Woodbine

Shortly after announcing that the final three weeks of its Thoroughbred meet would be cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, Woodbine was forced to cancel races seven through 13 on Sunday's card due to inclement weather, effectively ending the meet. Among the races cancelled Sunday were renewals of the GIII Grey S. for 2-year-old males and GIII Mazarine S. for juvenile fillies. In a brief statement, Woodbine said, "Woodbine Racetrack was forced to cancel the remainder of its live Thoroughbred racing program on Sunday, Nov. 22 following the sixth race due...

As a result of the Government of Ontario's announcement Friday that Toronto will be entering the Province's grey 'Lockdown' phase of coronavirus-related restrictions, Woodbine Entertainment announced that Sunday will be the last day in 2020 of Thoroughbred racing in the Province. "We have been, and continue to be, extremely supportive of the Government's efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 throughout our Province and appreciate the many difficult decisions they have to make," said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. "We have approached the Government to explain the impacts this decision...

A bill that would legalize single-event sports wagering in Canada and is now being debated by members of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons would have a disastrous impact on racing, warns Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson. The bill does not allow for the racetracks to be part of the sports betting universe and, perhaps even more worrisome, it would allow non-racing betting sites to take fixed-odds bets on racing without having to share any of the revenue with the industry. "This is a real threat to the industry and...

Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational (Curlin), a 'TDN Rising Star' and dominant last-out stakes winner, will take some beating as a likely prohibitive favorite making her graded stakes bow in Sunday's GIII Mazarine S. at Woodbine. Unveiled as a 6-5 favorite traveling seven furlongs here Sept. 26, the $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase notched a handy 2 1/4-length success over a runner-up who was another 9 3/4 lengths clear of third. Hammered down to 3-5 stepping up into stakes company in the Glorious Song S. Oct. 17, the chestnut did not...

An undefeated Mark Casse pair and a well-bet first-out winner from the Kevin Attard barn headline a nine-horse renewal of the GIII Grey S. Sunday at Woodbine. D J Stable's Helium (Ironicus) debuted an impressive 3 1/4-length victor going seven furlongs on the local Tapeta Sept. 27 and validated that try with a 4 1/4-length score as the favorite in the Display S. here Oct. 18. The other half of the Casse contingent is Breeze Easy's Easy Time (Not This Time). Backed to 7-5 in his unveiling over seven main-track...

During a Friday afternoon briefing, Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, Canada, announced a mandatory 28-day lockdown in the city of Toronto and the suburb of Peel, beginning at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23. It was not immediately clear how the decision would impact racing operations at Woodbine Racetrack, though the Toronto Star reported that while training can continue, racing will cease. "With the numbers rising rapidly in certain regions, we have to make the tough, but necessary decisions now to protect our hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes, and...

An active jockey at Woodbine has tested positive for COVID-19. The jockey will not be permitted to access Woodbine Racetrack for a minimum of 14 days while self-quarantining. At the conclusion of the 14-day self-quarantine, the jockey will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to being allowed to return to Woodbine Racetrack. In following these established protocols, contact tracing has been performed and individuals who were in close contact with the jockey who tested positive are being notified. Those individuals, which includes one other jockey,...

Editor's Note: In Monday's TDN, Bill Finley made reference to Mark Casse's comments on Clenbuterol in a Mar. 2 Op/Ed in the TDN. Casse sent us this note in response. Much has changed since my Mar. 2 Op/Ed with regards to Clenbuterol. Canada made big changes to their Clenbuterol policy and, as a result, we have seen almost none of the nonsensical form reversals that had haunted us in the past at Woodbine in 2020. I was elated to see the Clenbuterol changes for 2021 in the Mid-Atlantic region. Also,...

Woodbine's Sunday card was cancelled due to extreme wind. "After monitoring the weather forecast closely, Woodbine Entertainment announced today that out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of everyone's safety, Thoroughbred racing at Woodbine Racetrack has been cancelled due to the extreme weather warning for Toronto issued by Environment Canada," WEG said in a release. The Frost King S. will be rescheduled, and racing will resume Thursday.

Woodbine Entertainment announced Friday that post times for the rest of the meet will be altered. Beginning Sunday, Nov. 8, first post at the Ontario oval will be at 2:25 p.m. on Thursdays, 4:45 p.m. on Fridays, and 1:25 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Live Thoroughbred racing for the season will conclude Sunday, Dec. 13. Visit Woodbine.com for more information.

Woodbine Entertainment has released its 2019-20 Corporate Responsibility Report that summarizes the company's recent achievements during the April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020 fiscal year. While the report focuses on this period, it also includes information on how Woodbine's operations were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Titled Breaking New Ground, the 2019-20 Woodbine Corporate Responsibility Report focuses on the company's commitment to the communities in which it operates, philanthropy, industry leadership, property development and sustaining the horse racing industry. "While this year has been extremely difficult for so many,...

Dreaming of Drew dominated in her return to the Tapeta and stamped herself as one to watch for next year's Woodbine Oaks and maybe even Queen's Plate while becoming her freshman sire (by Speightstown)'s second stakes winner. The chestnut earned a solid 81 Beyer Speed Figure for a second-out romp going short over this same strip July 18, but was out-nosed in the grassy Catch a Glimpse S. Aug. 23 and settled for fourth when stretched to a mile for the GI Natalma S. Sept. 20. Donning blinkers for the...