Notable Speech returns to Woodbine on September 12 with a chance to defend his Woodbine Mile title, but the Godolphin runner faces a field that includes one of the hottest turf horses in North America.
Woodbine confirmed eight starters for the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, a $1 million contest over one mile on the E.P. Taylor turf course. The winner earns an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on October 31.
Notable Speech returns as defending champion
Notable Speech won the 2025 Woodbine Mile by 1 3/4 lengths with William Buick aboard. Charlie Appleby sends the multiple Group and graded stakes winner back to Toronto with Buick again named to ride.
The defending champion drew post 3 in the official field.
Deterministic brings a six race winning streak
Deterministic arrives with six consecutive victories, including four Grade 1 wins. His latest success came in the Fourstardave at Saratoga on August 8, where he won by 1 1/2 lengths.
Kendrick Carmouche has ridden Deterministic throughout the streak and retains the mount from post 1 for trainer Miguel Clement.
Official Woodbine Mile field
The confirmed field is Deterministic, Gas Me Up, Notable Speech, Archivist, Irish Aces, Silius, Itsastormymonday and Pierre.
Archivist adds another international element for trainer Hamad Al Jehani, while Silius represents trainer Christophe Ferland. The depth gives the race a broader international shape than a simple rematch between the two headline runners.
Why the Woodbine Mile matters
The Woodbine Mile is part of Woodbine’s Turf Champions Day, which features four Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races on the same program. The card also includes the E.P. Taylor Stakes, Natalma Stakes and Summer Stakes.
That makes Saturday one of the most important turf cards in North America before the Breeders’ Cup. OTB Bet will follow confirmed results from the program and update the relevant race coverage after the races are official.
For more championship coverage, visit the Major Races hub and the Horse Racing News page.
Featured image: Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, photographed by Alan Spencer. Source image available through Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0.
