Wise Dan Back for Woodbine Encore

Meet the six-horse field for the 2013 edition of the Ricoh Woodbine Mile. (Courtesy of Woodbine Entertainment Group)
A year ago, Wise Dan powered to a dominant win in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes on his way to the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year. The 6-year-old Wiseman’s Ferry gelding returns to Canada for this year’s edition of the Woodbine Mile in his quest for horse racing’s top prize in 2013.
The 2012 Woodbine Mile kicked off a three-race Grade 1 winning streak for Wise Dan that culminated with a 1 ½-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park. He posted five win in six starts at five different tracks last year and took home three Eclipse Awards (Horse of the Year, older male and turf male) in January.
Wise Dan has arguably been even better in 2013 for trainer Charlie LoPresti and owner-breeder Mort Fink. He has not lost in four starts with two Grade 1 wins and a pair of Grade 2 wins at three different tracks.
“He’s always been a really good shipper,” LoPresti said.  “When we brought him up here [to Woodbine] last year, he made a few passes around the stall and went to sleep. For the Breeders’ Cup, he got in there a day or so later than he needed to but he handled the shipping well. Nothing seems to upset him.”
WISE DAN STARTED HIS WIN STREAK IN LAST YEAR'S WOODBINE MILE

Photo courtesy of Michael Burns.
LoPresti said Wise Dan trained well at Keeneland Race Course in preparation for the Woodbine Mile. Last year, Wise Dan followed the Canada win with a victory in the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland prior to his Breeders’ Cup score. That path to the Breeders’ Cup is again a possibility this year.
“We’ll get him home Monday (after the race), assess him and see how he came out of the race,” LoPresti said. “There’s a possibility we could freshen him and go to the Breeders’ Cup directly, but I don’t want to rule out the Shadwell [Mile on Oct. 5 at Keeneland].”
The 2013 Woodbine Mile drew six horses, including local standouts Excaper, Riding the River and Dimension, European invader Trade Storm and multiple graded stakes winner Za Approval.
Za Approval enters the Woodbine Mile off a runner-up finish to top Southern California turf miler Obviously in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes at Hollywood Park on June 29.
$1 Million Ricoh Woodbine Mile
Sunday, Woodbine, Race 10, 5:38 p.m. ET
3-year-olds and older, one mile (turf)

PP

Horse

Jockey

Weight

Trainer

ML Odds

1

Riding the River

T Kabel

121

D Cotey

15-to-1

2

Excaper

L Contreras

117

I Black

12-to-1

3

Trade Storm

G L Stevens

121

D Simcock

8-to-1

4

Wise Dan

J R Velazquez

124

C LoPresti

2-to-5

5

Dimension

D Moran

121

C Murphy

10-to-1

6

Za Approval

G K Gomez

119

C Clement

4-to-1