent to do so were Modern Games (2022) and Master of The Seas (2023), a pair of Irish-bred milers trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden to victory by William Buick.

Perhaps Appleby and Buick can nab a third Woodbine Mile win in four years with #5 Notable Speech  (8-5), the morning-line favorite to take the 2025 edition.

Both Modern Games and Master of The Seas had shown Group 1 form abroad prior to winning the Woodbine Mile. Modern Games had earned a classic win in France’s Poule d’Essai des Poulains (G1), while Master of The Seas achieved a classic placing when second in England’s 2000 Guineas (G1).

It’s safe to say Notable Speech boasts even stronger credentials. As a three-year-old last season, he won the 2000 Guineas before conquering older rivals in the Sussex (G1).

Some European milers struggle when tackling tight-turning U.S. courses. But Modern Games handled a tight course relatively well in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), rallying from eighth place to finish third by three-quarters of a length. The course at Woodbine should suit him even better since it’s large by U.S. standards, allowing the Woodbine Mile to take place around one turn rather than two.

At first glance, Notable Speech’s recent form is disappointing. He’s 0-for-4 in 2025. But take note, he’s competed exclusively at the Group 1 level and has run some solid races along the way.

Notable Speech opened the season with fourth-place finishes (beaten only 2 1/4 lengths each time) in the Lockinge (G1) and Queen Anne (G1). Then he cut back to six furlongs for the July Cup (G1) and finished fifth in a large field, again beaten only 2 1/4 lengths.

It appears Notable Speech may be rounding back to his best. His latest effort came in the Prix Jacques Le Marois (G1) racing 1,600 meters (about one mile) in France, in which he failed by a head to rally and catch Diego Velazquez, a five-time group stakes winner.

Off this encouraging rebound, Notable Speech is a compelling favorite in the Woodbine, and he’s my top choice to win.

The second choice on the morning line is #3 One Stripe  (5-2), a South African-bred star who has won multiple Group 1 races in his home country. He’s since been transferred to the U.S. under the care of Graham Motion, which required a lengthy quarantine process. He hasn’t raced since March and has posted only seven timed workouts leading up to the Woodbine Mile. Since the Breeders’ Cup Mile is the ultimate goal for One Stripe, I’m not sure we’ll see him produce a peak performance off the layoff in the Woodbine Mile.

For this reason, I prefer #8 Win for the Money  (8-1) as the most likely runner-up. He’s gone winless in five starts since conquering last year’s Woodbine Mile, but he’s been competing against tough competition, and his last two tries have been respectable.

In the Kelso (G3) at Saratoga Race Course, Win for the Money ran evenly to finish third in his first start off a lengthy layoff. Then in Saratoga’s Fourstardave (G1), he ran third by two lengths against Deterministic, arguably North America’s leading grass runner after winning the Fort Marcy (G2), Manhattan (G1), and Fourstardave in succession.

Win for the Money’s recent form is considerably better than his form leading up to last year’s Woodbine Mile, so I’m optimistic returning to the site of his biggest win will allow Win for the Money to crack the exacta at enticing odds.

#6 My Boy Prince  (10-1) finished a nose behind Win for the Money when fourth in the Fourstardave. The talented Canadian-bred has proven effective running long in the past, even finishing second in the 1 1/4-mile King’s Plate Stakes, but these days he might be more comfortable sprinting.

#9 Gas Me Up  (5-1) has a big chance to crack the top three. The improving gelding launched a powerful rally to win Woodbine’s one-mile King Edward (G2) last month, and he’s progressing rapidly in the right direction for trainer Kevin Attard, who won the 2020 Woodbine Mile with Starship Jubilee.

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