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Woodbine’s 2021 Meet To Open Saturday, June 12

With Ontario entering Step One of the 'Roadmap to Reopen' plan earlier than originally expected, Woodbine Entertainment announced Monday that the 2021 Thoroughbred Meet at Woodbine Racetrack will open this Saturday, June 12 with a 1:20 p.m. post time.

The meet will continue Sunday with a 1:20 p.m. post time, followed by racing on Friday, June 18, Saturday, June 19 and Sunday June 20, before continuing with its typical four race days a week schedule (Thursday through Sunday). To help make up for some last race days, Woodbine plans to add additional races to its race cards during the first two weekends of racing.

“While it has been a very frustrating period, I would like to thank the Government of Ontario for the recent attention it has given the horse racing industry,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “In particular, I would like to thank Premier Doug Ford for his understanding and interest in the plight of the horse racing industry that has been so greatly impacted by the global pandemic and ensuing government restrictions.”

Live racing at Woodbine Racetrack will operate without any spectators due to government restrictions.

“Although our industry has been substantially impacted, I do very much remain confident in the future of horse racing in Ontario and look forward to getting back on track later this week,” Lawson added. “On behalf of Woodbine Entertainment, thank you to our horse people for their patience, professionalism, and resiliency they continue to demonstrate, especially in face of adversity.”

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COVID-19: Woodbine Seeks Clarification On Ontario Premier’s Lockdown Order

Woodbine Entertainment issued a statement Friday saying it was “working to understand the implications” of an order issued by Ontario Premier Doug Ford that put the Toronto and Peel Regions of the province in a strict lockdown under the government's color-coded system developed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Woodbine is located in the Toronto Region in the city of Etobicoke.

According to Ontario's COVID-19 response system – with five colors ranging from green for prevent to grey for lockdown – horse racing will not be permitted (though training can continue) when the “grey” lockdown goes into effect on Monday, Nov. 23. The new measures are expected to last a minimum of 28 days, through Dec. 21. The Woodbine meet is scheduled to close Dec. 13.

“The situation is extremely serious and further action is required to avoid the worst-case scenario,” Ford said when announcing the measures. The order also closes restaurants, non-essential retail stores, meeting and event spaces, and indoor sports and fitness centers. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people.

Woodbine issued the following statement after the lockdown order: “Since the beginning of our province's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, our commitment to public safety has not wavered. We are extremely supportive of the Government's efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 throughout our community. Furthermore, we are very proud of our safety record at Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park in this regard.

“To that end, we are currently working to understand the implications this recent news will have on Thoroughbred racing at Woodbine Racetrack and the thousands of people it supports throughout the province.

“We will provide further updates at the appropriate time.”

Racing will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's “super Saturday stakes program” features three graded stakes and kicks off at 1:25 p.m. ET.

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Immediate Future of Racing at Woodbine Unclear Following Lockdown Declaration

During a Friday afternoon briefing, Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, Canada, announced a mandatory 28-day lockdown in the city of Toronto and the suburb of Peel, beginning at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23. It was not immediately clear how the decision would impact racing operations at Woodbine Racetrack, though the Toronto Star reported that while training can continue, racing will cease.

“With the numbers rising rapidly in certain regions, we have to make the tough, but necessary decisions now to protect our hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes, and every person in this province,” said Premier Ford. “We cannot afford a province-wide lockdown, so we are taking preventative action today by moving Toronto and Peel into Lockdown level restrictions and other regions into higher levels of restrictions. We need to take decisive action to stop the spread of this deadly virus.”

Late Friday, Jamie Dykstra, Director of Communications and Content for Woodbine Entertainment, issued a statement that read: “Since the beginning of our province’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, our commitment to public safety has not wavered. We are extremely supportive of the Government’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 throughout our community.

“Furthermore, we are very proud of our safety record at Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park in this regard. To that end, we are currently working to understand the implications this recent news will have on Thoroughbred racing at Woodbine Racetrack and the thousands of people it supports throughout the province.

“We will provide further updates at the appropriate time.”

The racing season at Woodbine was delayed from its usual mid-April start to June 6 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. As recently as Nov. 19, track officials announced that they were managing a COVID positive in an active jockey, but that live racing would be able to proceed. Woodbine was scheduled to conclude its 2020 season Sunday, Dec. 13.

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