 | |
 Exterior entrance of Woodbine Racetrack | |
 Interactive map of Woodbine Racetrack | |
| Location | 555 Rexdale Boulevard Toronto,Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Owned by | Woodbine Entertainment Group |
| Date opened | June 12, 1956 |
| Capacity | 42,000 |
| Course type | Flat |
| Notable races | Canadian International Stakes (Grade I) King's Plate Breeders' Stakes Woodbine Mile (Grade I) E.P. Taylor Stakes (Grade I) Nearctic Stakes (Grade I) Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (Grade I) |
| Official website | |
Woodbine Racetrack is arace track forThoroughbredhorse racing in theEtobicoke area ofToronto,Ontario, Canada. Owned byWoodbine Entertainment Group, Woodbine Racetrack manages and hosts Canada's most famous race, theKing's Plate. The track was opened in 1956 with a one-mile oval dirt track, as well as a seven-eights turf course.[1] It has been extensively remodeled since 1993, and since 1994 has had three racecourses.[2]
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The current Woodbine carries the name originally used by a racetrack which operated in southeast Toronto, at Queen Street East and Kingston Road, from 1874 through 1993. (While theOld Woodbine Race Course was at the south end ofWoodbine Avenue, the current Woodbine is nowhere near it.) In 1951, it was operated by the Ontario Jockey Club (OJC) and held the prestigiousKing's Plate, but it competed with several other racetracks in Ontario and was in need of modernization.[3]
During the 1950s, the OJC, under the leadership of Canadian industrialist and horse breederE.P. Taylor, began a program of racetrack acquisitions aimed at becoming the biggest and most profitable operator in Ontario horse racing, similar to Taylor's earlier acquisitions and consolidations in the Canadian brewing industry. In 1952, the OJC purchased and closed the money-losingThorncliffe Park,[4] purchased and closed the Hamilton Racetrack, and purchased theFort Erie Racetrack forCA$780,000.[4] Renovations began immediately at Fort Erie and at Woodbine, financed by a public offering of stock forCA$2 million.[3]
In 1953, the OJC bought Stamford Park in Stamford township (now part ofNiagara Falls, Ontario). It was closed and later redeveloped into a residential subdivision. In 1955, Taylor himself purchased the competingOrpen-ownedDufferin Park Racetrack andLong Branch Racetracks forCA$4 million ($44.6 million in 2023 dollars)[5].[6] The Orpen tracks were closed and redeveloped, and the Orpen race charters transferred to the OJC. The OJC continued the Canadian International and Cup and Saucer stakes races that had been held at the Orpen tracks.[7] The racing charters acquired from the other tracks enabled the OJC to run 196 days of racing, more than double its allowed total of 84 days in 1952.[3]
All of the efforts at racetrack acquisitions and closures were designed to support a new "supertrack". In 1952, the OJC identified the new location of the racetrack at Highway 27 east of the Toronto airport and bought over 400 acres (160 ha). The architect chosen was Earle C. Morgan. Although Morgan had not designed a racetrack, he spent the next two years developing the design in conjunction withArthur Froelich, who had designedHollywood Park Racetrack andGarden State Park Racetrack in the United States.[8] The new track was designed to hold 40,000 spectators, have ample parking, three race courses and two training tracks. It had stable space for 1,000 horses and rooms for 700 employees. The grandstand, designed to get as many people as close to the finish line as possible, included several restaurants and cafeterias.[9] Construction on the new supertrack began in 1955.
The new racetrack opened on June 12, 1956, built at a cost ofCA$13 million ($143 million in 2023 dollars).[5][10] It was initially known as the New Woodbine Racetrack. It dropped theNew in 1963. The old track was converted to a combined thoroughbred and standardbred track known thereafter as Old Woodbine or, for most of the rest of its history, asGreenwood Raceway (during standardbred meets) andGreenwood Race Track (during thoroughbred meets). The two thoroughbred and two standardbred meets conducted at Greenwood were transferred to the new Woodbine in 1994, which was until then exclusively devoted to thoroughbred racing. On June 30, 1959, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh attended the 100th running of the Queen's Plate,[11] and Queen Elizabeth II again on July 4, 2010, attended the 151st running of the Queen's Plate Stakes and presented trophies.
The track was the opening venue for the1976 Summer Paralympics, and some of the sporting events were held here. TheArlington Million was held at Woodbine in 1988. TheBreeders' Cup was held at Woodbine in 1996. The Woodbine facility is also home to theCanadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. In 2018, the track began using a GPS-based timing system.[12]
In 2022, Woodbine announced plans to add an 8,000-seatsoccer-specific stadium and adjoining training facilities in the northeast corner of the property; this would be the presumed new home ofYork United FC and possibly house a future professionalwomen's soccer club.[13]
The outermostE. P. Taylor turf course for thoroughbreds, completed in 1994, is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long with a chute allowing races of 1.125 miles (1.811 km) to be run around one turn. It is irregularly shaped, the clubhouse turn departing from the traditional North American oval, and the backstretch is from 2.5 feet (76 cm) to 3 feet (91 cm) higher than the homestretch. The Taylor turf course and the main dirt course atBelmont Park on New York's Long Island are the only mile-and-a-half layouts in North American thoroughbred racing. In 2016, Woodbine will contest up to 40 turf races running clockwise (right-hand turns) in what are being billed as "EuroTurf" races.[14]
Inside the Taylor course is the 1 mile (1.6 km)synthetic course for Thoroughbreds. Since April 9, 2016, the surface has beenTapeta;[15] it wasPolytrack from August 31, 2006 through 2015, and a natural dirt surface prior to that.[16] Two chutes facilitate races at seven furlongs [.875 miles (1.408 km)] and at 1.25 miles (2.01 km).
The innermost oval was originally a 7/8-mile [.875 miles (1.408 km)] grass oval until the E. P. Taylor turf course opened in 1994. It was then converted to a crushedlimestone dirt course and was used forharness racing until April 2018. It was then converted back to a second turf course for the 2019 thoroughbred racing season.[17] The first race on the new Inner Turf was run on June 28, 2019 and was won by Bold Rally withEurico Rosa da Silva aboard.[18]
Portions of the current E. P. Taylor turf course (the backstretch and far turn) originally formed part of a long turf chute that crossed over the dirt course to the inner turf oval at the top of the stretch. This was used for several major races, includingSecretariat's final race in the 1973Canadian International, until the entire E. P. Taylor course was completed in 1994.
In November 2024, Woodbine cancelled its November 10 final 2racecard after threecatastrophic injuries on the Tapetatrack surface as aprecautionary approach. It consulted theNational HBPA, theJockeys' Guild and theAGCO. The incidents include abreakdown of anunnamed horse during aworkout, the 3-year-oldfilly Social Dancer (Society's Chairman)'sawkward step at thehalf-mile marker and in the GIIIBessarabian Stakes, the 6-year-oldmare Owen's Tour Guide (Tourist)'swrong step, resulting in theireuthanasia.[19]
Casino Woodbine opened in 1999, offering a slots parlor and later expanded to table games in 2018.[20] It contains 100+ table games, 3,500+ slot machines, 220+ electronic table games, and 100+ dealer assist stadium gaming.[21] Table games include blackjack, roulette and baccarat.[22][23] It is open 24 hours a day.
In 2019, construction began to expand the casino to include an entertainment venue, retail shops and a hotel.[24]
Woodbine has been a regular host for theBreeders Crown. Since the event changed to a one-night format in 2010, the facility has hosted three times—2011, 2012, and 2015.
Woodbine was also the host of theCA$1,500,000North America Cup for three-year old pacing colts and geldings from 1994–2006. That race along with the Elegant Image Stakes for three-year old filly trotters and the Good Times Stakes for three-year old colt and gelding trotters, have been moved to Woodbine's sister track,Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Starting in 2018, all standardbred racing has been moved to Woodbine Mohawk, as the 7/8 standardbred track is being converted into a 2nd turf course.[25]
| Pacing | Horse | Time | Driver/Trainer | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Year-Old Filly | I Luv The Nitelife Jk Shesalady | 1:50.1 | J. Moiseyev/C. Ryder Y. Gingras/N. Johansson | 08/25/2012 08/30/2014 |
| 2 Year-Old Colt/Gelding | A Rocknroll Dance | 1:49.1 | R. Pierce/J. Mulinix | 08/27/2011 |
| 3 Year-Old Filly | American Jewel | 1:48.2 | T. Tetrick/J. Takter | 06/16/2012 |
| 3 Year-Old Colt/Gelding | Betting Line Thinking Out Loud Sweet Lou | 1:47.4 | D. Miller/C.Coleman R. Waples/B. McIntosh D. Palone/R. Burke | 06/18/2016 06/16/2012 06/09/2012 |
| Pacing Mare | Anndrovette | 1:48.0 | T. Tetrick/P.J. Fraley | 07/20/2013 |
| Pacing Horse/Gelding | Dr J Hanover | 1:46.4 | D. McNair/T. Alagna | 06/03/2017 |
| Trotting | Horse | Time | Driver/Trainer | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Year-Old Filly | Mission Brief | 1:52.1 | Y.Gingras/R. Burke | 09/04/2014 |
| 2 Year-Old Gelding | Father Patrick | 1:53.4 | Y. Gingras/J. Takter | 09/14/2013 |
| 3 Year-Old Filly | Check Me Out Bee A Magician | 1:52.1 | T. Tetrick/R.Schnitker R. Zeron/R. Norman | 06/16/2012 09/13/2013 |
| 3 Year-Old Colt/Gelding | Trixton Canepa Hanover | 1:51.3 | J.Takter/J. Takter Y. Gingras/J. Takter | 06/14/2014 06/12/15 |
| Trotting Mare | Hannelore Hanover | 1:51.0 | Y. Gingras/R. Burke | 06/18/2016 |
| Trotting Horse/Gelding | Mister Herbie | 1:50.4 | J. Jamieson/J. Gillis | 07/21/2012 |
The record for most wins by ajockey on a single raceday at Woodbine is seven, set by Richard Grubb on May 16, 1967, and twice equaled by the legendary Canadian jockeySandy Hawley, first on May 22, 1972 and then again on October 10, 1974.
Major Stakes races for Thoroughbreds run annually at Woodbine include the:
The following graded stakes were formerly run at Woodbine in 2019:[28]
Da Silva also made history on Friday, becoming the first rider to win on the new inner turf course. He rode Bold Rally to a narrow victory over Badjeros Boy in the $37,500 claiming race.
43°42′45.09″N79°36′7.35″W / 43.7125250°N 79.6020417°W /43.7125250; -79.6020417