Bribon draws post 5 in 10-horse Woodbine Mile

Bill Tallon,
Daily Racing Form

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Bribon, winner of the Grade 1 Met Mile at Belmont Park this spring, has been made the 5-2 favorite and will begin from post 5 in Sunday's Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.

A field of 10 was announced for the $1 million Woodbine Mile, a turf race for 3-year-olds and upward, in a ceremonial draw at the trackside tent here Thursday.

Sunday's card also will feature the Grade 1, $750,000 Northern Dancer, a 1 1/2-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and upward with a field of 10, including last year's Canadian International winner Marsh Side, and the Grade 2, $300,000 Canadian, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares with a field of seven headed by last year's Eclipse Award turf female Forever Together.

Bribon, trained by Robert Ribaudo and ridden by Alan Garcia, tuned up for the Woodbine Mile with a sharp score over one mile of turf at Saratoga.

Ventura, the second choice in Woodbine oddsmaker Jennifer Morrison's morning line at 7-2, finished second behind locally based Rahy's Attorney in the Woodbine Mile last year.

Running under the name of trainer Bobby Frankel and to be ridden by Garrett Gomez, Ventura drew post 9 for her first start since April.

Rahy's Attorney, who broke from post 2 en route to his 1 1/4-length Woodbine Mile score under regular rider Slade Callaghan last year, has drawn the 8-hole this time around and is the third choice in the morning line at 9-2.

"Obviously I'd rather be farther inside; he likes to run down on the inside," said trainer Ian Black. "But going a mile, with such a long run down the backside, I don't think anybody's going to get beaten because of a post position."

Jungle Wave, seeking his third straight win on the local turf course after capturing the 6 1/2-furlong allowance prep for the Play the King and the seven-furlong Play the King itself, drew post 10 and is the fourth choice at 6-1.

"I always like the outside," said Sid Attard, who will give regular rider Todd Kabel a leg up on Jungle Wave.

The versatile Sterwins, a multiple stakes winner on both turf and synthetics, and Ferneley, coming off a win in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile Handicap over one mile of turf, both have been pegged at 8-1 while Play the King runner-up Field Commission is at 12-1.

Sand Cove, Grand Adventure, and Barbadian invader Daylight Express all come into the Woodbine Mile in winning form but will be outsiders in Sunday's company.