Cover image courtesy of Godolphin
North America
Notable Speech defends his Woodbine Mile
By Alan Carasso
Saturday's C$1-million (AU$1.01 million) GI Woodbine Mile, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 31, looked a paceless race on paper, and as Kendrick Carmouche told his fellow Cajun Joe Talamo in a pre-race interview, the plan was to let 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Deterministic (Liam's Map) run away from gate one and make them play catch-up.
However, class European milers are always going to have a major advantage in a sit-sprint contest, and so it proved, as Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard and reigning Eclipse Award-winning turf male Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was set alight by his constant companion William Buick in upper stretch and, after appearing to stumble or clip heels turning in, ran right past the front-runner with consummate ease to defend his title, 12 months on from a slow-starting success over the inner turf while the E. P. Taylor turf course was under renovation.
Deterministic, who opened at 1-2 but was off as the 11-10 second choice, looked to miss the kick fractionally, but with no other speed signed on, he was able to amble to the front with Carmouche motionless in the saddle and got the opening sections in :24.36s and :47.89s.
Advantage Deterministic.
For his part, Buick was happy to take his medicine and had Notable Speech–a bit keen given the lack of pace–back one from the tail, but showing no signs of panic. Knowing full well the Ferrari underneath him, Notable Speech was saved for his final dash, but as he cornered into the long Woodbine straight, the chestnut appeared to brush with longshot Pierre (Tapiture), stumbling slightly.
Accelerating sharply to whoosh past Silius (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})–a full-brother to last year's GI Canadian International Stakes hero Silawi (Ire)–at the furlong grounds, he grabbed Deterministic about 70 yards from home before edging clear. Gas Me Up (Hard Spun) completed the trifecta for the second straight year.
The final time was a crisp 1:33.86s.
“He's a horse with a turn of foot, so I wasn't really that worried,” Buick said. “The only thing is that you just make sure we've got some running room in the top of the straight. But they were just coming a little bit from the outside. But he's a brave horse, and he's a very good horse. He shows his turn of foot.”
“He's (Notable Speech) a brave horse, and he's a very good horse. He shows his turn of foot.” - William Buick
Notable Speech is nearing the end of his career, as he will be retired to the Darley stallion roster at the end of 2026, and in Buick, he has a big fan.
“He's just a very classy horse, and he's got a great racing brain to go with it. He's an incredible horse, really.”
Pedigree notes: Each of those four aforementioned Woodbine Mile winners are sons of the sensational Dubawi, and both Modern Games (Ire) in 2022 and Master of the Seas (Ire) the following season went on to add Breeders' Cup glory two starts later at Keeneland and Santa Anita, respectively.
One of 64 worldwide top-level winners for Dubawi, Notable Speech is out of a daughter of the late French stakes winner and dual Group 3-placed Tulips (Pivotal {GB}), whose six to salute from as many to face the starter include G3 Burj Nahaar hero Desert Wisdom (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who soundly defeated future GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the 2021 GI Natalma Stakes on this program.
Dam Swift Rose (Invincible Spirit), second in the 2019 G3 UAE Oaks, is also the dam of the twice-raced 3-year-old filly Moonlit Rose (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}) and a juvenile full-sister to Notable Speech.
Voyager steps up for DJ Stables in the Natalma
By Stefanie Grimm
Saratoga maiden winner Voyager (Justify) stepped up Saturday straight from the maiden ranks to win the GI Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes at Woodbine, a 'Win and You're In' race for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Initially cross-entered into Saturday's GI Summer Stakes against the boys, Voyager wound up against her own sex and was well supported at odds of 7-2. She broke mid pack from gate four and opted to settle back as several speedier rivals broke out on both sides of her. Sixth through the opening quarter in :23.09, she was angled out into the clear by Javier Castellano but still had work to do around the far turn with 5-2 favorite Lamirada (Army Mule) seemingly well in hand into the straight.
Widest of the contenders with a furlong to run, Voyager hit the front at the furlong pole, cleared down several paths to be just of the rail and went clear, staying safely away from a host of pursuers behind her to lead in De la Renta (Oscar Performance).
A photo for third went to Embouteillage (Kingman {GB}).
“He (Casse) basically he told me to ride with a lot of confidence,” said Castellano, who was aboard Voyager for the first time. “I think it is a great course… great feeling. Very impressive the way she did it today. I like the way she did it. Very professional behind the speed. I like the way she did it turning for home and she took off. She's finished really well – very professional horse.”
“Very impressive the way she (Voyager) did it today.” - Javier Castellano
“She's a racehorse,” added assistant trainer Kathryn Sullivan. “She's a professional. She's done nothing wrong so far for us, and she's just very impressive.
This is a record-extending ninth win for Casse in the Natalma. He last won in 2024 with And One More Time (Omaha Beach). Castellano had one prior victory, taking the 2010 edition with New Normal (Forestry). Jon Green's D.J. Stables notably finished third in this race in 2024 with subsequent champion filly Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro).
Pedigree notes: Voyager is the 12th Grade/Group I winner for Triple Crown hero Justify and his 35th individual stakes winner.
Bred in Kentucky by Stoneriggs Farm, she is out of GIII Ontario Colleen Stakes winner Chart, a mare who was initially a D. J. Stables 2-year-old buy at OBS in 2019 before selling to Stoneriggs for US$210,000 (AU$283,000) as a broodmare from Keeneland November in 2021.
This is the family of Irish high-weight older horse Spirit of Valor (War Front) and multiple Group stakes winner Brilliant (War Chant).
Voyager is Chart's first winner from two the track in a young broodmare career that also has a Flightline yearling filly still in the pipeline. That filly was a US$290,000 (AU$404,000) short yearling at this year's Keeneland January Sale to Blue River Farm. After coming up barren to Quality Road for this year, Chart was bred to Constitution for 2027.
Godolphin's Al Hudaiba punches Breeders' Cup ticket in Summer Stakes
By Jill Williams
It's always worth paying attention when trainer Charlie Appleby sends a horse across the Atlantic and Saturday's C$500,000 (AU$505,000) GI Bet365 Summer Stakes at Woodbine was no exception. Godolphin homebred Al Hudaiba (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}–A'Shaari {GB}) captured the one mile 'Win and You're In' contest, punching his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf next month at Keeneland.
William Buick took Al Hudaiba back to race third from last in the Summer as the 3-5 choice while 46-1 Quipster (Practical Joke) showed the way up front through :23.67 and :47.96 fractions. In no hurry and still sixth of eight just two furlongs from home, yet catching the eye with his controlled stride, Al Hudaiba was given his cue off the turn.
Buick angled him out several paths wide into the lane with the leaders in his sights. As Al Hudaiba hit the front about a sixteenth from home, he suddenly veered out. Despite the dramatics, he was too good, crossing the line one and three-quarter-lengths to the best over a pair of impressive maiden special weight winners in Oscar (Oscar Performance) and Induction (Scalding). He got the mile on the lawn in 1:35.66s.
“He's a very talented horse,” said Buick, who also won the Summer in 2022 with the Appleby-trained Godolphin homebred Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). “You know, he's (veered out) while winning races and he's done it when not winning races. But he was very straightforward today, just until inside the last furlong, really. But you know, he's a very talented colt, and you know, to still win like he did doing that, you've got to have a fair level of ability.”
Godolphin and Appleby have teamed to win the Summer Stakes three of the last six years, with Frankie Dettori riding their 2021 victor, Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Pedigree notes: The Irish-based Dark Angel (Ire) is the sire of Al Hudaiba, previous Summer winner Mysterious Night, and an additional Woodbine graded winner in 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' The Big Con (GB), who captured the GIII Bet365 Grey Stakes last year. Dark Angel, who stands at Yeomanstown Stud, sports 120 black-type winners worldwide and 75 Graded/Group winners.
The winning dam A'Shaari (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a full sister to 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Wuheida (GB), who was also owned and bred by Godolphin, trained by Appleby, and ridden by Buick. Their dam, a Singspiel (Ire) mare named Hibaayeb (GB), won the G1 Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile in England and the GI Yellow Ribbon Stakes in the U.S. Both A'Shaari and Wuheida produced foals by Frankel (GB) this year, with A'Shaari's current Frankel colt a full-brother to a yearling filly by that same sire.
Gimme a Nother earns Breeders' Cup berth in EP Taylor
Recent GII Beverly D. Stakes winner Gimme a Nother (SAf) (Gimmethegreenlight {Aus}) added a fourth consecutive win Saturday for trainer Graham Motion, taking the 'WAYI' GI E. P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine to earn a berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf next month at Keeneland.
Rail-drawn Saturday at odds of 2-1, Gimme a Nother had the inside position on the short run out of the chute and checked in third, outrun by Achieve (Justify) and Venetian Lace (Ire) (Masar {Ire}) up the backstretch through the half in :51.77.
Able to save ground under John Velazquez, Gimme a Nother held a perfect stalking position into the top of the stretch and had plenty of room open up for her to come through angled outside of a tiring Achieve, powering home once angled back to the rail to beat See The Fire (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Jancis (IRE) (Tamayuz {Ire}) in a tight finish for the minors.
This is Graham Motion's first win in the E. P. Taylor Stakes while John Velazquez, unsurprisingly, now has a record-making fourth win in the event.
Now in its second year as a 'Win and You're In' race, last year's E.P. Taylor Stakes produced subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf runner up She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}), who was also guided to victory at Woodbine by Velazquez.
Pedigree notes: A beautifully-bred mare from a heavily South African-influenced line, Gimme a Nother is one of 13 top-level winners for Gimmethegreenlight, a son of More Than Ready.
First dam Nother Russia (Saf), a champion herself on the track in South Africa, has four winners from as many to race, with Gimme a Nother set to continue a line of champions that also includes second dam Mother Russia (Saf), another South African champion race mare.
Gimme a Nother has two younger reported a siblings: a 5-year-old half-brother by Danon Platina (Jpn) and a 4-year-old half-sister, also by Danon Platina.
