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Woodbine Hosts Three Breeders’ Cup Challenge Races

Woodbine
Woodbine hosts the Canada Day racing Festival on Saturday. (Photo credit: Woodbine Entertainment).

Woodbine puts on an outstanding wagering card on Saturday featuring three Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races.

The first of three Grade 1 races on the card is the $500,000 Pattison Summer (G1). A field of seven two-year-olds line up going one mile on turf. The winner earns an automatic starting berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Keeneland on Nov. 4.

The Euro shipper Mysterious Night is the 6-5 morning line favorite. The Charlie Appleby trainee won the Prix Francois Boutin (G3) at Deauville in France in his last start.

The $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1) is the featured race of the day. The winner stamps a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). Appleby again has the one to beat in 7-5 morning line favorite Modern Games, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) champ.

The $500,000 Natalma is for two-year-old fillies going a mile. The winner earns a start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). Eight go to the post with the Nathan Squires trained Cairo Consort the 2-1 morning line favorite.

Enter our free $100 Trifecta Contest on the Woodbine Mile!

Let’s head out to Woodbine for a breakdown of the featured race of the day:

Woodbine Race 9 The Woodbine Mile Post time 5:35 ET

4 Finest Sound   10-1

5 Modern Games   7-5

3 Wakanaka   10-1

2 Ivar   4-1

Finest Sound

This gelding is not as accomplished as Modern Games but is going to offer more bang for the buck. The Simon Crisford trainee was beaten just a neck last out at Goodwood in the Celebration Mile over good to soft ground. The winner was Jadoomi, who came back to win the Group 2 Boomerang Mile at Leopardstown in his next outing on Sept. 10. He handled good to firm turf two back in a runner up finish in the Strensall (G3) at York. Back in March he was second in the Jebel Hatta in his lone start in Group 1 company. Looks like decent value in this spot if we catch most of the 10-1 morning line.

Modern Games

This colt takes on older here and is coming off a solid runner up finish in the Sussex (G1) behind Baaeed. The winner returned to win the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York which was his 10th consecutive victory for the undefeated runner. Modern Games was only beaten 1 ¾ lengths. This is his second trip to North America, winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) last year, running for purse money only after a starting gate mishap left him scratched that enraged horseplayers (myself included, costing me a win wager and the Pick 5). William Buick is in to ride for Appleby and this colt looks very tough but likely is going to end up lighter than his 7-5 morning line.

Wakanaka

This filly takes on the boys and comes in off a nice win in the Dance Smartly (G2) over firm turf here. She tracked a moderate early pace and made a good middle move to take over the lead and draw clear. The runner up Fev Rover came back to win the Canadian (G2) here on Aug. 21. Two back at Belmont Park she came with a good late run to finish second in the Just a Game (G1) at a mile. The third-place finisher In Italian won the Diana (G1) in her next start while the winner Regal Glory came back to run a good second against the boys in the Fourstardave (G1) at Saratoga. She does not need to move forward much off her last two efforts to be in the mix in this spot at a decent price.

Wagering:

WIN: Finest Sound to win at 6-1 or better.

EXACTA: 4,5 / 3,4,5 and 4 / 2,3,5,6

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