Woodbine Announces 2020 Thoroughbred Stakes Schedule

Woodbine has unveiled its stakes schedule for the 2020 Thoroughbred racing season, which will run April 18-Dec. 13 at the Toronto oval.

Woodbine will offer more than CA$16.5 million in purses (all amounts Canadian) across 87 stakes and feature three $1 million races, including the June 27 Queen's Plate Stakes, the Sept. 19 Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T), and the Oct. 18 Pattison Canadian International Stakes (G1T). These signature race days will be supported by strong stakes-filled undercards.

"Announcing our stakes schedule this early was important so we can provide our horse people with as much information as possible as they head into the Woodbine off-season," said Jonathan Zammit, vice president of Thoroughbred Racing Operations for Woodbine Entertainment. "The 2020 stakes schedule has plenty to be excited about, including increasing the Pattison Canadian International to a $1 million purse and other changes that we believe will help drive quality of racing, horse supply, and, ultimately, wagering on our product."

The Toronto racetrack will host the first and third legs of the Canadian Triple Crown, beginning with the 161st running of the Queen's Plate and concluding with the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes Aug. 15.

Designated as Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races, the Woodbine Mile will be followed Sept. 20 by the Summer Stakes (G1T) and the filly companion Natalma Stakes (G1T) for 2-year-olds. The Woodbine Cares and Ontario Racing Stakes, new juvenile inner turf stakes that launched in 2019, will be contested on the same Sunday with purses increased to $135,000 each.

The Pattison Canadian International will offer an enhanced purse of $1 million this year and shift to the Sunday afternoon race date in mid-October. The $600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) is among the usual supporting features that day and will serve as the final leg of Woodbine's Ladies of the Lawn Series, which offers $75,000 in bonuses to the top performers based on points accumulated in the designated graded turf routes for fillies and mares. The series also includes the $175,000 Nassau Stakes (G2T), $175,000 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T), and $250,000 Canadian Stakes (G2T). The inaugural winner of the 2019 Ladies of the Lawn Series was Starship Jubilee.  

The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, headlines another major race card June 6 that will include the $150,000 Plate Trial, which is one of six Canadian-foaled classics to receive a purse boost for 2020. The Greenwood Stakes has been shifted to the same day and is one of eight Ontario-bred stakes on the calendar with purses increased from $125,000 to $150,000. 

In addition to increasing the purses and the number of Ontario-bred stakes races from six to eight, Woodbine will offer 11 Ontario-sired stakes with purses of $100,000 each. Half of these events are scheduled toward the end of the year, when Woodbine will host an appreciation week for Ontario-sired and Ontario-bred horses. 

"The expansion of the Ontario-bred program is important in strengthening our racing by making it more appealing to Ontario horses to run at Woodbine, while our Ontario-sired program continues to be an important aspect of our overall program," Zammit said.

To further support Ontario-sired horses, Woodbine will expand its overnight bonus program, which will create more earning opportunities for horse people. Full details will be announced in early 2020. 

The other stakes for horses foaled in Canada with purse increases from $225,000 to $250,000 are the June 28 Bison City Stakes, the Aug. 8 Wonder Where Stakes, the Oct. 10 Cup & Saucer Stakes, the Oct. 31 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, and the Nov. 1 Coronation Futurity Stakes.

Woodbine will celebrate Canada Day with a special Wednesday afternoon program July 1, highlighted by the Dominion Day Stakes and Vigil Stakes, both grade 3 events.

This year's Yearling Sales Stakes night, set for Sept. 2, will feature four stakes, including a pair of 2-year-old events (the Simcoe and Muskoka Stakes) with purse increases to $250,000 and a pair of 3-year-old events (Elgin and Algoma) with purses of $135,000.

Woodbine will offer its graded stakes bonus program again in 2020 as well as popular additional competitions such as the Turf Endurance Series, Turf Sprint Series on the inner turf, and the Early Bird and Grey Handicaps.

New for 2020, Woodbine and Turfway Park have partnered to offer the All-Weather Winners Challenge, with the winners of designated stakes at each track earning automatic entry and nomination fees paid to key cross-border companion events.

Woodbine's 2020 stakes schedule is subject to approval by the Graded Stakes Committee.