E. P. Taylor Stakes Joins Lucrative Woodbine Mile Day
Image:
Description:
Photo: Michael Burns
Fev Rover wins the 2023 E. P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine
Woodbine announced March 6 its stakes schedule for the 2024 Thoroughbred racing season.
The iconic King's Plate headlines the meet, with the 165th running scheduled Aug. 17. The King's Plate and the Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) serve as Woodbine's prestigious CA$1 million races, while the full stakes schedule consists of 38 graded stakes, including four grade 1s.
"It's exciting to have the dates locked and start working towards our major events," said Tim Lawson, the track's vice president of Thoroughbred racing. "We are proud of our entire stakes program and really looking forward to what 2024 brings."
The 165th King's Plate will launch the Canadian Triple Crown, to be followed by the CA$400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie Sept. 10, and ending with the CA$400,000 Breeders' Stakes Sept. 29 at Woodbine.
Canada's most lucrative day of racing is Sept. 14, when Woodbine hosts a quartet of grade 1 turf events: the Woodbine Mile, the CA$750,000 E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1T), the CA$500,000 Natalma Stakes (G1T), and CA$500,000 Summer Stakes (G1T). The E. P. Taylor Stakes has been moved up three weeks from its date in 2023 to join the turf showcase.
The Canadian International Stakes (G1T) is absent from the stakes schedule after what Woodbine said was a "review and consideration of industry and logistical challenges."
The entire Thoroughbred stakes schedule for the Woodbine meet, which runs April 27-Dec. 15, is available online.