Woodbine Picks, Entries and Results

Woodbine Track Details

Address: 555 Rexdale Blvd, Etobicoke, ON M9W 5L2, Canada

Website: www.woodbine.com

Meeting:  Woodbine’s lengthy meet begins in late April and extends into the middle of December. The track is by far the most popular in Canada and the racing, which is held on both turf and a synthetic surface, is top notch. The centerpiece of the meet is the $1 million Queen’s Plate for Canadian-bred horses. Queen’s Plate Day, traditionally held in late June, is comparable to Kentucky Derby Day in the U.S., and features other prominent stakes races such as the Grade 1 Highlander, Grade 2 Dance Smartly, and Grade 2 King Edward. Though the Queen’s Plate no doubt takes top billing, there are other prestigious stakes races run in the fall that rival it, including the Grade 1 Canadian International and Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, each worth over $1 million. Other Grade 1 events held at the track are the Summer, the Natalma, the Northern Dancer and the E. P. Taylor. Many more lucrative stakes races are littered throughout the calendar.

History:  Located in Etobicoke, Ontario, the current Woodbine carries the name originally used by a racetrack which operated in east Toronto from 1874 through 1993. On June 12, 1956 the name was transferred to the new track, which would be known as New Woodbine Racetrack until 1963 when the “New” was dropped from the name, while the old track eventually became known as Greenwood Raceway or Greenwood Race Track, depending on the meet. Upon Greenwood’s closure in 1994, its standardbred meet was moved to Woodbine, which previously only held thoroughbred racing. Woodbine is most famous for hosting Canada’s most famous race, the Queen’s Plate, which was first run in 1860, making it the oldest continually run race in North America.  On July 4, 2010 Queen Elizabeth II visited the racetrack as part of her state visit to Canada, viewing the 151st running of The Queen's Plate, as well as taking part in the presentation of trophies. Woodbine also hosted the Breeders’ Cup in 1996 and is home to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Facilities:  Woodbine has a unique layout for its racetracks. The outermost track is the 1 ½-mile, irregularly shaped E. P. Taylor turf course, which is tied with Belmont’s main track as the longest in North America. Inside of the E. P. Taylor course is a one-mile synthetic track composed of Tapeta, and inside of that is another seven-furlong turf course. Woodbine also boasts a casino that contains over 200 electronic gambling tables, and over 3,500 slot machines. The table games include blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. There are several dining options on site, from pizza and burgers to fine dining.