“Lisa brings incredible depth and experience to the Woodbine leadership team,” Woodbine Entertainment CEO Michael Copeland shared. “We are excited to have her join our team and help lead our business and the horse racing industry to ambitious new heights.”

Formerly a Vice President of Finance at Loblaw Companies Limited, Headrick led Finance for the Discount Grocery Retail Division and prior to that, the E-Commerce and Loyalty (PC Optimum) segments. She spent over 20 years at Celestica, an international design, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions company and most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer, Connectivity and Cloud Solutions, a $4-billion dollar segment of Celestica.

“I am excited to start my new role at Woodbine,” Headrick said. “My family and I experienced the magic of Woodbine during a race day–the warm welcome, amazing atmosphere and thrilling horse racing made it an unforgettable experience. I'm looking forward to being a part of this welcoming community and contributing to its bright future ahead.”

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In 2023, a total of 1,180 races were contested over 128 dates of racing compared to 1,198 races over 132 dates in 2022. Woodbine ran four less dates and 18 less races in 2023 due to an unprecedented number of cancelled race cards (five) because of extreme heat and poor air quality caused by smoke from forest fires across Canada. The average field size for those races was 8.2, the same as 2022, and above the industry average.

In Ontario, wagering on Woodbine Thoroughbred racing by customers across the province was down 6.2% ($81.8 million this season vs $87.2 million in 2022).

The decline in home market wagering was partially mitigated by a foreign market handle of $512 million, a decrease from $515 million in 2022, though still a remarkable gain from the previous record of $420 million in 2021. The $512 million in foreign market handle was supported by a strong U.S. dollar.

The average handle per race in 2023 was a record $519,597. This is an increase of $580 per race from 2022.

To address the increased competition from an emerging licensed sports betting market, Woodbine Entertainment announced a partnership with global sports betting leader bet365 prior to The King's Plate.

“We are operating on a very solid foundation that positions us well to manage the current industry and economic trends,” said Michael Copeland, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “We also have opportunities before us that have not been fully realized yet, like the integration of racing into licensed sportsbooks, which will have a positive impact.”

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Copeland, who is currently President, Commercial, joined Woodbine Entertainment in 2021 after holding various  leadership roles in sports and entertainment, including President and CEO of the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts from 2015 to 2018, and President of the CFL's head office from 2006 to 2015.

He has a law degree from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from Western's Ivey School of Business. He is a recipient of the prestigious Caldwell Partners/Globe & Mail “Canada's Top 40 Under 40” Award and the Western Law W. Iain Scott Business Leadership Award.

“We are thrilled to have a business leader of Michael's caliber to take on this role and lead our organization during a transformative time that is full of opportunity for Woodbine and the horse racing industry,” said Hugh Mitchell, Chair of Woodbine Entertainment's Board of Directors.

Looking forward to his new role, Copeland said, “We are one of the best multi-faceted sports and entertainment companies in North America and we have tremendous potential to further develop and grow with horse racing at the center of it all. With this role comes great responsibility as it supports a way of life for tens of thousands of families in Ontario, as it did for my wife's family for decades. I am excited about the opportunity we have to lead Woodbine and racing in Ontario to ambitious, new heights.”

The board has appointed Lawson to the position of executive chair.

“I have worked with Michael for many years, and I am truly excited for the strategic thinking and bold vision he will bring as CEO,” said Lawson. “I am also looking forward to contributing to Woodbine and the racing industry and supporting Michael in my new role as Executive Chair. Woodbine has accomplished many great things over the past decade, but the best is yet to come.”

As part of the transition and to support Copeland in his new role, it was also announced that long-time horse racing industry executive Bill Ford will assume the role of Chief Racing Officer and General Counsel. Ford has been an executive at Woodbine Entertainment since 2011 and prior to that, he was General Counsel and Secretary for Magna Entertainment (a predecessor of The Stronach Group) from 2003 to 2010.

“Bill brings deep knowledge and a lifelong passion for the sport of racing. With his experienced, steady hand overseeing our racing operations, we are very well-positioned to further strengthen our racing product and the Ontario racing industry,” said Copeland.

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“We have a tremendous amount of opportunity before us to grow our business and the horse racing industry in Ontario,” said Lawson. “I strongly believe we have the right leadership and people in place–and now we have the right structure that will enable us to maximize and fully leverage those opportunities.”

Copeland, who joined Woodbine Entertainment in 2021 as Chief Commercial Officer, will lead revenue and brand-driving functions including horse racing, wagering, technology, marketing, broadcast, customer experience, and events. He has previously run his own consulting business in the sports and entertainment sector and has been president and CEO of the Toronto Argonauts, as well as the president and COO of the Canadian Football League.

Via joined Woodbine Entertainment in 2016 as COO and will now lead operations at both Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park, while also overseeing hospitality, finance, human resources, legal, and project management. He has previously served as president and CEO of the retail chain Brookstone, been president of the Australian operations of Toys R Us, and held senior management positions at Babies R Us in both the U.S. and Canada.

Property Development at Woodbine Entertainment will continue to be led by Chief Development Officer Will Fleissig.

“While horse racing will always be at the core of everything we do, our business is becoming more and more complex and having strong leadership at the helm of operations and revenue positions us for the future growth we have in our sights,” said Lawson.

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“We are thrilled to partner with DAZN Canada to offer this new live horse racing series to their customers across the country,” said Michael Copeland, Chief Commercial Officer, Woodbine Entertainment. “Racing has such a rich history in Canada and delivering the sport in new ways to potentially reach new fans is an exciting opportunity.”

DAZN Day At the Races will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN from 3 p.m. ET to 5:30 p.m. ET on the following Saturdays:

• Saturday, June 26th
• Saturday, July 3rd
• Saturday, July 10th
• Saturday, July 17th

The four-part event series is powered by www.HPIbet.com.

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Copeland joins Woodbine Entertainment after holding several leadership positions in the Canadian sports industry. Most recently, Copeland founded and led his own consulting business focused on issues of growth and transformation in sports and entertainment.  Prior to that, Copeland was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Argonauts (2015 to 2018), who under his leadership won a Grey Cup championship in 2017.  Before joining the Argos, Copeland was the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Canadian Football League for nearly 10 years (2006 to 2015).

“With a unique opportunity for substantial growth of our business on the horizon, we are excited to add Michael and his wealth of experience to our senior leadership team,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “In addition to his extensive background in sports and business, Michael is a strong, visionary leader, making him an ideal teammate to lead our commercial efforts as we look to realize those opportunities for growth in a rapidly changing sports marketplace in Canada.”

As Chief Commercial Officer, Copeland will oversee business development, digital strategy, marketing, sponsorships, broadcast and customer experience strategy. The Western University law and MBA graduate will also play a significant role as Woodbine Entertainment continues its efforts to participate in the emerging sports betting sector in Canada and embarks on the most exciting and ambitious real estate development project in the country.

“Woodbine Entertainment is already one of Canada's top sports and entertainment organizations with horse racing and the 50,000 jobs it supports at the centre of it all,” said Copeland, who was named a recipient of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 in 2008. “Yet, the opportunity for it to embrace a bold vision for the future and reimagine its position as a Canadian sports and entertainment leader has never been stronger than it is now.

“Through the years, I have developed a deep appreciation for the horse racing industry and the people within it as my wife's family was involved in the sport for decades. I am honoured to join an organization that has such a rich history, and an even brighter future.”

Copeland joins an experienced leadership team at Woodbine Entertainment that also recently added property development expertise by retaining the services of Collaborative Equities and its Managing Principal and prominent developer William Kohn Fleissig to lead its property development portfolio. Fleissig joins Woodbine as one of the most innovative land developers and community builders of the past 20 years.

“We have a tremendous opportunity in front of us that has the potential to modernize our business model, strengthen our brand, expand our reach and create new revenue streams that will support the horse racing industry for decades to come,” Lawson said.

Copeland starts his role with Woodbine Entertainment on May 10.

Woodbine Entertainment also confirmed today that Christina Litz, who held the position of Vice President, Media, Digital, Business and Revenue Development since December 2019, has departed the organization to join True North Sports and Entertainment in Winnipeg as its Chief Brand and Commercial Officer.

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“With a unique opportunity for substantial growth of our business on the horizon, we are excited to add Michael and his wealth of experience to our senior leadership team,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “In addition to his extensive background in sports and business, Michael is a strong, visionary leader, making him an ideal teammate to lead our commercial efforts as we look to realize those opportunities for growth in a rapidly changing sports marketplace in Canada.”

As Chief Commercial Officer, Copeland will oversee business development, digital strategy, marketing, sponsorships, broadcast and customer experience strategy. The Western University law and MBA graduate will also play a significant role as Woodbine Entertainment continues its efforts to participate in the emerging sports betting sector in Canada and embarks on the most exciting and ambitious real estate development project in the country.

Woodbine Entertainment also confirmed that Christina Litz, who held the position of Vice President, Media, Digital, Business and Revenue Development since December 2019, has departed the organization to join True North Sports and Entertainment in Winnipeg as its Chief Brand and Commercial Officer.

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