Showcasing the relentless grit that secured him the 2025 Eclipse Award for champion turf male, Notable Speech made a triumphant return to Woodbine on September 12, capturing his second straight victory in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile Stakes.
Guided by jockey William Buick, the Charlie Appleby trainee crossed the wire 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Deterministic, who entered the contest on the back of a six-race winning streak that featured four Grade 1 titles. Despite the runner-up finish, Deterministic ran a highly commendable race setting the tempo under Kendrick Carmouche.
For a large portion of the one-mile event, Notable Speech traveled behind and among rivals, keeping within striking distance of Deterministic’s lead times of :24.36, :47.89, 1:10.73, and 1:21.89. Registering a winning time of 1:33.86 on the firm turf, the 3-5 betting favorite paid out $3.40 to win.
With only three furlongs left, victory seemed uncertain as Notable Speech found himself boxed in; however, as they rounded into the homestretch, Buick discovered a gap that the colt immediately exploited, drawing away to win under a hand ride with brief encouragement from the whip.
Alex Merriam, assistant to Appleby, commented, “He is an incredibly resilient competitor, and William knows him inside out. I believe Deterministic enjoyed an uncontested lead, but the moment William found a clear path, Notable Speech displayed his trademark acceleration.”
Securing third place, 2 1/4 lengths behind the second-favorite Deterministic, was Gas Me Up, while Itsastormymonday, Pierre, and Silius filled the remaining spots in order.
A homebred for Godolphin, the 5-year-old Dubawi stallion had taken the previous edition of the Rogers Woodbine Mile on the venue’s inner turf, as the E.P. Taylor course utilized this Saturday was undergoing upgrades at the time.
Following his Woodbine Mile triumph last year, Notable Speech went on to capture the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by PDJF at Del Mar. He is now expected to defend his crown in this year’s edition of the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by PDJF, scheduled for October 31 at Keeneland.
Boasting a purse of $739,614, the Woodbine Mile serves as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race, awarding Notable Speech a fully funded, automatic entry to defend his title in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
This victory marked the 10th career win in 19 starts for Notable Speech, pushing his lifetime bankroll to $4,428,249.
Living up to his top billing, Godolphin homebred Al Hudaiba triumphed in the Grade 1 $500,000 bet365 Summer Stakes on September 12 at Woodbine. Under the care of Charlie Appleby, the colt registered a 1 3/4-length victory over Oscar, who is conditioned by Miguel Clement.
Though Al Hudaiba displayed greenness by veering outward upon taking the lead in the stretch, he and rider William Buick were already well wide and clear of their rivals, rendering the quirk harmless. Sent off at short odds of 0.65-1 in the eight-horse field of juveniles, the winner returned $3.30. He stopped the clock at 1:35.66 for the one-mile trip on firm ground, slightly off the 1:35.06 mark established by Voyager in the Natalma Stakes earlier in the afternoon.
The Summer Stakes marked Al Hudaiba’s first start on North American soil, following a campaign in England where he won three of his five races, highlighted by a victory in July’s Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.
During his post-race remarks on the simulcast broadcast, Buick noted that the colt has displayed similar eccentricities in past outings.
“He has behaved like that in both victory and defeat,” Buick explained. “He was behaving beautifully today until the final furlong. He possesses immense talent, and to get the win while pulling antics like that shows he has high-quality ability.”
Trailing Oscar across the finish line were Induction in third, with Big Money Man taking the fourth spot.
With this victory, Appleby and Godolphin each celebrated their third wins in the Summer Stakes, while Buick secured his second triumph in the event.
As a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series event, the Summer Stakes awarded Al Hudaiba an automatic “Win and You’re In” ticket to the Brown Advisory Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on October 30 at Keeneland.
Voyager enjoyed a smooth trip on her way to securing a 1 1/4-length win in the Grade 1 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes on September 12 at Woodbine.
Partnering with Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano for trainer Mark Casse, the juvenile daughter of Justify was rated patiently in the one-mile turf event. Racing off the pace, Voyager launched her bid with three furlongs to go, powering down the center of the stretch. She successfully repelled late challenges from runner-up De la Renta and third-place finisher Embouteillage, who narrowly edged out Bounce Back in a photo finish. Meanwhile, the 5-2 favorite in the 11-horse field, Lamirada, faded to seventh after enduring pressure up front while setting fractions of :23.09, :46.13, and 1:10.20.
Voyager clocked a winning time of 1:35.06 on the firm turf, returning $9.50 to her backers.
Speaking on Woodbine’s simulcast show, Castellano shared, “Mark advised me to ride her with plenty of confidence. She had a fantastic finish and behaved like a true professional.”
This win brought Voyager’s career record to two victories from four starts, having previously broken her maiden in her turf debut on August 1 at Saratoga.
With a purse of $363,679, the Natalma Stakes served as a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, providing a direct path to the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on October 30 at Keeneland.
Having never suffered defeat in South Africa, Gimme a Nother continues to build an impressive North American record, most recently demonstrated by her triumph in the Grade 1 $540,655 E. P. Taylor Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on the Woodbine turf on September 12.
Positioned close to the rail behind the early leaders by rider John Velazquez, Gimme a Nother found a seam in the homestretch to shoot through and seal an easy win. See The Fire claimed second place in a tight, multi-horse finish, with Jancis and Venetian Lace taking third and fourth respectively.
Representing another leg of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, the E. P. Taylor Stakes victory earned Gimme a Nother an automatic entry into the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf scheduled for October 31 at Keeneland.
Covering the distance on firm turf, the 6-year-old mare stopped the clock at 2:02.71, yielding a payout of $8.90 to win.
Since last September, Gimme a Nother has reeled off four straight stakes victories on the continent. Her previous wins include the Grade 2 2025 John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar, this season’s Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park, and the Grade 2 Beverly D. Stakes at Colonial Downs.
“She arrived in my barn without a blemish on her record,” reflected trainer Graham Motion. “That certainly brought some pressure, but her performances have been exceptional. We aimed for the Breeders’ Cup with her last season but missed out. However, after giving her some downtime over the winter, she has been virtually untouchable.”
