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THE WOODBINE MILE DRAW CEREMONY

September 16, 2010

DANNY LOISELLE: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Dan Loiselle. On behalf of Woodbine Entertainment, welcome to Woodbine and the post position draw for the 14th edition of the Woodbine Mile.
The Woodbine Mile will be the marquee event on Super Sunday, a tremendous card of racing featuring the fifth running of the Northern Dancer Stakes presented by VTech, and the $300,000 Canadian stakes for fillies and mares.
Also on Sunday Q107 will be hosting the trackside party. The Bud Girls will be there. There will be live music, prizes, a chance to play for $25,000 in the HBPA free bet challenge. The Woodbine Mile extreme betting contest with a guaranteed pool of $2,500, and of course it's all capped off by an incredible day of racing.
For the third year in a row, the Woodbine Mile will take on even greater significance as part of the Breeders Cup Challenge Series which features a lucrative win and you're in guarantee. A win in the Woodbine Mile earns the victor a berth in the Breeders Cup Mile which will take place at Churchill Downs in early November.
In thoroughbred racing we often talk about key races, and when you mention the Woodbine Mile as a key race pointing towards the Breeders Cup, truer words were never spoken. Consistently over the years horses who last raced in the Woodbine Mile make a great account of themselves in the Breeders Cup and that makes us here at Woodbine Entertainment extremely proud.
Last year was no exception. Ventura won the Woodbine Mile, shipped to Santa Anita for the Breeders Cup filly and mare sprint and finished a very good second.
Do yourself a favor, if you like money, and if any of these horses race in the Breeders Cup, bet them.
At this time, would you please join me in welcoming the president and chief executive officer of Woodbine Entertainment, Nick Eaves.
NICK EAVES: Thank you very much, Danny.
Welcome to a very rainy post position draw for the Woodbine Mile and Northern Dancer Stakes presented by VTech. There is a silver lining in this for some anyway which is that although they're calling for 25 millimeters of rain today, that's supposed to be it through the weekend. So the turf course will be in very good shape for you.
I was thinking about how unique it is that we really have two distinct sort of championship meets through our Woodbine racing meet. The first for our championship series would be our three-year-old Triple Crown races in the summer and the second championship series is our fall racing classics.
Those races, this month and next, have really become and taken on such prominence on the international racing calendar due in large part to the quality and renown of the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, the purses of course help, and also the caliber of past winners and the depth of previous fields. So that's recognition and that's a place in the international racing community that we've clearly established and something we're very, very proud of.
I did want to recognize VTech Canada, important corporate partner of ours, not only as a sponsor of the Northern Dancer Stakes, but also as a partner of ours year-round. They've been supportive of our network television network efforts, media golf tournaments. They are a terrific corporate partner that we work closely with and value greatly. Thank you to them.
You're about to be introduced to a very live field of 13 for the Woodbine Mile. So to all of the connections, both those who have traveled from far and those more local, the very best of racing luck on Sunday.
Thank you.
DANNY LOISELLE: Thank you, Nick.
Ladies and gentlemen, before we proceed with the draw for the Woodbine Mile, as I mentioned, the Woodbine Mile will be coupled on the card with the $750,000 Northern Dancer Stakes presented by VTech. Aptly enough it will be contested over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. I hope you have a horse that likes a little bit of a cut in the ground because it's raining like hell out there.
Under Mr. Taylor's banner, Northern Dancer became the most celebrated horse in Canadian thoroughbred racing history. Ladies and gentlemen, Nick mentioned VTech, the corporate sponsor for the Northern Dancer Stakes. Further to his comments we here at Woodbine Entertainment have been very fortunate to align ourselves with VTech. They have been a tremendous corporate sponsor of ours over the years. It's a relationship that we here at Woodbine Entertainment value greatly and a relationship we hope will continue for many years to come.
Would you please join me in welcoming Leanne Nesbitt, the director of sales, the toys division, of VTech Canada.
LEANNE NESBITT: Thanks a lot, Dan.
First I'd like to thank Mr. Nick Eaves, David Willmot and Glen Crouter for inviting us here today and allowing us to participate in this great event, despite the rain.
VTech is very proud to be associated with Woodbine Sports and Entertainment, and of course the legacy of Northern Dancer. VTech is a world-leading manufacturer of corded and cordless telephone products as well as educational learning toys for children.
In 2010 we'll be introducing a lot of new telephony products for small- and medium-sized businesses as well as products designed specifically for the hotel and hospitality industry. In our toy television division, we'll be introducing two new learning platforms, VReader, the first interactive animated E-book reading system designed specifically for preschoolers, and Mobi Go, an educational portable gaming device with a touch screen and educational content.
So on behalf of all the staff of VTech and we'd like to thank everyone for having us here again and good luck to everyone and have a safe race.
DANNY LOISELLE: Thank you very much, Leanne.
Ladies and gentlemen the field for the fifth edition of the Northern Dancer Stakes for VTech has been drawn. The starters and their post positions are on the board just to my right. It's a fine field with some quality individuals, and back to defend his title in the Northern Dancer is last year's winner Marsh Side, who absolutely loves this E.P. Taylor Turf Course. He certainly is a horse for the course. It should be a tremendous race to watch.
Now if I could direct your attention to the television monitors throughout the tent, here is a video presentation of the starters in Sunday's 14th edition of the Woodbine Mile.

(Video Shown.)
DANNY LOISELLE: Ladies and gentlemen, our special guest today is Dion Phaneuf of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, he was drafted ninth overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. After a four-year junior career in the Western Hockey League in which he was twice named Defenseman of the Year he made his NHL debut for Calgary in 2005 and set a Flames record for most goals by a first-year defenseman, and was also named the finalist for the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. Two years later he was a finalist for the James Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman.
Phaneuf is a two-time NHL All-Star and has represented Canada internationally on three different occasions, winning silver and gold medals at the World Juniors in 2004 and 2005, and the gold medal at the 2007 Men's World Hockey Championships.
He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 31st of this year in a seven-player trade with Calgary. On June the 15th, he was named the 18th captain in Toronto Maple Leaf history.
If I could direct your attention once again to the television monitors, here is a short video presentation.

(Video Shown.)

DANNY LOISELLE: Great to have you here, Dion. We were talking before. I understand you owned a harness horse at one time.
DION PHANEUF: Yes. Thanks so much for having me. I did own a horse a few years ago with my grandfather. He's been in the horse racing business for a long time, 30 some years, down in the States. He's raced here before. My experience wasn't that good. My horse never raced. It got hurt training.
But I've been involved and been around horses for a long time, so it's exciting to be here.
DANNY LOISELLE: You spend your summers in Prince Edward Island. The Kentucky Derby of Prince Edward Island, the Gold Cup and Saucer, have you ever attended that?
DION PHANEUF: Yeah. I go to the races quite a bit actually there with my grandfather when he's back on the island.
It's a fun night out to see them race. I go to both tracks there, Summerside and Charlottetown. I've been to the big races there, too. They do a great job down there. They have a good track in Charlottetown. There's good racing down there.
DANNY LOISELLE: Since the season has been over, what have you done with your summer?
DION PHANEUF: I spent it down at Prince Edward Island, traveled a little bit. Training down there, just excited to get things going. It's been a long summer and everyone is looking forward to getting back at it.
DANNY LOISELLE: How is the golf game?
DION PHANEUF: It's okay.
DANNY LOISELLE: What is your handicap?
DION PHANEUF: You're asking me a lot of questions.
I play to about a 10 to 12, depending how much I'm playing. I didn't play that much this summer. I was back here and Kessel and Bozak beat up on me pretty good.
DANNY LOISELLE: They got the money?
DION PHANEUF: Yes.
DANNY LOISELLE: Who was your greatest influence growing up hockey related?
DION PHANEUF: Growing up in Edmonton, definitely have to say Wayne. He was a huge part of the Edmonton Oilers success and I was a huge Oiler fan growing up.
DANNY LOISELLE: Players playing today, is there one guy that you look at and say, He has it all, carries himself off the ice and on the ice good and is a tremendous hockey player?
DION PHANEUF: I think there's a lot of them. You definitely have to say Sid. He's done a lot of good. Him and Ovie have been tremendous for our league. Year after year they do it. They're two of the top players in the league. I would have to say between those two.
DANNY LOISELLE: You were born out west and then the trade to Toronto. How are those markets different media and otherwise?
DION PHANEUF: They're different in their own sense, but the same in a lot of others.
Playing in Calgary, it's a real good hockey city, Canadian market. The difference here, you come here, there's more people, more media. But there's lots of media out there, too.
Had a great time when I was there, but I'm really happy to be here and excited about being a Leaf. The support we have in the city is unbelievable. We have great fans. We appreciate all the support.
DANNY LOISELLE: As soon as you came to Toronto, you made an instant impact on the dressing room. Now you're wearing a 'C' this year. Does that affect how you handle yourself in the dressing room any differently? Of course it must affect it on the ice because you're the team representative to the officials now. Will that affect you at all?
DION PHANEUF: To be completely honest, no, I'm not going to change the way that I play, the way I've been, the way I carry myself. I'm going to stay the exact same person, same player that I've always been to get me to this point.
It's a huge honor for me to be a captain of this team.
DANNY LOISELLE: What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the team this year? I know you haven't started training camp, but what are your thoughts on that?
DION PHANEUF: Actually I'm very excited about the moves that we made this summer, bringing in Versteeg, Armstrong, Brown, McArthur, Lebda. We made some really good moves. The guys have been back for a couple weeks, skating together. Everyone is really excited about our team.
We're a young team, we're a fast team. It's going to be an exciting fall.
DANNY LOISELLE: Training camp starts tomorrow?
DION PHANEUF: Tomorrow.
DANNY LOISELLE: You jacked?
DION PHANEUF: I'm excited.
DANNY LOISELLE: Ladies and gentlemen, to conduct the draw, I'd like to call up Steve Lym, our director of racing and racing secretary. The box goes with 13 starters. The purse will be $1 million and the winner will receive $600,000.
Dion, your job...
DION PHANEUF: A lot of pressure.
DANNY LOISELLE. ...take them out of there one at a time when I ask you to. You're going to draw the numbers, the names, and that is the position they'll have. Random, random.
Ready to roll. Mr. Phaneuf, lay one on me.
The first horse out of the box is Signature Red, will have Post 7. Trained by Sid Attard, won the Woodbine Mile in 2001. Will be ridden by Eurico Rosa d Silva, Post 7.
The next one is Smokey Fire, Post 6. Smokey fire, Sid Attard, the first two out of the box. Owned by Jim Dandy Stable. Sid Attard will also run Signature Red that trains Smokey Fire. Jono Jones aboard. Post 6.
Next one, Victor's Cry, No. 2. Owned by the Equilete Stable, trained by Eoin Harty, ridden by Corey Nakatani.
Next one is Woodbourne, Post 10. Owned by The Very Dry Stable. Robert Tiller, one of my favorite people, trains him. Post 10 in the Woodbine Mile on Sunday.
Zifzaf 3. Owned by A.J. Suited Racing Stable. Jimmy Toner trains. Julien Leparoux rides. Post 3.
You're doing a tremendous job.
DION PHANEUF: Thank you.
DANNY LOISELLE: Auteur, Post 8. Owned by Bruce Lunsford. Barbara Minshall is the trainer. Mike Smith will ride from Post 8 on Sunday.
Crowded House, Post 1. Owned by Reddam, Peter and Carmen Burrell, Jonathan Harvey. Ben Cecil trains Crowded House. Joel Rosario flies in from California to ride Crowded House from the rail, Post 1.
The Usual Q.T., post 11. Owned by Don Van Racing. Michael Nentwig, George Saadeh and Jeff Byer. Jimmy Cassidy trains, and Victor Espinoza rides The Usual Q.T. from Post 11.
The next one, Grand Adventure, lucky No. 13 for Grand Adventure. Owned by Sam-Son Farm. They won the mile twice. Mark Frostad as the trainer. Patrick Husbands, who won aboard numerous times in 2001, will ride Grand Adventure from Post 13 on Sunday.
Court Vision, Post 4, owned by the IEIH Stables and Resolute Group Stable, trained by Rick Dutrow. Robby Albarado will ride Court Vision from Post 4.
The next one is Riviera Cocktail, Post 9. Owned by Joe Allen, Gallagher Equine and Norman Cheng. Neil Drysdale, who Bill Tallon called the King of the Woodbine Mile, truer words were never spoken. Post 9 for Riviera Cocktail.
Famous Name, Post 12. Owned by Juddmonte Farms, owners of last year's winner Ventura. Trained by Dermot Weld and, Pat Smullen flies in from Europe to ride Famous Name from Post 12.
Last but not least is Straight Story, Post 5. Owned by Richard Santulli, trained by Alan Goldberg, ridden by Rajiv Maragh.
Ladies and gentlemen, your field for the 14th edition of the Woodbine Mile.
DION PHANEUF: Good luck to everyone on Sunday. Thanks for having me.
DANNY LOISELLE: Ladies and gentlemen, the Morning Line has been set for the Woodbine Mile. I won't give you the full-field. I'll give you the odds for the Morning Line favorites when wagering opens on Sunday.
The Morning Line favorite will be The Usual Q.T., 3-1, Court Vision will be the second choice in the wagering at 7-2, Victor's Cry will open at 4-1, and Famous Name will open at 6-1.
Also I should mention that for up-to-the-minute information on the Woodbine Mile please going to WoodbineMile.com. News, videos, stats, other pertinent information are on the site. WoodbineMile.com.
That concludes the proceedings this afternoon. If you can't make it to the track on Sunday, the Woodbine Mile and the Northern Dancer will be carried nationally on The Score from 4 until 6 p.m.
Thanks for joining us this afternoon. The buffet is now open. Enjoy. We hope to see you on Super Sunday for the Canadian Stakes, the Northern Dancer presented by VTech, and the 14th edition of the Woodbine Mile. Thanks again. We'll see you Sunday.

End of FastScripts

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