Woodbine Mile

Grade I race
Woodbine Mile

Location	Woodbine Racetrack Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Inaugurated	1981
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	2007 Woodbine Mile
Race information
Distance	1 mile (8 furlongs)
Track	Turf, left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds and up
Weight	Weight-For-Age
Purse	$1,000,000

The Woodbine Mile is a Grade I stakes race on turf for Thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up held annually in mid September at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. Currently sponsored by Bell Canada, the Woodbine Mile carries a purse of $1 million and is a qualifying race for the Breeders' Cup Turf Mile.

Part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, the winner of the 2008 Woodbine Mile automatically qualifies for the Breeders' Cup Mile. [1]

The inaugural race in 1988 was sponsored by Molson Breweries with a purse of $750,000 and run as the Molson Export Challenge, reflecting the name of the company's flagship beer. It was changed to the Molson Export Million when the purse was increased to $1 million. In 1999, under new sponsorship it was renamed and raced as the Atto Mile until 2006.

Since inception, the race has been run at three different distances:

• 1 mile : 1997–present
• 1⅛ miles : 1991-1996
• 1¼ miles : 1988-1990

Originally restricted to three-year-olds, with the modification to one mile in 1997 the race was also made open to older horses.

Historical notes

In 2009, Ventura became the first female to win this race in 13 years. In the process, she also set the record time of 1:32.04.[2]

Records

In 2005, the Brazilian horse, Leroidesanimaux, set the record for the largest margin of victory at seven and three-quarter lengths while carrying the highest weight of any winner in the race's history at 124 pounds.

Time record:

• 1:32.04 - Ventura (2009)

Most wins by an owner:

• 3 - Sam-Son Farm (1991, 1999, 2004)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 2 - Kent Desormeaux (1998, 2003)
• 2 - John R. Velazquez (2000, 2005)
• 2 - Garrett Gomez (2007, 2009)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 4 - Neil D. Drysdale (1989, 1998, 2003, 2006)

Winners of the Woodbine Mile

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2011	Turallure	4	Julien Leparoux	Chuck Lopresti	4-D Stables	1:34.92
2010	Court Vision	5	Robby Albarado	Richard E. Dutrow, Jr.	IEAH Stables & Resolute Group Stables	1:34.62
2009	Ventura	5	Garrett Gomez	Robert J. Frankel	Juddmonte Farms	1:32.04
2008	Rahy's Attorney	4	Slade Callaghan	Ian Black	Ellie Boje Farm et al.	1:36.14
2007	Shakespeare	6	Garrett Gomez	Kiaran McLaughlin	Dell Ridge Farm / W. Schettine	1:33.58
2006	Becrux	4	Patrick Valenzuela	Neil D. Drysdale	Team Valor, Gary Barber	1:33.99
2005	Leroidesanimaux	5	John R. Velazquez	Robert J. Frankel	T N T Stud	1:35.08
2004	Soaring Free	5	Todd Kabel	Mark Frostad	Sam-Son Farm	1:32.72
2003	Touch of the Blues	6	Kent Desormeaux	Neil D. Drysdale	Gainsborough Farm	1:33.39
2002	Good Journey	6	Pat Day	Wallace Dollase	Flaxman Holdings & M. Jarvis	1:33.27
2001	Numerous Times	4	Patrick Husbands	Sid Attard	Committee Stable	1:32.79
2000	Riviera	6	John R. Velazquez	Robert J. Frankel	Edmund A. Gann	1:33.18
1999	Quiet Resolve †	4	Robert Landry	Mark Frostad	Sam-Son Farm	1:33.19
1998	Labeeb	6	Kent Desormeaux	Neil D. Drysdale	Gainsborough Farm	1:33.00
1997	Geri	5	Chris Antley	William I. Mott	Allen E. Paulson	1:36.20
1996	Skip Away	3	Shane Sellers	Sonny Hine	Carolyn Hine	1:49.00
1995	Peaks and Valleys	3	Julie Krone	Jim Day	Pin Oak Stable	1:50.00
1994	Dramatic Gold	3	Corey Nakatani	David Hofmans	Golden Eagle Farm	1:49.80
1993	Peteski	3	Craig Perret	Roger Attfield	Earle I. Mack	1:49.20
1992	Benburb	3	Richard Dos Ramos	Phil England	Knob Hill Stable	1:51.60
1991	Dance Smartly	3	Pat Day	Jim Day	Sam-Son Farm	1:49.20
1990	Izvestia	3	Don Seymour	Roger Attfield	Kinghaven Farms	2:01.60
1989	Prized	3	Ed Delahoussaye	Neil D. Drysdale	Team Valor	2:02.00
1988	Ballindaggin	3	Jose Santos	John O. Hertler	George Layman, Jr.	2:04.60

† - Hawksley Hill won the 1999 race but was disqualified to 4th

References

• The 2009 Woodbine Mile at the NTRA