Deterministic Unbeaten Run Puts Woodbine Mile on Alert
Al Hudaiba Chases Summer Stakes Glory
Notable Speech travels to Woodbine on Saturday, 12 September 2026, seeking back-to-back victories in the Gr.1 Woodbine Mile against Deterministic, the leading North American turf miler in 2026. Diamond Rain and Al Hudaiba complete a three-pronged Godolphin challenge on the same card.
The Gr.1 Woodbine Mile is run over a mile on turf at Woodbine. Notable Speech, a Dubawi entire trained by Charlie Appleby, won the 2025 renewal by 1 3/4 lengths after a slow start, beating My Boy Prince with Gas Me Up third. He followed that victory with another win in the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar and was named champion turf male at the Eclipse Awards for 2025.
Notable Speech has already collected two more top-level prizes in the United Kingdom in 2026, adding the Gr.1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May to his growing record. He followed a fourth-placed finish in the Gr.1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot with a win on his first start over seven furlongs, taking the Gr.1 City Of York Stakes in July 2026.
Deterministic arrives on a five-race winning streak, a run that includes the 2026 Fort Marcy Stakes and the Gr.1 Manhattan Stakes. The Liam's Map five-year-old is trained by Christophe Clement for St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable, and he confirmed his top-level credentials with victory in the Gr.1 Fourstardave Stakes at Saratoga in August, defeating Mi Bago by 1 1/2 lengths in a career-best effort.
Clement described Deterministic as "the best miler in the country" following that Saratoga performance, a claim the colt now carries into his first meeting with Notable Speech.
Aiming for Another Woodbine Mile
Diamond Rain returns to Woodbine for the Gr.1 E.P. Taylor Stakes over 10 furlongs, having finished second there in 2025, beaten a head by She Feels Pretty. The Shamardal mare closed out 2025 with a close third in the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and arrives in Canada on the back of a comprehensive win in the Lyric Stakes (Listed) at York in July.
Appleby named See The Fire as the one to beat in the E.P. Taylor Stakes, adding that Diamond Rain already has experience of running at Woodbine to draw on. Appleby said the mare was "only touched off" in 2025, and connections hope the conditions on Saturday suit her.
Al Hudaiba bids to join stablemates Albahr and Mysterious Night on the roll of honour for the Gr.1 Summer Stakes, a 2YO contest run over a mile. The Dark Angel colt brings the deepest profile of the season's runners into the field, with three wins that include a last-gasp success in the Gr.2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket and a close third, under a penalty, in the Gr.2 Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Appleby Reports Strong Work at Woodbine
Charlie Appleby said all three of his runners travelled well and worked nicely on the turf on Thursday morning. "Notable Speech is a past winner of the Woodbine Mile and returns in great form on the back of his win in the City Of York Stakes," Appleby said. "The turning track suits his run style particularly well, and he should hopefully get a strong pace to aim at."
Appleby said the timing fits in nicely for Notable Speech ahead of a potential second crack at the Breeders' Cup Mile later in the year. "This fits in nicely timing-wise before another potential crack at the Breeders Cup Mile, and he looks the one they all have to beat," he said, before turning to Al Hudaiba's step up in trip. "Stepping up to a mile should suit Al Hudaiba, and we are hoping that the ground isn't too quick. He has run to a high level of form in the UK and should run a big race if he can translate that class to Canada."
Notable Speech carried a career record of 13 starts, six wins, a second and a third into the 2025 Woodbine Mile, with earnings of more than US$2.1 million. Stablemates Modern Games and Master Of The Seas previously completed the same Woodbine Mile and Breeders' Cup Mile double, in 2022 and 2023 respectively, giving Godolphin a recent history of success in the same double that Notable Speech now chases again.