Thoroughbreds back at Woodbine on Saturday
Canada's biggest race is called the King's Plate again with Charles III as monarch. The red carpet is rolled out for the 164th running of the race on Aug. 20.
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The sound of pounding hooves at the crack of dawn the past month meant one of Toronto’s traditional spring rites-of-passage has come upon us. Thoroughbred racing is back at Woodbine.
The 133-day meet will kick off on Saturday with as many as 68 horses heading to post in a nine-race card. A total of $62 million in purses is expected to be doled out, with $17 million of that being spread over 90 stakes races. But other major changes are on the horizon.
The most visible of these is the $1-billion Great Canadian casino being built just behind the track. It is estimated to attract 12 million visitors and Woodbine operators hope a lot of those will take in the racing next door. The new building is the first addition (of what will be many) to the sprawling Rexdale property over the next two decades .
Another anticipated change is the availability of Woodbine racing into Ontario’s licensed online sportsbooks. Currently, horse race betting is off the gaming sites and it will be interesting, once approval is granted, to monitor the effect on the industry.
And in the fall, a new CEO will take the reins of Woodbine Entertainment after Jim Lawson announced last week he is stepping down. Lawson expertly kept the sport vibrant since taking the role in 2015, lifting local racing out of the effects of the slot program’s death in 2013, then making sure the racing community got back on its feet after the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. He also was instrumental in the development of Woodbine’s inner turf course and in making Mohawk a destination for year-round harness racing.
On the track, there are a few changes. First, Canada’s biggest race is called the King’s Plate again. With Charles III as monarch, the first leg of Canada’s triple crown takes on the moniker it last used in 1951. The red carpet is rolled out for the 164th running on Aug. 20.
Also this year, the Canadian International is back after a one-year hiatus. Certainly in the buildup, we will reminisce about the running 50 years ago when Secretariat closed his career with an emphatic win. What will be different about this one though is the distance. It has been cut from 1 1/2 miles to a mile and a quarter.
Finally, a new race on the calendar is the Pink Lloyd stakes. The June 4 race is named for the popular sprint star, who won 29 of his 38 races between 2016 and 2021.
Two-time leading rider Kazushi Kimura returns from a successful winter at Santa Anita and is looking to defend his title against familiar foes and new stars such as Sofia Vives, who began her career in sparkling fashion last fall. Longtime Western Canada star Rico Walcott and South African veteran Ryan Munger join the jockey colony.
Racing will be offered on weekends in April. Friday cards will be added May 3 and Thursday racing starts May 25. Post time for all days is 1 p.m.
Major Ontario racing days in 2023
The 10 ‘Can’t Miss’ days at Woodbine, Woodbine Mohawk Park, and Fort Erie in 2023:
North America Cup — June 17 – The first major target of the season for North America’s top three-year-old pacers reaches its 40th running.
Canada Day — July 1 — The stacked five-stake card is highlighted by two important three-year-old races, the Marine Stakes and the Selene Stakes plus the Dominion Day Stakes for older horses.
Woodbine Oaks — July 23 — Canada’s signature race for three-year-old fillies is again joined by the Plate Trial Stakes as anticipation of Canada’s biggest racing day heats up.
King’s Plate — August 20 — It may have a different name, but the first leg of Canada’s triple crown remains the race everyone involved in local racing wants to win.
Canadian Pacing Derby and Maple Leaf Trot — September 2 — Mohawk’s Grand Circuit opens with the fastest pacers and trotters in the sport.
Prince of Wales — September 12 — The best Tuesday of the year as the triple crown continues at Fort Erie.
Woodbine Mile — September 16 — This fall classic, along with the Summer Stakes and Natalma Stakes for two-year-olds, offer automatic spots in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in November.
Mohawk Million — September 23 — The buy-in event for two-year-old trotters shares the spotlight with the Metro Pace as part of Canada’s richest card of horse racing.
Breeders’ Stakes — October 1 — The Canadian triple crown may be on the line but in recent years, the race has been the coming-out party for future turf stars.
Canadian International — October 7 — Back after a one-year hiatus, the race takes its familiar spot with two other turf classics, the E.P. Taylor Stakes and the Nearctic Stakes.
Major international racing events in 2023
Kentucky Derby — May 5
Preakness Stakes — May 19
Belmont Stakes — June 10
Royal Ascot — June 20-24
Hambletonian — August 5
Travers Stakes — August 26
Little Brown Jug — September 21
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe — October 1
Breeders’ Crown — October 27-28
Breeders’ Cup — November 3-4
Melbourne Cup — November 6
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