Canadian Racing

The Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP) will roll out four new $150,000 stakes races at Woodbine that are restricted to state breds who are 4-year-old and up, the organization said in a press release on Thursday. The races were created by Ontario Racing's TIP committee as part of its $5-million share of $35-million in additional funding. The new 4-year-old/up stakes open to either males or females are: Caledon Stakes, 1 1/16 mile, Tapeta on Sunday, Aug. 30, closing Aug. 12; Grand Valley Stakes, 1 1/8 mile, turf on Sunday, Sept....

One of the largest investments to Ontario racing in recent years, in the form of significant purse increases for the 2026 Thoroughbred season at Woodbine, were announced Monday by Woodbine Entertainment, the Ontario HBPA, and Ontario Racing. The enhancements consist of an additional $35-million in annual funding for the horse racing industry passed in late June as part of the fifth amendment to the Long-Term Funding Agreement with the government of Ontario. Of the new funding, $10-million has been allocated to Ontario's Thoroughbred racing sector with $5-million being invested through...

Over $10 million will be infused into the Ontario Thoroughbred horse racing industry as part of the regional government's plan in Canada to increase support to protect agriculture and rural jobs across the province, Ontario Racing said via a press release on Thursday. The organization's representative board of directors voted to direct 83 percent of the additional funds toward Ontario's breeding sector and racing participants. Highlights of how the additional funding will be allocated this year specific to the Thoroughbred industry include: An increase of $5 million for the Thoroughbred...

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame has named its inductees for the class of 2026, and includes MGSW One for Rose (Tejano Run) and GISW Rahy's Attorney (Crown Attorney), according to press release from the organization on Wednesday. Three-time Canadian champion One For Rose was bred by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm, owned by the Tucci Stables of Toronto and trained by Hall of Fame Inductee Sid Attard. Rahy's Attorney, the result of a $3,000 mating by a small Canadian breeder, defied all expectations and became one of...

The Jockey Club of Canada plans to honor Chief Steward Doug Anderson with a Special Sovereign Award during the 51st annual awards ceremony on Thursday, Apr. 23, the organization said in a release early Friday. Selected unanimously by the Jockey Club of Canada's stewards, the award recognizes a particular achievement within a given year. The release said that Anderson's career reflects an unwavering dedication to racing, breeding and aftercare.

The Jockey Club of Canada named the finalists for the 2025 Sovereign Awards and the winners, along with Canada's Horse of the Year, will be revealed during the 51st annual ceremony to be held on Thursday, Apr. 23 at Paramount Eventspace in Woodbridge, Ontario, the club said via a press release on Friday. The nominees for this year's Sovereign Awards include a pair of past King's Plate winners in Canadian MGSW Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach)--a finalist for Older Main Track Female--and last year's hero Mansetti (Collected), who was named in the...

A total of 215 yearlings are catalogued for this year's CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, which takes place Wednesday, Aug. 27 at the Woodbine sales pavilion. The single-session auction begins at 11 a.m. ET. "Historically, [the Canadian sale] has been one of the best value-buying sales in North America," said David Anderson, the president of both the national and Ontario branches of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS) that conducts the Canadian Premier sale. "The return on investment on these yearlings out of this sale is as good or better...

Al and Bill Ulwelling have certainly made a name for themselves on the Canadian racing scene. In fact, the son-and-father team have had such a presence north of the border that one might be tempted to assume that they are Canadian-based. Simply put, that assessment would be entirely incorrect. In fact, the Ulwellings appeared on the Canadian racing circuit a decade ago, after having spent the previous decade campaigning horses in the U.S. While their participation in Canada might signify only a slice of their overall racing history, the Ulwellings...

Sedburys Ghost came flying late to take the Plate Trial Stakes and throw his name into the mix for next month's King's Plate, a race won by his sire in 2015. The 7-1 shot settled in midpack around the first turn as Scorching prompted the pace set by longshot Unbridled Weather and favored Notorious Gangster trailed the field. The pack began bunching up as the half went up in :47.22 and second choice Scorching took charge into the far turn, but Sedburys Ghost was inching ominously through traffic with Notorious...

MGSW Patches O'Houlihan (Reload--Maythefourthbwithu, by Silent Name {Jpn}), the reigning Canadian Horse of the Year was humanely euthanized according to a press release from Woodbine Entertainment late on Thurday night. Woodbine issued the following statement on behalf of Frank Di Giulio, Jr., the owner and breeder of the 5-year-old gelding. The message republished here in its entirety said: We are heartbroken to announce that 2024 Horse of the Year Patches O'Houlihan was humanely euthanized on Thursday, July 10. After sustaining a soft tissue injury while galloping out after winning the...

Woodbine cancelled its Friday races due to poor air quality from wildfires in the area, the racetrack said in a press release. Environment Canada's air quality index for Toronto was listed as 'High Risk' Friday and was expected to remain at that level throughout the day. As of Thursday, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center said 201 fires were burning in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, with half of them considered "out of control." Woodbine Entertainment's decision to cancel came through consultation with the HBPA and the Alcohol...

The 2025 edition of The Jockey Club's Fact Book is now available in the resources section of the organization's website, according to a press release from that entity on Friday. The online Fact Book is a statistical and informational guide to Thoroughbred breeding, racing, and auction sales in North America, which is updated quarterly. Later this year, many of the statistics will begin to be updated on a weekly basis, and new statistics will be added. The Jockey Club is continually seeking ways to provide information in novel formats concerning...