The 2026 race dates for four Ontario racetracks–Woodbine Racetrack, Woodbine Mohawk Park, Fort Erie Race Track and Ajax Downs–have been approved by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), it was announced Wednesday.
The number of racing days per track:
Woodbine Racetrack (Thoroughbred) – 128
Woodbine Mohawk Park (Standardbred) – 222 (for all of 2026 counting dates already allocated from Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2026.
Fort Erie Race Track (Thoroughbred) – 34
Ajax Downs (Quarter Horse) – 22
The new dates begin on Apr. 1, 2026, and extend through Mar. 31, 2027, to line up with the 2026-27 fiscal year.
A group of industry experts comprised of the AGCO, OLG, Ontario Racing, horsepeople groups and racetracks are currently finalizing the 2026 race dates for the province's other 11 tracks: Clinton Raceway, Dresden Raceway, Flamboro Downs, Georgian Downs, Grand River Raceway, Hanover Raceway, Hiawatha Horse Park, Kawartha Downs, Leamington Raceway, The Raceway at Western Fair District and Rideau Carleton Raceway. Those dates will be released as soon as possible.
Race dates through Mar. 31, 2026, were previously allocated for all 15 Ontario tracks.
The Ontario horse racing industry has long-term funding from the Province of Ontario. The Long-Term Funding Agreement signed in 2019 provides up to $120 million annually to the industry through 2038 via the OLG through Ontario Racing.
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