For the third time in four years, Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby are headed to the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) with a "Win and You're In" ticket earned in the CA$1 million Woodbine Mile (G1T).
They completed that "double" in 2022 with Modern Games and did it again in 2023 with Master of the Seas. They'll try for the "three-peat" Nov. 1 at Del Mar with Notable Speech, who overcame an inauspicious start to win the Woodbine Mile Sept. 13.
And Notable Speech has a bit of a head start going into the big race as he finished third, beaten just 3/4 length, in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile without the benefit of a North American warmup heat.
Things didn't start perfectly for the 4-year-old Dubawi colt at Woodbine. He broke a beat slowly from the No. 2 gate and saw the No. 3 runner, South African import One Stripe, swerve in front of him. Jockey William Buick recovered and managed to secure a ground-saving spot behind the early leaders.
Notable Speech got outside rivals while negotiating the second turn on the tight inner turf course, breezed by, and won off by 1 3/4 lengths.
Buick said he had visions of a repeat of Notable Speech's last race, a close second-place finish in the Prix Jacques le Marois (G1) at Deauville in France. The colt looked poised to win that event after three straight disappointing outcomes earlier in the season, but was hampered by traffic.
"The normal outer turf track here is beautiful, a European style of racing," Buick said, referring to the sweeping turns of the E.P. Taylor course. "Now, obviously, we're on the inside track for these races, so it changes the dynamics a lot and our horses find it challenging.
"So I was not going to give up my position on Notable Speech. He's an experienced horse so I could do that with him. Look, you have to be brave for a little bit there. But he was. And once he got into that position, he relaxed beautifully and he got into a nice rhythm. For me, he was winning from there on out."
Notable Speech finished the mile on firm going in 1:35.33. My Boy Prince was second, Gas Me Up third, and Naptown fourth. One Stripe settled for fifth in his North American debut for trainer Graham Motion, and last year's Woodbine Mile winner, Win for the Money, finished sixth.
Notable Speech, whose 3-year-old season was highlighted by a victory in the English Two Thousand Guineas (G1), started 2025 with a fourth-place finish in the Lockinge Stakes (G1) at Newbury May 17. He was fourth again in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in June and fifth in the July Cup (G1) at Newmarket. He was not badly beaten in any of those efforts and Appleby assistant Alex Merriam said Godolphin certainly never gave up on him, especially after the Deauville disappointment.
"Any horse that wins a Guineas becomes a special horse and he's a special horse for everyone at Godolphin, from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed on down. He's had an unfortunate season. It's nice to get a win by his name."
Asked if the colt is as good as last year, Merriam replied, "I think things just probably haven't quite worked out for him this season. I don't see any reason why he's not as good as last year."
And the Breeders' Cup?
"It's got to be, I think," he said. "He ran a solid race last year. I think the experience of going there and coming here again will help him sharpen up for the two turns" at Del Mar.
Buick echoed all that.
"It was very frustrating in the Jacques le Marois," Buick said. "He should have won that day, and he deserved to win. It was very frustrating. It was a hard pill to swallow. But, look, he's put it right today. So, fingers crossed, we go to Del Mar for the Mile with every chance."
The colt is a Godolphin homebred out of the Invincible Spirit mare Swift Rose.
In supporting grade 3 action on Woodbine's main track:
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WinStar Farm's 2024 King's Plate Caitlinhergrtness relished a class drop and a return to Tapeta in the CA$150,000 Ontario Matron Stakes (G3), defeating Hurricane Clair and For Flying. Flavien Prat rode Caitlinhergrtness ($3.70) for trainer Kevin Attard.
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Chiefswood Stables' Simcoe notched a second consecutive graded victory in the CA$150,000 Vigil Stakes (G3). Rafael Hernandez was aboard the Katerina Vassilieva-trained Simcoe ($4.60).
Video: Rogers Woodbine Mile S. (G1T)
