Woodbine Entertainment today announced a $6 million expansion project for the Standardbred Race Paddock at Woodbine Mohawk Park is now underway.
The expansion project is part of Woodbine Entertainment’s commitment to horse racing and Woodbine Mohawk Park as the year-round home of World Class Standardbred racing.
“Our vision for Woodbine Mohawk Park is to be recognized as the leading Standardbred racetrack in North America,” said Jessica Buckley, President of Woodbine Mohawk Park. “The paddock expansion is a big part of that vision as it will improve the experience for horsepeople on race days while also allowing us to host major events like the Breeders Crown.”
The expansion project will feature a new 22,000 square-foot addition built onto the current Standardbred paddock. The new addition will have 57 large box stalls, a new women’s driver-trainer locker room to go with the recently updated men’s locker room and a viewing area for fans. Additionally, the expansion will include on-site offices for the Central Ontario Standardbred Association for the convenience of the horsepeople.
“We are thrilled to see ground broken on the paddock expansion after collaborating with Woodbine for several months on design concepts to meet the needs of our horsepeople,” said Bill O’Donnell, President of the Central Ontario Standardbred Association. “The paddock is home for our horsepeople and the new expanded paddock will provide full comfort for our horses and all participants during year-round racing.”
The new paddock addition will also include expanded trailer parking following the completion of the project.
The introduction of box stalls to the Standardbred paddock offers more room for horses compared to the current standing stalls and will eliminate shuttling between the paddock and backstretch for horses treated with Lasix. The new box stalls can also be used for retention and will have doors to segregate the extension from the main paddock.
Work on the paddock expansion has started and is scheduled to be completed ahead of October’s Breeders Crown at Mohawk Park.
“This major investment is another demonstration of Woodbine Entertainment’s commitment to growing the sport of horse racing throughout Ontario,” said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. “With this project now underway, winter harness racing in full swing, and the Breeders Crown scheduled for next Fall, 2019 is going to be an exciting year at Mohawk Park.”
The $6 million paddock expansion is the latest investment from Woodbine Entertainment towards the Mohawk Park property now totaling $16 million.
A $10 million investment was announced in June of 2017 and upgrades were completed earlier this year to enhance the facility for capabilities of hosting year-round live harness racing.
