Outside of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, there is not a single day of racing in North America that attracts more horses from Europe than Turf Champions Day, featuring four Grade I contests with a trip to Keeneland for championship weekend October 30 and 31 at stake for each of the winners. Saturday’s program is no different, and interestingly, a handful of those runners – younger and older – that have made the trans-Atlantic journey for some of the continent’s most formidable barns have connections to Woodbine in one way or another. To follow are some pedigree notes and other miscellaneous insights on those runners traveling for the first time to take on their North American counterparts. I’ll leave the actual handicapping to you! Race 7 – Grade I bet365 Summer Stakes, C$500,000, 2yo, 1mT #1 Big Money Man (Ire) (by No Nay Never) – The colt marks the first North American starter for young French trainer Christopher Head, whose father Freddy rode the legendary Miesque to victory in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1987 and 1988 and trained Goldikova (Ire) to a sensational three-peat in the same race from 2008-2010. His aunt is the very successful trainer Christiane (i.e. Criquette) Head-Maarek, three-time winner of the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Purchased for US$458,000 at the Tattersalls yearling sale last October, the chestnut, who does own a victory going left-handed, is out of a mare that was placed at Group 2 level at two and made the final start of her career over the local synthetic track, finishing down the field in the Grade III Seaway Stakes for Mark Casse. #8 Sword Salute (Masar {Ire}) – One of two in the race for two-time Summer winner Godolphin, though both Albahr (GB) and Mysterious Night (Ire) represented the Charlie Appleby barn (see below). Sword Salute is conditioned by Charlie Johnston, who took over from his father Mark–an outstanding trainer in his own right–in 2022. The elder Johnston sent out the globetrotting Fruits of Love to a runner-up effort behind Horse of the Year Thornfield in the 1999 Canadian International. A son of Godolphin’s Epsom Derby hero Masar, Sword Salute has yet to travel past seven furlongs and has the services of Jamie Spencer. A win here would give the veteran reinsman victories in all four Turf Champions Day Grade Is. Sword Salute hails from the family of dual-hemisphere Grade I/Group 1 winner State of Rest. #9 Al Hudaiba (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) – By the sire of the Godolphin-owned and -bred and Appleby-trained 2022 Summer Stakes hero Mysterious Night (Ire), the Group 2-winning Al Hudaiba is the ride of William Buick, whose lone win to date in the race came in that 2022 renewal. The homebred gray is out of a Dubawi (Ire) daughter of Group 1/Grade I winner Hibaayeb (GB), making her a full-sister to Grade I Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Wuheida (GB). Race 9 – Grade I Woodbine Mile, C$1,000,000, 3yo/up, 1mT A pair of European-based gallopers make the trip and face a formidable challenge, led by reigning Woodbine Mile hero Notable Speech (GB). #4 Archivist (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has a chance to be part of the exactor for his all-conquering sire and at the very least comes to Toronto in peak form, having crushed his rivals in the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at York three weeks ago. The ride of ‘Magic Man’ Joao Moreira, Archivist–who was not sold on a bid of nearly US$762,000 as a yearling–is out of a half-sister to Integral (GB), whose best form was over a mile when taking the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes and Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes in the colours of Archivist’s prominent breeder, Cheveley Park Stud. #6 Silius (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) – This 4-year-old colt is set to become just the second North American starter for young Christophe Ferland, who currently sits just outside the top 10 by winners on the French trainers’ premiership. A stakes winner and twice placed in Group 3 contests in 2025, Silius was offered at a boutique horses-in-training sale last fall on the eve of the Arc, but was ultimately retained by the Wertheimer Brothers when bidding stalled out at US$765,000. A full-brother to last year’s Grade I Canadian International Stakes hero Silawi (Ire), Silius has been kept busy this season and brings steady form into the Mile. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has been recruited to ride. Silius (IRE). Michael Burns Photography Race 10 – Grade I E. P. Taylor S., C$750,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT #3 Jancis (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) – Five-year-old mare, whose sire supplied 2017 E. P. Taylor victress Blond Me (Ire), is a second starter in the race for trainer Willie McCreery, who sent out Devonshire (Ire) to a seventh-place effort in the 2015 E. P. Taylor on a five-degree (Celsius) Sunday in October. The chestnut belied a six-month spell to win in Group 2 company over a straight nine furlongs at Newmarket in May and was runner-up in a Group 2 going a mile over the straight course at Royal Ascot the following month, but has never quite classed up at the top level. #6 Venetian Lace (Ire) (Masar {Ire}) – Just three years of age, Venetian Lace also represents the Charlie Johnston yard and will be the decidedly less-preferred of the two Godolphin runners behind Diamond Rain (Ire), who was extremely unlucky not to beat She Feels Pretty here last year. Jamie Spencer won the 2014 E. P. Taylor astride Just The Judge (Ire), who is ironically the grandmother of Venetian Lace on the female sire of her family. After finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf following her performance here, Just The Judge was sold for US$7.4 million as a future racing/broodmare prospect. -30- Alan Carasso, for Woodbine Share This:Share
