Turf Racing to Begin June 2 at Woodbine

Woodbine's highly anticipated turf racing season starts with a trio of grass events on Thursday afternoon, one over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, and the other two contested on the Toronto oval's Inner Turf.

The first turf race of the year is a six-furlong sprint on the E.P. Taylor, scheduled as race three, with a post time of 2:14 p.m. Eight starters will travel one mile on the Inner in race five (3:21 p.m.), while eight starters will also tackle one mile over the Inner in the eighth race (4:55 p.m.). ​ ​ ​

The Grade 2 Royal North Stakes, set for June 4, marks the first turf stakes race of the Woodbine season, a 6 ½-furlong event showcased on the E.P. Taylor. The $175,000 race is for fillies and mares, four-year-olds and up.

Unveiled in June 2019, the seven-furlong Kentucky Bluegrass Inner Turf is an ideal complement to Woodbine's all-weather Tapeta racetrack and E.P. Taylor Turf Course that opened September 1994 and boasts popular wide-sweeping turns and the longest stretch in North America.

This year marks the first time the Inner Turf will start as scheduled, after the pandemic impacted the beginning of both the 2020 and 2021 Woodbine Thoroughbred racing seasons.

"The turf courses are in great shape," said Ryan Stafford, Woodbine's Director of Racing Surfaces. "The grass got off to a slow start due to the cooler weather we experienced this spring, but it has taken off in the past week and we are ready for turf racing this week."

It takes a team effort to ensure the courses stay in top condition throughout the meet.

"The key elements that go into maintaining the turf throughout the meet are our irrigation system which is essential to provide moisture to the grass in order for it to grow consistently, a proven soil fertility program to keep the grass green and free from disease, support from the Fleet department to ensure our track equipment is in good working order and most importantly is our turf crew," said Stafford. "They're the people whose hard work and dedication really make our turf courses world class."

Once again, some of the highest profile races on the 2022 Woodbine calendar will take place on the E.P. Taylor.

Highlights include the Grade 1 $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile on September 17, which is a qualifying race for the Breeders' Cup Mile. Woodbine's two other stakes with tickets to the Breeders' Cup will be run on the same day, with winners of the Grade 1 $500,000 Pattison Summer Stakes and the Grade 1 $500,000 Natalma Stakes earning spots at Keeneland in November. The $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, final jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown series, is slated for October 2.

To view the full Woodbine Thoroughbred stakes schedule, click here.