2000 Atto Mile Post Position Draw

Dateline: 9/07/00
By: Terence Dulay

On Thursday afternoon the post positions were drawn for the 4th running of the Atto Mile. In its short history the race has become a significant event on the thoroughbred racing calendar and a major prep for the Breeders' Cup Mile. Sponsoring the race for the second consecutive year is Atto and Associates Insurance Brokers Inc. John Atto is the president and founder, and also owns racehorses.

Glenn Crouter, Gord Ash, Dawson's Legacy, and his trainer

Before the draw, local hero Dawson's Legacy was paraded on the turf course. He is best remembered for his second place finish to Favorite Trick in the 1997 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at odds of 78-1, and his defeat of Buck's Boy in the Sky Classic Handicap at Woodbine in 1999. That latter race was part of the reason he is entered in the Atto Mile. Owner Joe Stritzl said "We have a shot to be there because we beat Buck's Boy. We've come into this race prepared and we believe this horse is in good shape, better than ever before."

David Willmot

Woodbine's president and CEO David Willmot explained in his welcome speech that he was contacted by Breeders' Cup president D.G. Van Clief early last winter regarding the race. He asked if the race, which was originally scheduled for September 17th, could be moved back to the 10th in order to be broadcast on NBC's Road to the Breeders' Cup. Apparently they had done a study over the past three years of the races leading up to the Breeders' Cup, and found that the Atto Mile yielded the most Breeders' Cup starters out of all races in North America, hence they consider it a key race for their NBC program.

Gord Ash and racing secretary Chris Evans draw the post positions

Assisting at the draw was Gord Ash, executive vice president and general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club. In his speech he discussed the long-standing relationship between baseball and racing, citing examples such as George Steinbrenner who owns both the Yankees and Kinsman Stable and Pittsburgh Pirates owner John W. Galbreath who owned Epsom Derby winner Roberto, named after baseball great Roberto Clemente. The last example he gave was the race between minor-league player Jose Herrera and 0-87 maiden Zippy Chippy in Rochester, NY, a few weeks ago. Herrera was in the Blue Jays organization but was traded away in 1993 for Rickey Henderson. Ash said, "He was a tremendously fast runner and he learned to run against horses while he was a young boy in the Dominican [Republic], which does not say a lot for horse racing in the Dominican!"

Ladies Din is the morning line favorite, and comes from the same connections as last year's Breeders' Cup Mile winner Silic who was recently injured and has been retired. At the draw he was represented by trainer Julio Canani's assistant Scott Hansen. Hansen said: "I've never seen a horse make up the kind of ground he can make up in a matter of 100 yards. He can make up six, seven lengths in a few jumps. But the key with him is he's got a very quick and short run, about 3/16ths of a mile. There isn't much difference between them (Ladies Din and Silic). Their ability is so equal it's scary. They've finished a nose apart, a head apart [in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile in both 1999 and 2000]."

Godolphin Racing's Ross Campbell

Representing second favorite Muhtathir at the draw was one of Godolphin Racing's head lads, Ross Campbell. When asked about his horse's running style, he said "when he won in a Grade 2 in Italy this year he made all the running, but when he won in France, beating Sendawar [in the Prix Jacques le Marois] he raced in third or fourth and came from off the pace and won by three and won well, so we can adapt."

Honest Lady

Honest Lady may be (along with Heliotrope) the first distaffer to run in the Atto Mile, but the Juddmonte Farms filly shouldn't be discounted. Trainer Bobby Frankel said "There shouldn't be any problem going against the boys. She finished second in the Met Mile [to Yankee Victor] and ran well in that spot. It really isn't a problem. She's a medium sized filly but she's quite strong." Despite only having one turf start back in November, her dam Toussaud won four stakes races on the grass as a four year old in 1993 and was fourth in the Breeders' Cup Mile against the boys.

John Atto and Gord Ash with the Atto Mile trophy

The race will be the 4th on Sunday's card at Woodbine, going to post at 2:40pm ET. It will be shown live on NBC's Racing to the Breeders' Cup program from 2-3pm Eastern, as well as on CTV Sportsnet in Canada. You can find the complete list of entrants, post positions, past performances and more here

On the Forum:

All photos by the author, Atto Mile logo courtesy of Ontario Jockey Club

Previous Features