Shakespeare wins Woodbine Mile

Shakespeare won the $1-million Woodbine Mile at Woodbine yesterday, slipping up the rail and surprising the leaders to win with authority by a length over Kip Deville. Long-shot Galantas, owned by Earle Mack - the New Yorker who owned Canadian Triple Crown winner Peteski - was third at odds of 21 to 1.

Shakespeare wrote an incredible chapter to his career with the win. He was an undefeated turf star who went into the Breeders' Cup Turf at Belmont Stakes two years ago as the second favourite, but it was the only dismal race of his career. He finished 12th, more than 45 lengths behind the winner, and spent 21 months on the shelf trying to recover from a tendon injury on his left front.

Justice said the six-year-old has completely recovered, but he's had only one start under his belt since October of 2005, and that was in an allowance race at Saratoga about a month and a half ago. He won it with determination, running his final quarter in a lively 222/5 seconds.

Shakespeare's next stop will be the Breeders' Cup Mile, when racing's big circus sets up its tent at Monmouth Park late next month. A grandstand full of duly impressed bettors at Woodbine probably would take 9-5 on him at Monmouth right now.
Technorati tag(s): Woodbine MileBreeders Cup Mile