Court Vision, ridden by Robby Albarado, mowed down The Usual Q.T. inside the sixteenth pole to win Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile by one and one-quarter lengths.
In a frenetic charge to the wire over a firm E.P. Taylor Turf Course, Court Vision, a Kentucky-bred five-year-old son of Gulch, was steered outside of The Usual Q.T. and prevailed as the 7-1 fourth choice. The final time for the mile was 1:34.62. Longshot Woodbourne, at 52-1, hung on for third, a length and one-half further back and a nose in front of Crowded House, who rallied for fourth.
England’s Famous Name went postward a surprising 5-2 favourite in an extremely competitive field of 13 for the 14th edition of the Woodbine Mile, a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ event, providing the winner with a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Mile, November 6 at Churchill Downs.
Court Vision, who had previously contested 12 consecutive Grade 1 races, winning three of them, came into the Mile fresh off a three-month layoff for trainer Rick Dutrow. The result was similar to last year, when he returned to the racing wars after a three month absence and promptly won the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland, before finishing an excellent fourth to superstar Goldikova in the Breeders Cup Mile at Santa Anita.
“He ran an awful nice race today,” said Albarado. “Court Vision is such a cool horse to ride. We were both coming off a long layoff but it worked out well for us. I just wanted him to settle in early. I know he’s been off awhile but he was training forwardly at Saratoga this summer. You give him a good trip, he’s going to come home and he did.
“He runs over a lot of different surfaces and he’s professional about them all. (Trainer Rick) Dutrow did a great job getting him ready for today.”
This year, Court Vision was awarded the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap by disqualification, his only visit to the winner’s circle, but had also twice finished a close second in the Makers Mark Mile Keeneland and Turf Classic at Churchill.
Owned by IEAH Stables and Resolute Group Stable, Court Vision came into the Mile as the field’s leading money-winner with over $1.9 million and added $600,000 to his resume with the resounding score.
It was the first Mile win for the owners, who also raced second place finisher Rebel Rebel in 2006, while IEAH and Partners were represented in the 2007 and 2008 Woodbine Miles, finishing second with Kip Deville in the former, then fifth with the late champion as an odds-on favourite in 2008.
Albarado had just returned to riding yesterday at Turfway Park after suffering a separated clavicle in early August at Saratoga.
Straight Story and Zifzaf immediately went to the front, through a quarter in :23.55 and a half in :46.53. But it was a tight group when the field headed around the far turn. Sam-Son Farm’s Grand Adventure came out of the pack with a brief lead after six furlongs in 1:10.36, while Zifzaf was still hanging tough on the rail, but both were immediately assaulted by longshot Woodbourne and The Usual Q.T, the 3-1 second choice, who took over in mid-stretch and appeared poised for victory.
Meanwhile, Albarado and Court Vision had moved up to fifth after trailing early, swung outside of The Usual Q.T. inside in the eighth pole and prevailed in a drive to the wire.
“I was pretty confident he was going to run a big race,” said Dutrow. “He had been training really good and he comes off a freshening pretty good. So we felt confident that he was going to show up. He really showed up the right way today. We’re really excited right now. We thought, if he can take to this course and the one-turn mile, we’re going to be in good shape. And that’s exactly what happened. Robby gave him an unbelievable ride, too.”
Court Vision paid $16.60, $7.60 and $5.40, teaming with The Usual Q.T. ($4.50, $4.50) for a $77.40 (4-11) exactor. A 4-11-10 (Woodbourne, $14.50 to show) triactor was worth $2,793.90, while a $1 Superfecta [4-11-10-1 (Crowded House)] lit up the toteboard with a race record $19,376.55 payout.
The total handle for the Woodbine Mile card was a record $5,619,908, eclipsing the former mark of $5,214,431 set in 2002.
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