Woodbine has released a stakes schedule for its 2021 Thoroughbred meet, which has been delayed from its Apr. 17 scheduled opening due to COVID-19 restrictions in the province of Ontario. As it stands, the track is targeting a June 18 start date, with the possibility of opening sooner.
The stakes program offers more than C$16.5 million in purses, including 39 graded events and two million-dollar races, the Queen's Plate–still on its original Aug. 22 date–and the Sept. 18 GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile, one of three “Win and You're” in races for the Breeders' Cup on that blockbuster weekend. Following the Queen's Plate, the subsequent legs of the Canadian Triple Crown will be the Price of Wales S. at Fort Erie Sept. 14 and Breeders' S. back at Woodbine Oct. 3.
“We are pleased that we were able to avoid major changes to our stakes schedule, setting up for an exciting 2021 Thoroughbred season at Woodbine,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “As a result if the delayed start, we expect our season to start strong and build momentum as it heads into the summer with The Queen's Plate and its prep races, followed by a really exciting stakes schedule in the fall, including an unprecedented Ricoh Woodbine Mile weekend that includes two other Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' races, and the return of the Pattison Canadian International.”
For the complete 2021 Woodbine stakes schedule, click here.
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