Tag: Woodbine Racetrack

Safe Conduct and Irad Ortiz Jr. turn aside Riptide Rock (back) and David Moran to win the 162nd Queen's Plate at Woodbine Racetrack. The card produced the second-best betting handle in event history. (Image: Michael Burns Photo)

Woodbine Rides Safe Conduct’s Queen’s Plate Win to Strong Handle

Spurred by Safe Conduct’s Queen’s Plate victory, Woodbine Racetrack registered the second-highest wagering handle for Queen’s Plate Day in event history. Bettors wagered $16,122,170 on Sunday’s 13-race card at the suburban Toronto, Ontario, Canada track. That ranked second only to 2018’s Queen’s Plate Day handle of $18,005,973. Meanwhile, it surpassed […]

Jolie Olimpica's last victory came 14 months ago in the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita. She is one of the favorites in the opening leg of Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5: the Grade 2 Nassau Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Cross Country Pick 5 Features Familiar Names, International Flavor

Familiar names such as Jolie Olimpica, Split Then Double and Merveilleux, along with promising newcomers like Chileno, Watasha and Volcanic play their parts in Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 wager. This week’s New York Racing Association’s Cross Country Pick 5 comes with international flavor. The wager encompasses races from Saratoga, […]

Pink Lloyd won the 2020 Jacques Cartier Stakes at Woodbine last June. The 9-year-old Canadian-bred gelding goes for his fifth Cartier title Sunday. (Image: Michael Burns Photo)

Canadian Champion Pink Lloyd Ready for His Swan Song Season

Given his horse’s cute name, trainer Robert Tiller explained Pink Lloyd’s future plans without a trace of irony. The 9-year-old gelding will head to a Canadian retirement farm for Thoroughbreds sometime this year. Emphasis on the “sometime.” “He’ll be a movie star there after being a rock star on the […]

Woodbine's heralded turf course will get plenty of work once the Canadian track opens its 2021 season Saturday. (Image: Woodbine Entertainment)

Oh Canada! Horse Racing Returns to Woodbine on Saturday

There won’t be any fans in the stands, but Woodbine Racetrack will open for Thoroughbred racing on Saturday. The track is just one beneficiary of the Province of Ontario’s earlier-than-expected move into Step One of its “Roadmap to Recovery” plan. That’s six days earlier than the suburban Toronto track planned […]

The Woodbine Racetrack gates open June 18. The Canadian track was shuttered due to a provincial COVID-19-related stay-at-home order issued in April. (Image: Woodbine Entertainment)

After Provincial COVID Shutdown, Woodbine Opens its Gates June 18

The resumption of horse racing in Canada has a finish line, with Thursday’s announcement that Woodbine Racetrack will open for Thoroughbred racing on Friday, June 18. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the suburban Toronto track and its Standardbred sister track, Woodbine Mohawk Park, remained shut down under Government of Ontario […]

Mighty Heart's 7 1/2-length victory in the 2020 Queen's Plate came with the third-largest handle in event history. The 2021 event is Aug. 22. (Image: John Watkins)

Canada’s Queen’s Plate Moves to August, Stays in Late Summer

Banking on extended time allowing the COVID-19 pandemic to subside and spectators to return, Woodbine Entertainment announced the 162nd running of the Queen’s Plate will take place Sunday, Aug. 22 at Woodbine Racetrack. The first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $1 million Queen’s Plate is typically held at […]