Tom Pedulla offers takeaways from a racing weekend highlighted by competition at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack. Woodbine hosted three Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races Saturday that offered automatic, fees-paid berths in corresponding contests at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar. The Grade 1, $1 million Rogers Woodbine Mile Stakes (FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF, Nov. 2) was accompanied by a pair of key races for 2-year-olds, the $500,000, Grade 1 bet365 Summer Stakes (Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, Nov. 1) and the $500,000 Grade 1 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes (John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Nov. 1). In addition, the Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve began with Saturday’s running of the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes hile the Road to the Longines Kentucky Oaks got underway with the Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes. Both were run at Churchill Downs.

RELAXED WINNER: Jockey Patrick Husbands knew one key to winning the Rogers Woodbine Mile was to help Win for the Money settle into a comfortable rhythm in the early going. The 5-year-old Mohaymen gelding did that during a ground-saving trip and went on to better fellow Mark Casse trainee Filo Di Arianna by 1 ½ lengths. “I must say I give out respect to Mark,” Husbands said. “I had a perfect trip. I figured from reading the Racing Form if I come off the pace, it’s my best chance. So, when he breaks and he breaks so relaxed, I was happy.” Casse previously celebrated Mile victories with the great mare Tepin in 2016 and with World Approval the following season.

New Century winning Summer Stakes. (Eclipse Sportswire)

BREEDERS’ CUP PREP: Qatar Racing’s New Century, opposing graded-stakes company for the first time, edged fellow overseas invader Al Qudra by 1 ¼ lengths in the one-mile Summer Stakes for trainer Andrew Balding and jockey Oisin Murphy. New Century’s rider viewed it as a great way to prepare for the Juvenile Turf. “The Qatar Racing team with Andrew found this race and, obviously, it made sense timing-wise for the Breeders’ Cup,” Murphy noted. “Now, he’s going to have to be sharper at Del Mar. But he has the class and, hopefully, he can step up again.”

FITTING ENCORE: And One More Time acked up her authoritative 4 ¾-length maiden score Aug. 8 at Saratoga by presenting trainer Mark Casse with his eighth Natalma triumph. The Omaha Beach filly, in her third start, led a sweep of the top three positions for her barn as she topped stablemates Vixen and Nitrogen. The winning margin was a rallying neck for jockey Rafael Hernandez. The outcome hardly surprised assistant trainer Kathryn Sullivan. “She just ran wonderfully, a lot of heart,” Sullivan said. “We knew from her race at Saratoga that we had a special filly, but I think she really proved it [Saturday].”

Jonathan's Way winning the Iroquois Stakes. (Eclipse Sportswire)

GATE TO WIRE: Jonathan's Way overcame a poor start and rallied to win his debut by 4 ¼ lengths Aug. 17 at Saratoga Race Course. Owned by Rigney Racing and trained by Phil Bauer, he displayed a different dimension in capturing the Iroquois by 2 ¾ lengths from Owen Almighty. He put himself on the lead for jockey Joel Rosario and never looked back in a rousing performance. “From the first day we bought him as a weanling, we were impressed by him,” Bauer said. “We always knew how impressive he was training into his debut and when he won that day at Saratoga, he did so professionally after missing the break. Now, showing a totally different dimension [in the Iroquois] being on a lead, it’s an amazing feeling moving forward.” The victory was worth 10 qualifying points for the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

ON THE RISE: Tracy Farmer homebred La Cara needed four tries to earn her first victory, accomplishing that in a big way when she required nothing more than a hand ride from Ricardo Santana Jr. to run away by eight lengths Aug. 11 at Saratoga. The daughter of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense took another major step forward for Mark Casse when she edged Liam in the Dust by three-quarters of a length in the Pocahontas. The win allowed her to bank the first 10 qualifying points toward the 2025 Kentucky Oaks. “It was a great effort by her to back up her maiden win at Saratoga,” said Allen Hardy, an assistant to Casse. “We got her back at the Churchill string a couple weeks ago and she’s been impressing us each day training into this race.”