Ontario Jockey Club

Woodbine opened its 2021 season Saturday with an opening-day record handle of $6,912,477. Opening day was delayed two months due to the pandemic. The $6.9-million handle broke the previous opening-day handle record of $5.5 million set in 2020, which was also had a delayed opening day due to the pandemic. Saturday's eighth race (14-horse, mile, maiden allowance on the E.P. Taylor turf course) generated the largest single-race handle of the day at $1.1 million. The average per race handle was $628,407.

With less than a month to go before the scheduled opener on Apr. 17, Woodbine is facing the distinct possibility that it will be unable to operate next month due to COVID-19 protocols in place in Ontario. Woodbine is in an area currently designated as a Grey Zone, where horse racing is among the activities that are not allowed. Last year, the track was forced to end its meet two weeks early because of the same restrictions now threatening the April opener. "I am really starting to get concerned," Woodbine...

Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) is planning to seek approval for a June 6 or 13 start for its pandemic-delayed Thoroughbred race meet, and the firm's chief executive officer, Jim Lawson, said in a public video chat Tuesday that he does not expect overnight purses to be adversely affected this year despite mounting losses from the closure of WEG's gaming facilities. Woodbine will also seek to move its signature stakes race, the Queen's Plate, from June 27 to a September date that has yet to be determined. Lawson said one near-term...