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Nineteen nominated to Ricoh Woodbine Mile

September 4, 2020

TORONTO, September 4, 2019 – Nineteen of Thoroughbred racing’s stars have been nominated to the 24th running of the $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile (Grade 1), a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win And You’re In’ race, to be contested on Saturday, Sept. 19 over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Gary Barber’s 2019 Preakness Stakes champion War of Will headlines a quartet of Mark Casse trainees nominated to this year’s Ricoh Woodbine Mile. The four-year-old War Front colt is a career winner of more than $1.8 million, with his latest triumph in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes on July 10 at Keeneland. War of Will is expected to return to Woodbine where he opened his career with a pair of top three finishes that included a runner-up effort to the Woodbine Mile-nominated Fog of War in the 2018 edition of the Grade 1 Summer Stakes.

March to the Arch is another Casse-trained contender coming off a victory in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes last month at Woodbine. Owned and bred by Live Oak Plantation, the five-year-old Arch gelding defeated local stars Admiralty Pier and Silent Poet, who are also targeting the Woodbine Mile.

March to the Arch and jockey Rafael Hernandez winning the $175,000 Kind Edward Stakes (Grade 2) on Saturday, Aug. 15 at Woodbine Racetrack. (Michael Burns Photo)

Fresh off his Grade 1 Fourstardave triumph at Saratoga two weeks ago, Halladay, a four-year-old War Front colt, could be looking to conquer new turf north of the border for trainer Todd Pletcher and Harrell Ventures.

Peter Brant’s Raging Bull is among four Chad Brown trainees eyeing the Woodbine Mile. The five-year-old millionaire son of Dark Angel finished fourth, 1-1/4 lengths behind 44-1 upset winner El Tormenta, in last year’s edition. Raging Bull picked up his second Grade 1 victory winning the Shoemaker Mile in his season’s debut on May 25 at Santa Anita.

The list of nominees includes Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing’s millionaire Beau Recall, Charles Fipke’s undefeated three-year-old colt Shirl’s Speight, and Blue Heaven Farm’s reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee.

The action-packed Ricoh Woodbine Mile weekend will also feature a pair of Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series turf races for two-year-olds, with the $250,000 Summer Stakes (Grade 1) and filly companion Natalma Stakes (Grade 1) set for Sunday, Sept. 20.

The complete list of horses nominated to the 2020 Ricoh Woodbine Mile is available below in alphabetical order. All Woodbine stakes nomination lists can be found on Woodbine.com under the “Horsepeople” tab.

NOMINEES FOR THE 2020 RICOH WOODBINE MILE (GRADE 1)

Horse – Trainer – Owner

Admiralty Pier – Barbara Minshall – Hoolie Racing Stable LLC and Bruce Lunsford

Almanaar – Chad Brown – Shadwell Stable

Armistice Day – Barbara Minshall – Bruce Lunsford and Lansdon Robbins

Beau Recall – Brad Cox – Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing

Emmaus – Conor Murphy – M and J Thoroughbreds LLC and Riverside Bloodstock LLC

Empire of War – Michael Maker – Three Diamonds Farm

En Wye Cee – Todd Pletcher – Waterford Stable LLC

Fog of War – Chad Brown – Peter Brant

Halladay – Todd Pletcher – Harrell Ventures LLC

March to the Arch – Mark Casse – Live Oak Plantation

Marzo – Michael Maker – Three Diamonds Farm

Olympic Runner – Mark Casse – Gary Barber

Raging Bull – Chad Brown – Peter Brant

Shirl’s Speight – Roger Attfield – Charles Fipke

Silent Poet – Nicholas Gonzalez – Stronach Stables

Skywire – Mark Casse – Gary Barber and Lou Tucci

Starship Jubilee – Kevin Attard – Blue Heaven Farm

Value Proposition – Chad Brown – Klaravich Stables Inc.

War of Will – Mark Casse – Gary Barber

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