Turfway and Woodbine Team to Create All-Weather Series

Turfway Park and Woodbine have partnered to create the All-Weather Winners Challenge series, with winners of designated stakes at each track earning automatic entry and entry fees paid to designated races at the other racetrack, Turfway announced Dec. 19. The new series begins in 2020 with the first eligible winners coming from Woodbine’s 2019 Grey (G3) and Mazarine (G3) stakes.

Turfway’s two major races for 3-year-olds are part of the arrangement: the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), which awards points toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), and the Bourbonette Oaks, which offers points toward the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

The winner of the March 14 Jeff Ruby Steaks will earn entry into the May 9 Marine Stakes (G3) at Woodbine, and the winner of the Bourbonette Oaks, also Mar. 14, will be awarded a spot in Woodbine’s May 10 Selene Stakes (G3).

In races already contested this year at Woodbine, the winner of the Oct. 27 Grey Stakes, Chapalu, is guaranteed a spot in Turfway’s Jeff Ruby Steaks, and the winner of the Oct. 5 Mazarine Stakes, Curlin's Voyage, has earned placement in the Bourbonette Oaks.

The All-Weather Winners Challenge is the result of a collaboration between Tyler Picklesimer, director of racing at Turfway, and Stuart Slagle, director of Thoroughbred race planning and analysis at Woodbine.

"We look forward to working with Woodbine to drive fresh interest in featured races at both tracks and showcase the value of racing on all-weather surfaces," said Chip Bach, general manager of Turfway Park. "I appreciate Tyler's and Stu's initiative in making this happen."

"We are proud of our Tapeta track and look forward to partnering with Turfway on this cross-border initiative that will showcase our synthetic surfaces," said Jonathan Zammit, vice president of Thoroughbred racing for Woodbine Entertainment. "It will also bring added excitement to the Grey Stakes and Mazarine Stakes and provide added incentives to the winners."

Turfway Park was the first track in North America to race on an all-weather surface, installing Polytrack before its 2005 September meet.

Woodbine added a synthetic track the next year, racing with Polytrack from 2006 through 2015 before changing to Tapeta in 2016. That surface remains in place.

Synthetic surfaces, which, if draining properly, remain fast even after rainfall, have produced fewer catastrophic injuries than both dirt and turf surfaces, according to statistics compiled from 2009-18 in The Jockey Club Equine Injury Database. Other North American racetracks with synthetic surfaces include Golden Gate Fields, Presque Isle Downs & Casino, and Arlington International Racecourse.