With a boosted total prize purse of $1,250,000 the Grade I Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland’s fall meet attracts a dozen runners to the Commonwealth of Kentucky this year. In that field are British, French and Irish raiders crossing the Atlantic for a big payday.
All but two of the 12 runners are four and up carrying the same weight. These older horses concede 4lb to a couple of three-year-olds, which comprise most of the overseas contingent. Of obvious interest from the home team at Keeneland is three-time Grade I winner Program Trading. Although he missed much of last season and plenty of this campaign, Chad Brown has him back at the age of five.
With the barn landing the Coolmore Turf Mile in 2024 with Carl Spackler, Program Trading looks to recapture his prior form. Not only does that include the 2023 Saratoga and Hollywood Derbies, but the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby day schedule from last season. Injury following a run in the Manhattan Stakes at the Spa meant Program Trading was off the track for 447 days.
His return to action when a neck second to re-opposing Donegal Momentum in the Listed Bernard Baruch around the same venue didn’t quite live up to market expectation. Despite this, Program Trading should strip fitter for that first race after the layoff and Brown hopes it leaves him spot on for a serious crack at the big bucks on offer here.
While all of his best form prior to injury came over 1,800m, this Lope De Vega ridgling should be a strong stayer over the trip. As he’s out of an Oasis Dream mare, he isn’t short on speed in pedigree terms either. Oddsmakers don’t favor Program Trading most on the Morning Line, however.
Diego Velazquez, Jonquil, Woodshauna Make for Strong European Challenge
Favorite status in Coolmore Turf Mile instead belongs to the sponsors’ own horse Diego Velazquez over from Ireland. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, this four-year-old Frankel colt arrives in Keeneland on the back of a career best victory in France. Diego Velazquez landed a first-ever Group 1 in the Prix Jacques Le Marois when just prevailing by a head from Godolphin’s 2024 Newmarket 2000 Guineas winner Notable Speech.
As the runner-up has advertised that form by going one better in the valuable Grade I Woodbine Mile in Canada, it’s no wonder the market on Kentucky Derby betting sites prefer Diego Velazquez to Program Trading. Although his French success came over a Straight Mile, Coolmore’s runner has wins on a round course including three Group races at Leopardstown.
Diego Velazquez must concede that weight for age to Jonquil and Woodshauna, however. The former represents Andrew Balding’s stable from England and global owner-breeders Juddmonte. Jonquil landed a British Classic trial in the spring before a head second in the French 2000 Guineas to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero Henri Matisse.
He had subsequent French Derby winner Camille Pissarro back in third at Longchamp. Connections then tried sprinting with Jonquil, but he’s best over the mile and resumed winning ways when stepped back up to it in Group 2 company around Goodwood in late August. Woodshauna hails from the stables of leading French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, meanwhile.
This son of Wooded shapes like he might get a mile after Group 1 success in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville over the summer. Woodshauna wasn’t disgraced when making the show in the 1,300m Prix Maurice de Gheest there either. A good run here opens up new avenues for him, for all he’s unraced outside France.
Mint Millions Rivals Meet Again in Coolmore Turf Mile
Also in the line-up are a number of horses who ran at the recent turf meet at Kentucky Downs across the Commonwealth near the Tennessee border. Positive tactics saw Epic Ride capture the valuable Grade III Mint Millions Stakes there in September. John Ennis’s four-year-old Blame gelding is no stranger to Keeneland either. While he hasn’t bettered making the show in three starts here, Epic Ride brings a strong piece of dirt form to the table.
His third in the 2024 Grade I Blue Grass Stakes saw him split Breeders’ Cup Classic and Belmont Stakes winners Sierra Leone and Dornoch. Epic Ride, who finished down the field in the Kentucky Derby result, should have no problem confirming Mint Millions form with re-opposing third Beach Gold, but now meets eye-catching fourth Brilliant Berti off 2lb worse terms.
Cherie DeVaux has the only course and distance winner in the Coolmore Turf Mile line-up on her hands. Brilliant Berti landed a Grade III here last fall and finished a neck second to Mercante, another who re-opposes, in the Arlington Stakes at Churchill Downs. This four-year-old Noble Mission colt now meets that one on 2lb better terms. Brilliant Berti also took the Grade II Wise Dan Stakes around the same venue with subsequent Arlington Million hero Fort Washington back in fourth.
Brilliant Berti and @b_hernandezjr win the Wise Dan Stakes for @reredevaux! ✨ pic.twitter.com/kfpc3NOcas
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) June 28, 2025
If he’d got a better start and hadn’t raced one from the back in the Mint Millions, then Brilliant Berti would’ve finished nearer to Epic Ride. The way this race could be run might suit a deep closer. It will also test the stamina of Howard Wolowitz with Jose D’Angelo stepping his son of Munnings up to a mile for the first time.
Quatrocento & Rhetorical in Deep Waters at Keeneland
He won the 2024 Franklin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs and finished second in another sprint there this fall. Howard Wolowitz hasn’t raced beyond 1,400m and is best known for his 1,300m exploits at the Franklin track. By the same sire as I’m A Chatterbox and Jack Christopher, he could inject plenty of speed into the race, but this is an experiment.
Completing the Coolmore Turf Mile field are two horses with decent figures, but a lack of graded form. Quatrocento is a definite longshot. Although unbeaten over a mile, Fausto Gutierrez’s War Front colt has only contested minor races in his career so far. This is a huge jump up in class for him against some of the best turf milers in America and Europe.
William Walden runs Rhetorical, meanwhile. A gelding by Not This Time, he landed a Black Type event at Saratoga in the West Point. Restricted stakes races play a big part in the Spa’s program across their lengthy summer meet, but the best horses in Upstate New York go for open graded events instead. Despite this, Rhetorical has a similar forecast price on the Morning line to Brilliant Berti.
After just five career starts, he’s open to more further progress than any other runner here. There are gentler way of introducing Rhetorical to graded races than this, however, and while he’s won all three starts this season, that form is at a much lower level to most in the line-up.
Coolmore Turf Mile 2025 Post Positions Draw & Morning Line Odds
- Donegal Momentum (126lbs) – 12-1
- Quatrocento (126lbs) – 15-1
- Howard Wolowitz (126lbs) 6-1
- Diego Velazquez (126lbs) – 7-2 fav
- Woodshauna (122lbs) – 5-1
- Mercante (126lbs) – 20-1
- Epic Ride (126lbs) – 20-1
- Program Trading (126lbs) – 9-2
- Rhetorical (126lbs) – 8-1
- Brilliant Berti (126lbs) – 8-1
- Beach Gold (126lbs) – 30-1
- Jonquil (122lbs) – 15-1
Our Handicapper’s Verdict
Aidan O’Brien has won this twice before, so Diego Velazquez could well allow the sponsors to win their own money back. It’d also be no surprise if Program Trading turned about his last run with Donegal Momentum from Saratoga. Woodshauna may see out the mile, but quick ground suits Jonquil and, if Gate 12 doesn’t force him too wide, he could go well.
Back to the home team and Brilliant Berti may have a Kentucky Grade I in him. These terms favor him in rematches with Mercante and Epic Ride, if ridden more positively. The stamina of Howard Wolowitz could be stretched here. Rhetorical is the least exposed, but has lots more on his hands now.
WATCH: Program Trading Win the 2024 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic
