Woodbine Racetrack

During the finale of a 12-race card at Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday, Flawless Ruler (Honor Code) was eased at the top of the lane during a $15,000 claimer going a mile and a sixteenth over the all-weather course, was vanned off, and after an examination by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)-licensed veterinarians at the barn, the 5-year-old gelding was humanely euthanized, the track said via a press release late Saturday. Following a thorough investigation of the incident, the veterinarians concluded that the injury was unlikely to be...

With so many roads now leading to Del Mar, traffic may feel pretty slow just now. But we should make a virtue of that, in that our preoccupation with the elite program tends to deny due attention to those achieving their success a tier or so below the very top. After all, such people have typically required no less skill, endeavor and patience, often denied the very highest rewards only through lacking similar parity in resources. Take the breeder of GIII Ontario Derby winner Dresden Row (Lord Nelson), whose emergence...

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be onsite at Woodbine Racetrack for the fourth annual Woodbine Aftercare Day on Saturday, Oct. 5. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, which will present the GII Nearctic Stakes, will make the presentation to the winning connections, offering a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance branded blanket and gift bag. Additionally, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will present Best Turned-Out Horse Awards, sponsored by Josham Farms Limited, for all stakes races on Saturday. Winners of the awards will receive a gift bag featuring Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance-branded merchandise and a cash prize. Throughout the day,...

Woodbine Entertainment has named Mark Krembil and Tom Mungham to its Board of Directors, the track said in a press release on Friday. The appointments of Krembil, a principal of Chiefswood Stables, and Mungham, a former CEO and Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), are subject to AGCO approval. "We are excited to welcome Mark [Krembil] and Tom [Mungham] to our Board of Directors," said Jim Lawson, executive chair of Woodbine Entertainment. "Their extensive leadership, knowledge, and industry experience will be invaluable as we work to...

Having saddled more than 500 winners on synthetic surfaces in his multiple graded stakes-winning career, Kevin Attard said his interest was piqued last week when the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) said in a release it would be utilizing an all-weather Tapeta track as its exclusive winter racing surface at the new Belmont Park when it opens in 2026. "It's definitely something I've contemplated for a bit now. The fact that a synthetic track is going in there is a little bit more enticing for myself and I'm sure...

With the Breeders' Cup a little over four months away, the 'Win and You're In' tickets to the signature event, the GI Longines Classic, are definitely numbered. The road to Del Mar currently goes through Churchill Downs on Saturday as Classic hopefuls enter the starting gate for the GI Stephen Foster Stakes. Looking to punch his ticket to the seaside oval is Godolphin homebred First Mission (Street Sense). The 'TDN Rising Star' certainly burned brightest when he took home the GIII Essex Handicap by five lengths at Oaklawn Park in...

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) Global Summit on Equine Safety and Technology took place at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada June 12-14. The Summit was attended by approximately 90 international research scientists, clinicians, veterinarians and racing regulators from at least 13 countries. "The Summit has been a major achievement for the Federation and our ongoing commitment to improving equine safety and welfare," said IFHA Executive Council Member Jim Lawson, who delivered the Summit's closing remarks. "Scientific research and technology are cornerstones of the IFHA's efforts to protect our...

3rd-Woodbine, C$70,594, Msw, 5-26, 2yo, f, 5f (AWT), :58.50, ft, 4 1/2 lengths. CARLISLE BAY (f, 2, Speightstown--Bicolour, by Tiznow) made her first start as the 6-5 choice here. Riding the rail up the backstretch, the filly took the lead and continued to hold sway around the far turn. The juvenile entered the lane under a full head of steam and posted a 4 1/2-length score over Sapphire Connect (Connect). The winner's dam is responsible for a yearling colt by Charlatan and she foaled a colt by Epicenter Apr. 21....

The International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (IFHA) will hold its Global Summit on Equine Safety and Technology at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada June 12-14, the organization announced Tuesday. The last IFHA International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, which focused on safeguarding equine welfare and shifts in societal expectations, was staged in October 2023. "Equine welfare is racing's single most important priority, and it is at the center of all decisions we make," said IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. "That is why the IFHA has invested significantly in delivering an event...

3rd-Woodbine, C$77,409, Msw, 5-12, 2yo, 4 1/2f (AWT), :52.57, ft, head. SOL DE VERANO (c, 2, Thousand Words--Thank You Note, by Uncle Mo) made his first start as a 6-1 shot here. The dark bay bounced out of the inside gate and immediately hugged the fence. Flashing some strong foot, the colt took the lead up the backstretch, but he felt the pressure as the rest of the field bore down on him. Bottled up just behind the leader entering the lane, Admiral Nelson (Lord Nelson) looked for running room,...

1st-Woodbine, C$87,579, Msw, 5-12, 2yo, 4 1/2f (AWT), :52.26, ft, 1 3/4 lengths. FRENCH HORN (f, 2, Complexity--Emma's Encore {GISW, $398,248}, by Congrats) was rewarded for her debut as the 1-1 choice here. The filly got down to business from the bell by making the pace up the backstretch. Chased by her three rivals, she continued to make every pole a winning one around the far turn and into the lane. The juvenile dug down and found more to deliver a second win for her freshman sire (by Maclean's Music)....

Woodbine's GII Bessarabian S. and the GII Royal North S. will be downgraded to Grade III status, The Jockey Club of Canada's Graded Stakes Committee said via a press release early Friday. After their annual review of the Graded and Listed Stakes slate, the organization added that all three of the top levels will remain at 42 races. The Committee reviewed the North American Race Committee (NARC) figures and the Race Quality Scores (RQS) for all Graded, Listed, and potentially Listed races in Canada. Based on this data, they also...