Woodbine

Three Grade I events, all of which are Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' qualifiers, north of the border at Woodbine will take the spotlight among nine graded stakes this Saturday as the racing calendar transitions to fall with all of the major summer meets now wrapped up. The $1-million GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile serves, along with the Queen's Plate, as the centerpiece of the Woodbine meet, and this year's renewal features an 11-horse field that includes last year's winner Town Cruise (Town Prize), who will be looking to bounce...

Thoroughbred owners with Ontario-breds competing in the claiming ranks at Woodbine or Fort Erie can check the Thoroughbred Improvement Program website for a list of sales credits eligible to be used on a yearling at the Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, Wednesday, Aug. 31. The sales credits currently on the website include those earned through Aug. 23 and the list will be updated Aug. 29 to include the results from Woodbine through Sunday, Aug. 28. The sales credits will be posted on each sales barn during yearling previews. On sale day,...

Woodbine is a track of two tales: history and innovation. The home of the historic Queen's Plate--which will be run for the 163rd time Sunday thus making it the longest continuously run race in North America--has been undergoing renovations that on a conceptual level, might border on the fantastical. That is, until it is seen in person. At the forefront of structural renewal, Woodbine, which covers 684-acres of prime real estate in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke, currently stands against a backdrop of development that would make most other racing...

X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, and SF Racing LLC's Moira (Ghostzapper) was listed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite during Wednesday morning's post position Queen's Plate draw, held at Woodbine's newly-opened Stella Artois Terrace. In addition to the Woodbine Oaks winner, who will exit gate 8 with regular pilot Rafael Hernandez aboard, a total of 10 colts have signed on for Sunday's $1-million 10-furlong Classic, the first jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown. "Typically, when you win the Oaks, depending on how impressive they are doing it, you always have to...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-DMR, $80K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, post time: 8:04 p.m ET ULTIMATE GAMBLE (Medaglia d'Oro) cost reseller Nick de Meric $325K at last year's KEESEP sale and the colt hit it out of the park for the consignor at this year's OBS April Sale, hammering for $1.75 million after breezing an eighth of a mile in a very smooth :10 1/5. The March foal is the latest produce to the races from his dam Eltimaas (Ghostzapper), whose son Drefong (Gio Ponti) was this country's Eclipse...

Edited Press Release Due to extreme heat in the weather forecast, Woodbine Entertainment announced that it is cancelling Sunday's racing program at Woodbine Racetrack for equine welfare and the safety of all racing participants. The Georgian Bay S. and Lake Huron S. will be rescheduled for next Friday, Aug. 12 with a post time of 1 p.m. ET. The 2022 Thoroughbred meet at Woodbine Racetrack will continue Thursday, Aug. 11 with a new a post-time of 4:50 p.m. ET.

Hall of Famer Todd A. Pletcher, currently sitting in second place in the Saratoga trainer standings, will be locked and loaded in a pair of Grade I events at the Spa Saturday, led by the 'Win and You're In' GI Whitney S. With the unbeaten sensation and 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) awaiting the GI TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar Sept. 3, a pair of New York-based heavyweights in the handicap division will throw down in the 12-race card's feature. The uber-talented 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into...

Slade Callaghan, who has recorded nearly 850 career wins, including 31 stakes, has been named the 2022 recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award. The award is given to the person, Canadian-born, Canadian-raised or regular rider in the country for more than five years, who has made significant contributions to the sport. "I was really humbled," said Callaghan. "I've been here at Woodbine 28 years and every year I've been here I've seen so many great riders, who have had amazing careers, receive this award. For me to be added...

10th-WO, $123.2K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7fT, 5:51 p.m. Gary Barber's $550K KEENOV buy MEDAGLIA MO (Medaglia d'Oro) makes her career bow in this spot for trainer Mark Casse. Her dam, GSW & GISP Mokat (Uncle Mo), was purchased by Springhouse Farm for $800,000 at KEENOV with this filly in utero. Mokat is a half to GSW Frolic's Dream (Smoke Glacken). Chiefswood Stables homebred Indy Champagne (Curlin) also debuts in this event. The bay is a half to graded winners Yorkton (Speightstown) and Weyburn (Pioneerof the Nile). TJCIS PPs

Holiday weekends are often synonymous with exciting race cards and this Fourth of July weekend is no exception with a dozen graded events on tap Saturday that include some of racing's best. The highlight of the day's action is the return of 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who is making his first start back since finishing fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26 in Belmont's GII John A. Nerud S. A dominant winner of last year's GII Kelso H. and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile...

VELOCITOR, a homebred for Ontario's Al & Bill Ulwelling, debuted second after a troubled trip nearly one month ago at Woodbine and returned in a similar spot over five furlongs Thursday as the 8-5 co-choice to give freshman sire Mor Spirit (by Eskendereya) his first winner. Sharp from the gate, he dueled outside of Confusing (More Than Ready) as the pair came away nearly four lengths ahead of the rest of the field. Still separated by just a head around the far turn, Velocitor finally wore down and got the...

The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's Premier Yearling Sale, to be held Aug. 31 at Woodbine, has attracted over 200 entries and will include yearlings by 67 different stallions. The 2021 top five leading Ontario sires represented at the sale include Silent Name (Jpn), Souper Speedy, Old Forester, Society's Chairman and Reload. Also in the catalogue are yearlings from the first crop of Catholic Boy, Flameaway, Heart to Heart and Yoshida (Jpn), as well as from the second crops of Always Dreaming, Amis Gizmo, Army Mule, Collected, Danish Dynaformer, Ransom the...