The Usual Q. T., Court Vision highlight tough Woodbine Mile

The bay was a leading light on the California turf racing scene in the latter

half of last year, winning six

races in a row from August to December, including the Hollywood Derby (G1), Oak

Tree Derby (G2) and Sir Beaufort S. (G3). So far this season, The Usual Q. T.

has captured the Eddie Read S. (G1) over the Del Mar turf on July 24, holding

fellow Woodbine Mile contender VICTOR'S CRY (Street Cry [Ire]) to second in the

process.

New York-based Court Vision also brings a Grade 1 victory this year into Sunday's

race, albeit through a steward's decision. Trained by Rick Dutrow, the dark bay

opened his five-year-old campaign with a runner-up effort in the Gulfstream Park

Turf H. (G1), but was placed first via the disqualification of Take the Points. Since then he's run second in both the Maker's Mark Mile (G1)

and Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1), and most recently suffered a troubled

trip to be sixth in the Manhattan H. (G1).

Court Vision hasn't competed since that June 5 event, but he's been training

impressively at Saratoga and won last year's Shadwell Turf Mile S. (G1) off a

similar three-month layoff before finishing an excellent fourth to superstar

Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1).

"We're kind of looking for him to do the same thing (win off a layoff) up

there with you guys," Dutrow acknowledged. "I'm hoping he likes that grass (at

Woodbine) and I'm hoping he'll like the one-turn (mile)."

Robby Albarado, who has spent the last month recovering from a fractured

clavicle suffered in early August at Saratoga, has been named to ride Court

Vision, who will break from post 4 as the 7-2 second choice on the morning line.

Juddmonte Farms' homebred FAMOUS NAME (GB) (Dansili [GB]) is the only Mile

contestant from overseas, arriving from Ireland under the care of trainer Dermot

Weld. A winner in nine of 19 career starts who has earned more $1.3 million, the

British-bred most recently finished sixth to Cape Blanco (Galileo [Ire]) in the

1 1/4-mile Irish Champion S. (Ire-G1) at Leopardstown on September 4, but was

less than two lengths behind the highly-regarded runner-up, Rip Van Winkle (Ire)

(Galileo [Ire]).

"We'd like it if we can get a few showers," Weld said. "He does run well (in

the soft going)."

Famous Name, who will be ridden by Pat Smullen, will be trying to give

Juddmonte a second consecutive Woodbine Mile triumph, following on the heels of

Ventura last year. The only other British-bred to win the Mile was Labeeb (GB)

in 1998.

Among the five locally-based challengers, Sam-Son Farm's GRAND ADVENTURE

(Grand Slam) and Jim Dandy Stable's Ontario-homebred SMOKEY FIRE (Smoke Glacken)

figure to be well-backed.

Grand Adventure won the Connaught Cup (Can-G3) and King Edward S. (Can-G2) at

Woodbine earlier this year and most recently was second in the Nijinsky S. (Can-G2) on

July 24. Trained by Mark Frostad, who, along with Sam-Son Farm, are two-time

Mile winners (Quiet Resolve in 1999 and Soaring Free in 2004), the four-year-old

colt will try to improve on his ninth in last year's Mile. He'll keep jockey

Patrick Husbands in the saddle.

The Sid Attard-conditioned Smokey Fire enters off a neck win in the Play the

King S. (Can-G2) on August 29, his sixth victory in only 11 career starts. The

five-year-old gelding will be ridden by Jono Jones and be joined in the starting

gate by stablemate and Highlander S. (Can-G2) scorer SIGNATURE RED (Bernstein),

who will have Eurico Rosa da Silva in the pilot's seat.

In addition to The Usual Q. T., three other Mile hopefuls are coming from

California. The 4-1 morning-line third choice Victor's Cry, trained by Eoin

Harty, won the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Hollywood Park on May 31 before returning

two months later in the Eddie Read.

"If not the best, (The Usual Q. T.) is certainly one of the very best turf

horses in America, possibly at a distance of ground more than a mile," Harty

said. "I think the (Mile) distance plays to my advantage. I think I can beat him

at a mile. I would have beaten him at a mile at Del Mar."

CROWDED HOUSE (GB) (Rainbow Quest) won the Racing Post Trophy S. (Eng-G1) in

2008, but has not been able to find the winner's circle in 10 subsequent starts.

However, after racing in Dubai and England earlier this year, Crowded House

arrived in the United States and has performed well in two outings for new

trainer Ben Cecil, running fourth in the Eddie Read and then a close second in

the Pacific Classic. He'll be ridden by Joel Rosario, who will try to improve on

Cecil's runner-up finish in last year's Woodbine Mile with Ferneley (Ire) (Ishiguru).

RIVIERA COCKTAIL (Giant's Causeway) is conditioned by three-time Woodbine

Mile winner Neil Drysdale -- Labeeb (1998), Touch of the Blues (Fr) (2003)

and Becrux (Ity) (2006) -- but will have to show drastic improvement to give his

trainer a fourth victory here following a fourth in the Wickerr S. on July 28.