Race Preview: Woodbine Sunday Stakes - September 15, 2013
Woodbine has another great card on Sunday with the Grade 1 Northern Dancer and the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, both races of the late, $200,000 guaranteed pick-4.
The Northern Dancer kicks off the pick-4, post time 4:32 pm ET, and Forte Dei Marmi will be hard to beat. The seven-year-old gelding has won back-to-back races over the Woodbine turf and has won three of six overall over the track. Just like wine, Forte Dei Marmi has gotten better with age.
The horses with the best chance to upset are Irish Mission and Stormy Len. Irish Mission will try to lead them as far as he can go while Stormy Len is coming off a very good second in the Grade 1 Secretariat at Arlington Park. The Secretariat was against straight-three-year-olds, but Stormy Len has defeated older horses in the past.
Two races later is the Woodbine Mile, featuring Horse of the Year, Wise Dan.
Wise Dan is the defending Woodbine Mile champion and has now won eight straight races with his only defeat since October 2011 coming by a head in the Grade 1 Stephen F. Foster on the dirt at Churchill Downs. Wise Dan is the class of the field and the horse to beat, but let's take a shot to beat him with Dimension, winner of the Grade 2 Play King over the track in August and the horse that will be up front early.
Za Approval is going to be running late and the connections will hope there will be more pace than there was with Obviously in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile in June at Hollywood Park. Trade Storm comes over from Europe after competing in some of the best races for milers. He has not won since March at Meydan; however, so he may be best used underneath.
Of course, if Wise Dan brings his "A" game, every other horse will be running for second.
Post time for the Woodbine Mile is 5:38 pm ET.
The Northern Dancer kicks off the pick-4, post time 4:32 pm ET, and Forte Dei Marmi will be hard to beat. The seven-year-old gelding has won back-to-back races over the Woodbine turf and has won three of six overall over the track. Just like wine, Forte Dei Marmi has gotten better with age.
The horses with the best chance to upset are Irish Mission and Stormy Len. Irish Mission will try to lead them as far as he can go while Stormy Len is coming off a very good second in the Grade 1 Secretariat at Arlington Park. The Secretariat was against straight-three-year-olds, but Stormy Len has defeated older horses in the past.
Two races later is the Woodbine Mile, featuring Horse of the Year, Wise Dan.
Wise Dan is the defending Woodbine Mile champion and has now won eight straight races with his only defeat since October 2011 coming by a head in the Grade 1 Stephen F. Foster on the dirt at Churchill Downs. Wise Dan is the class of the field and the horse to beat, but let's take a shot to beat him with Dimension, winner of the Grade 2 Play King over the track in August and the horse that will be up front early.
Za Approval is going to be running late and the connections will hope there will be more pace than there was with Obviously in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile in June at Hollywood Park. Trade Storm comes over from Europe after competing in some of the best races for milers. He has not won since March at Meydan; however, so he may be best used underneath.
Of course, if Wise Dan brings his "A" game, every other horse will be running for second.
Post time for the Woodbine Mile is 5:38 pm ET.