Woodbine Entertainment

Woodbine Entertainment will offer a mandatory Power Pick 6 payout on opening day of the 2026 Thoroughbred racing season at Woodbine Racetrack Apr. 18, the company said in a press release on Friday. The Power Pick 6 was not paid out on the final day of the 2025 season due to a mid-card cancellation. The carryover for the mandatory payout on opening day is $61,064.99. The wager offers a $0.20 minimum and 15 percent takeout. The 2026 Thoroughbred racing season at Woodbine launches next Saturday, Apr. 18 with the first...

The 167th running of the King's Plate will be held Aug. 15 at Woodbine Racetrack, Woodbine Entertainment announced Wednesday. The first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the King's Plate is North America's oldest continuously run stakes race and will carry a purse of $1 million this year. Tickets for the King's Plate will go on sale Mar. 6. More event information, including ticket types, will be available at KingsPlate.com the week tickets go on sale.

The live racing card at Woodbine set for Thursday, Dec. 11 will begin one hour earlier to accommodate the new card after the Dec. 4 program was cancelled following one race, Woodbine Entertainment has announced. The 10-race Thursday card will start the final week of live racing for the 2025 season at the venue, and will now kick off at 4:30pm local time. Cold weather bringing plenty of snow rolled through the area earlier in the week, and the cancellation was agreed upon by the Jockeys' Guild, the HBPA, and...

Woodbine Cares Horsepower Fund, a new grant program designed to support charities and not-for-profit organizations that champion horse welfare and strengthen the bond between horses and people, has been launched by Woodbine Entertainment. Through the Horsepower Fund, local registered charities and not-for-profits across Ontario can apply for micro-grants of up to $5,000. These grants are intended to fuel initiatives that help people connect with horses through education, hands-on care, or innovative programs that highlight the role horses play in the racing community. Applicants to the Horsepower Fund must be: a...

Woodbine cancelled its live Sunday Thoroughbred racing card following the first race due to inclement weather, the track said in a press release on Sunday afternoon. The statement went on to say that the decision was made in the best interest of all participants and included consultation with the HBPA. Live racing is scheduled to resume Thursday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. ET. Woodbine Racetrack remained open for simulcasting.

Woodbine Entertainment plans to partner with 1/ST Racing and turn the GII bet365 Dance Smartly Stakes into a qualifying race for the GII Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational Stakes, the Canadian track said via a press release on Thursday. The winner of the Dance Smartly at Woodbine will receive an automatic invitation to the 2026 $500,000 race at Gulfstream Park in January. The Dance Smartly is carded for Saturday, Oct. 4 and will be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf. "We're pleased to partner...

Woodbine Entertainment released the official wagering menu for the 166th running of the $1-million King's Plate, taking place Saturday, Aug. 16 at Woodbine Racetrack. A total of $1 million in guaranteed Pick 5 pools will anchor the day, the debut of The Kings & Queens Pick 3, a special Pick-3 sequence linking the day's three marquee races. $200,000 bet365 GII King Edward Stakes $750,000 GI E.P. Taylor Stakes - A Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" race $1,000,000 King's Plate The special Pick-3 will carry a $5 minimum...

A new Metrolinx GO Station at Woodbine Racetrack will anchor urban development and create new revenue streams to support horse racing, the track said in a release on Thursday. Situated on 684 acres--the largest undeveloped parcel of land remaining in the City of Toronto--the project will bring new life to Rexdale through smart, sustainable design. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create something truly special for Toronto," said Michael Copeland, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. "At the heart of this new urban center will be Woodbine Racetrack, a cultural landmark that will...

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...

Woodbine Entertainment and the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association of Ontario have reached an agreement in principle on a new two-year deal that boosts purses by $5.7 million, according to a press release from the racetrack on Wednesday afternoon. The new agreement commits $64.7 million in purses in 2025 and $65 million in 2026, both with 128-day race meets. The upcoming 2025 season kicks off on Saturday, Apr. 26 and concludes on Sunday, Dec. 14. "We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with the HBPA that increases purses...

Edited Press Release Officials at Woodbine Entertainment have expressed confidence in the all-weather track at Woodbine despite recent problems with the surface resulting in the deaths of multiple horses, claiming that the track is in 'optimal condition for safe training and racing' with only a handful of live dates left in the 2024 season. In a release issued Thursday morning, the track said that, since the cancellation of the final two races on Nov. 9 and the scrapping of the Nov. 10 program in the interest of equine safety, 'Woodbine...

Woodbine, which cancelled both racing and training effective two races before the end of Saturday's card after three separate incidents on the Tapeta surface, will reopen to training Wednesday morning and is scheduled to resume live racing Thursday. The all-weather surface underwent "a thorough review and extensive maintenance conducted over the last couple of days," said officials from Woodbine Entertainment in a Wednesday afternoon release. "The safety of our horses and riders is our highest priority and we have been working diligently over the last couple of days to ensure...