Woodbine Turf Champions Day posts strong numbers

TORONTO, September 17, 2024 – Woodbine’s Turf Champions Day this past Saturday, headlined by the Grade 1 Rogers Woodbine Mile, saw a nine per cent increase in total wagering from 2023.

The all-sources handle for Saturday’s Turf Champions Day was $13,339,206, up from last year’s $12.1 million. The $13.3 million handle is second highest ever for a Woodbine Mile card.

Notably, wagering in Ontario (Home Market Area) also saw an 8.9 per cent increase from the previous year. A strong crowd on a warm mid-September afternoon helped push on-track wagering up significantly by 26.1 per cent.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better day to showcase racing at Woodbine,” said Michael Copeland, CEO of Woodbine. “A lot of factors played into a successful Turf Champions Day, including the world-class competition of our top stakes races, the influx of top jockeys and trainers from around the world, and outstanding weather, which we were certainly due to receive.”

With an average field size of 9.3, the average per-race handle was $1.1 million and $1.3 million on the stakes.

Turf Champions Day featured four Grade 1 races, including three Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series events.

Woodbine’s leading trainers performed well against global competition. Mark Casse’s Win for the Money won the Grade 1 Rogers Woodbine Mile, while And One More Time won the Grade 1 Johnnie Walker Natalma. Kevin Attard sent out Full Count Felicia to victory in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes.

With several international runners competing, the Grade 1 bet365 Summer Stakes was captured by British trainer Andrew Balding with New Century (GB).

“We want to thank all the participants that ran their horses on Saturday’s Turf Champions Day, whether local or traveling from overseas,” said Copeland. “We’re always ready for these big moments and our racing team did a great job putting together a deep and competitive day of racing.”

The E.P. Taylor Turf Course at Woodbine will remain in the spotlight over the next several weeks. The Breeders’ Stakes, third leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, will be run on the grass on September 29, while the Grade 2 Nearctic and Grade 2 Dance Smartly will also take to the famed E.P. Taylor Turf on October 5.

Live racing continues each Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack through December 15.