Trainer Mark Casse has the two early favourites for the $1-million Ricoh Woodbine Mile.
War of Will was installed as the 2-to-1 favourite Wednesday for the Grade 1 turf race, which is scheduled for Saturday at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack. The 2019 Preakness Stakes winner will break from the No. 8 post in the eight-horse field and be ridden by Rafael Hernandez.
March to the Arch, the second of three Casse horses in the race, is the 5-to-2 second choice with Patrick Husbands aboard. March to the Arch drew the No. 1 post Wednesday.
Olympic Runner, the final Casse horse, is listed at 15-to-1 odds and will break from the No. 5 post with jockey Daisuke Fukumoto aboard. Fukumoto rode Mighty Heart, a 13-to-1 pick, to victory in the $1-million Queen’s Plate on Saturday at Woodbine.
Starship Jubilee, Canada’s 2019 horse of the year, was installed as the 4-to-1 third selection. The Kevin Attard-trained mare will be ridden by Justin Stein and break from the No. 4 post.
The remainder of the field with post, horse, jockey and odds, includes: 2) Armistice Day, David Moran, 20 to 1; 3) Shirl’s Speight, Kazushi Kimura, 8 to 1; 6) Admiralty Pier, Steven Bahen, 10 to 1; and 7) Value Proposition, Luis Contreras, 6 to 1.