Saturday Racing Picks 09/14: Woodbine Mile
Synchrony will be Saturday’s G1 Woodbine Mile winner
Four stakes races today take center stage north of the border, highlighted by the $1 million dollar Grade 1 Woodbine Mile in Toronto, Ontario with a berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile on the line at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.
The 11-horse field for 3-year-olds and up on the turf is slated as race 9 of the day’s 12-race card and carries an approximate post time of 5:42 p.m. ET.
#4, Synchrony, Flavien Prat, 6-1
There are a lot of things to like about Synchrony. First, jockey Flavien Prat will have his first shot aboard and who better to have after his remarkable summer at Del Mar. Second, in 16 career starts, she has placed 14 times and is the earnings leader among the 11 horses in the field. Third, he has overall won a total of six G2 or G3 stakes races, but in two of her three G1 starts, she has finished out of the money, so with Prat aboard and another shot at a G1, I think he might finally be due to break through that wall. The six-year-old also won her debut at Woodbine by a length back on June 29 (his last start) in the G2 King Edward Stakes, so some experience is here on this track for him and what better than making it a win. The odds also will provide some good value as well. The pick.
#7, Raging Bull, Joel Rosario, 3-1
Raging Bull ended last year with a win in the G1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar, but since then has raced in four G1 stakes and has not posted a win in any of them (4th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd) with the last coming against one of today’s entrants, Got Stormy, in the Fourstardave Handicap on Aug. 10 at Saratoga. Oh yeah, in that race, Got Stormy set a course record, so nothing to sneeze at at all. You know he will be there at the end and will come raging home with his late kick for Joel Rosario, who has been guiding the horse in all five of his career wins and who has been chomping at the bit to get back on after a two-race absence. In the mix late, but comes up a bit short.
#5, Got Stormy, Tyler Gaffalione, 8-5
The morning-line favorite has earned that right with a third place finish in the G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes and a runner-up finish in the G2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile. With that experience under her belt, she posted her career best (1:32) to capture the G1 Fourstardave Handicap by 2 ½ lengths, where she set the inner-turf course record for one mile. Tyler Gaffalione returns to the saddle for current Woodbine leading trainer Mark Casse, who knows just a little bit about the track up north, having won the training title 11 times, which includes two Woodbine Mile wins in 2016 with Tepin and 2017 with World Approval. Right there at the end.
#2, Lucullan, Luis Saez, 8-1
The 5-year-old is 5-2-2 in 11 career starts for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, including 2-for-2 this year under today’s jockey Luis Saez. Lucullan has finished in the top three in 9 of his 11 starts. In his last start, Lucullan won the Lure Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 3. The question will be how he will do in his first career start on the inner turf for McLaughlin, who won this race in 2007 with Shakespeare.
PICKS: 4-7-5-2
By Lou Monaco