Starship Jubilee beats boys in Woodbine Mile to earn crack at Breeders' Cup

Canadian Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee was back to her best when beating the boys in the C$1 million (£770,000/€840,000) Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile at Woodbine, sealing her ticket to the Breeders' Cup.

The seven-year-old was the oldest horse and only mare in a field of eight for the Woodbine Mile, with 2019 Preakness winner War Of Will sent off the 2-1 favourite, but she defied her odds of nearly 6-1 and galloped home to a length success.

Kevin Attard's star held off the game rally of multiple Graded winner March To The Arch when securing her second Grade 1 win. Her first came at Woodbine in the 2019 EP Taylor Stakes and she became the third filly or mare to win the Mile, joining Tepin (2016) and Ventura (2009).

"It's just an unbelievable feeling," said an emotional Attard.

"This mare doesn't get the respect she deserves. She's a winner of 19 races out of 38 starts. I was really disappointed to see her at [almost] 6-1 on the board – just kind of forgotten about. Time after time, she comes up and proves that she's a top horse in North America."

The Woodbine Mile victory gave her a fees-paid berth in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland on November 7.

"I'm just going to enjoy the moment right now, but it's obviously a special feeling to know that this race has produced so many horses that have gone on to win the Breeders' Cup," Attard said. "So I'm really ecstatic right now, and that's somewhere we've been aiming to go to all year long. This is just one step closer."

Magic Attitude strikes on US debut in Belmont Oaks

Ever since Lael Stables' Magic Attitude arrived at trainer Arnaud Delacour's Maryland stable in late July, it hasn't been the smoothest of transitions for the three-year-old filly.

After shipping in from France, she developed a fever. Then Delacour went to work on getting her to relax, continuing the job started by her European trainer Fabrice Chappet.

For a while, Magic Attitude seemed a little too relaxed on her US debut, as she lingered in last in the small field of five for much of the $242,500 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes. But turning for home, she showed she had learned her lessons, pulling away for a two-and-a-quarter length win under Javier Castellano.

Javier Castellano: Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes victory on Magic AttitudeCredit: Harry How

"She duplicated what she had been doing in the morning in the afternoon," Delacour said. "This is what she showed in France, a great turn of foot. Javier did a great job and he felt confident about knowing the filly and knowing how to ride her. I'm glad it worked out."

Though two Keeneland races, the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on November 7 and Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 10 are on the horizon, Delacour said he was uncertain of what is next for a filly who became his second Grade 1 winner.

Delacour said: "We'll see about the Breeders' Cup and take it one race at a time. The Queen Elizabeth is in 21 days and might be coming back too quick but we'll let her tell us."

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