2011 Jebel Hatta winner Wigmore Hall rolled home with a sparkling final furlong to win his second consecutive win in the Northern Dancer Stakes (G1) at Woodbine, Canada’s premier racecourse. Saturday’s race, over 1 1/2 miles, saw Wigmore Hall settle off a fairly strong early pace and progress throughout the long stretch, narrowly defeating Al Khali and a late-closing Forte Dei Marmi. In the last two seasons, the Northern Dancer has marked the site of Wigmore Hall’s only two wins.
For some great insight on the Canadian racing scene, especially with the upcoming Canadian International meeting on October 14, check out Keith McCalmont’s TripleDeadHeat Blog, which provides the picture below.
With late closes in the last two runnings of the Dubai Duty Free over 1,800 metres, the thought logically goes towards trying the longer distances in Dubai, specifically with the 2,410 metres of the Dubai Sheema Classic. Trainer Michael Bell suggested the thought in his post-race thoughts in this Press Association brief. Watch the Northern Dancer Stakes below.
2012 Dubai Duty Free winner Cityscape could only manage third in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile as Wise Dan romped home a clear winner, and furthering his claims as one of the continent’s finest. In 2012, Wise Dan has recorded wins or placings in graded stakes on dirt, Polytrack, and turf. While not within calendar range, over the last 11 months, the son of Wiseman’s Ferry has managed Grade 1 wins on both dirt and turf, plus Grade 2 and Grade 3 scores over Keeneland’s all-weather surface. Overall, Wise Dan is one of the most versatile horses in training anywhere in the world, and his owner Morton Fink signified post-race that a trip to the Breeders’ Cup was imminent, although the specific race was still to be determined. Wise Dan’s trainer Charlie Lopresti recorded a rare double in the race, training last year’s winner, Turallure. Watch the Woodbine Mile below.
The last two winners of the Woodbine Mile, Court Vision and Turallure, completed the quinella in the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs.