TORONTO - Brian Lynch won't be intimidated by Wise Dan.

The Woodbine Racetrack-based trainer nominated two horses Friday — Grand Arch and Heart to Heart — for next month's $1-million Ricoh Woodbine Mile turf event. Heading the list of nominations was Wise Dan, a two-time Mile and Breeders' Cup champion and twice U.S. racing's horse of the year.

Charles LoPresti, Wise Dan's trainer, said Thursday that barring something unforeseen Wise Dan will make his 2015 debut at Woodbine.

Grand Arch is a multiple graded stakes winner who finished second to Wise Dan at last year's US$1-million Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., Wise Dan's home track. That was Wise Dan's second straight victory following colic surgery.

But the eight-year-old gelding hasn't raced since suffering a right front foot injury last October at the Shadwell. If Wise Dan can win a third straight Woodbine Mile, he'll capture the $600,000 winner's share as well as a berth in the Breeders' Cup Mile, which will be run Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

"I have nothing but respect for Wise Dan as an athlete," Lynch said. "There's a reason why he's the horse of the year, he's certainly a very good horse.

"But he's coming off surgery so it might be a good time to catch him."

Then again, Lynch admits he had similar thoughts about running Grand Arch against Wise Dan in last year's Shadwell.

"And he proved me wrong," Lynch said. "The good ones overcome a lot of things."

Heart to Heart was named Canada's top three-year-old male last year after winning three U.S. stakes races.

Wise Dan has been dominant at Woodbine, with each of his Mile wins being by more than three lengths. And in 2013, Wise Dan blazed to a track-record time of 1:31.75.

LoPresti also captured the 2011 Mile with Turallure.

Wise Dan didn't show any signs of slowing down in 2014, winning all four of his starts. He'll arrive at Woodbine on a five-race win streak and having won 15 of his last 16 starts, the lone exception being a second-place finish behind Silver Max at the 2013 Shadwell following nine straight victories.

But that race was taken off the turf at Keeneland because of heavy rain. Overall, Wise Dan has won 23-of-31 career starts and earned over US$7.5 million.

Grand Arch claimed the Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga his last time out. He topped a field that included fellow Mile nominees Ironicus, Seek Again, Mshawish and Grand Tito.

"It (Woodbine Mile) is a very prestigious race," Lynch said. "It's a $1-million purse so you better be ready because everybody else is going to be.

"(Grand Arch's) form is pretty solid right now. It was a pretty nice win at Saratoga against a good field of horses and he came out of that race in good order. As soon as they open the turf course up at Woodbine (training turf opens Sept. 2, main opens Sept. 5) he'll start breezing."

Also nominated was Obviously, an Irish-bred, American-owned seven-year-old gelding and multiple Grade 1 winner. He ran against Wise Dan in the 2012-'13 Breeders' Cup Mile races, finishing third and fifth.

Obviously has won 11-of-22 career starts for over US$1.4 million in earnings. Obviously hasn't run this year but won 2-of-4 races in 2014, his last being a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Mile behind winner Karakontie.

Mark Casse, six times Canada's top trainer, has three horses nominated, including Kaigun, Coastline and Za Approval.

Kaigun, a multiple graded stakes winner, finished second to Trade Storm in last year's Mile. In his last race, the five-year-old chestnut was third in the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes behind Mile nominees Reporting Star and Tower of Texas.

Qatar Racing, which owns last year's Woodbine Mile champion Trade Storm, nominated three horses: Arod, Lightning Spear and Mr. Owen.