Two major international meetings mark the calendar at Woodbine Racecourse in Toronto, Canada, and a pair of Dubai-related starters will make their presence known yet again. Cityscape, winner of the 2012 Dubai Duty Free (G1), and winless since, goes in the $1 million Woodbine Mile (G1) where he will meet Wise Dan, who has graded-stakes wins on dirt, all-weather, and turf this season. James Doyle will have the return engagement yet again for trainer Roger Charlton. Owners Juddmonte Farms (Khalid Abdullah) won this race with Ventura in 2009, setting a stakes record, and also becoming the only filly or mare to win the Woodbine Mile. Cityscape goes from barrier seven in the field of nine.
Wise Dan’s trainer, Charlie Lopresti, won this race last year with Turallure, who came back to run second, beaten a nose, in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. The winner of the Woodbine Mile earns a paid berth, with a travel voucher, for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, held at Santa Anita this season. Wise Dan was installed as the 6-5 morning-line favourite for the race, with Cityscape in as second-choice at 5-2.
Wigmore Hall’s last win came in the Northern Dancer Stakes (G1) at Woodbine last October, and will likely aim for a Canadian double in the race as one of eight going 12 furlongs where he is one of just two international shippers. A field of eight has been drawn for the race and Wigmore Hall starts from barrier seven.