Notable Speech heads deep renewal of Maker's Mark Mile

If all goes well, Notable Speech will begin and end his 2026 season at Keeneland. On Friday, the reigning champion turf male aims for his third consecutive North American success in the $650,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1).

Although based in England with Charlie Appleby, the Maker's Mark Mile is a good starting point for the Godolphin homebred as it is held over the same course and distance Notable Speech will look to defend his Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) over in November.

Although he lost his first four starts last season, all in Europe, Notable Speech made short work of this continent's best turf milers. An easy 1 3/4-length winner of the Woodbine Mile (G1) in September, Notable Speech then landed the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, making amends for his third-place finish in the 2024 edition.

Winner of the classic 2000 Guineas (G1) at three, Notable Speech is the obvious class of the Maker's Mark Mile. But there are plenty of other quality entrants.

Rhetorical was an upset winner of Keeneland's major fall grass race, the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1), and then was beaten only two lengths by Notable Speech in the Breeders' Cup after leading narrowly at a couple calls.

One Stripe was less effective against Notable Speech at both Woodbine and Del Mar, but those were his first two starts in the U.S. following his importation from South Africa and a long layoff. The multiple Group 1 winner subsequently won an allowance and finished second by a neck in the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1).

In addition to One Stripe, trainer Graham Motion also saddles Zulu Kingdom, one of last season's better three-year-old turf horses when he won three stakes, including the American Turf (G1). Deterministic, perhaps the best U.S.-based turf male last season, saw his campaign cut short after consecutive wins in the Fort Marcy (G2), Manhattan (G1), and Fourstardave (G1).

The supporting feature on Friday's card is the $350,000 Limestone (G3), a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for three-year-old fillies. The logical horse to beat is Cy Fair, the George Weaver-trained daughter of Not This Time who outran her peers in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) when last seen in October.