Woodbine Entertainment | Horse Racing Free Tips

Woodbine Mohawk Park To Begin Gradual Reopening To Live Racing Fans

Woodbine Entertainment is pleased to announce that Woodbine Mohawk Park will reopen to live racing fans and simulcast guests on a limited basis starting Monday, Aug. 31.

The facility at Mohawk Park is able to gradually reopen thanks to successfully hosting limited horse owners and connections for live racing in recent weeks. Those that recently attend live racing adhered to all the necessary protocols, including practicing physical distancing and wearing a face mask when onsite.

Preventing the spread of illnesses continues to be a top priority and Woodbine Entertainment is confident in its approaching to providing a safe experience.

In order to ensure the safety of all guests, experiences at Woodbine Mohawk Park will reopen gradually, on a limited basis, with a reservation required to attend.

What's Open at Woodbine Mohawk Park:

Main Floor Race Book (maximum capacity of 50 guests, no persons under 18 permitted in the Race Book).
Apron access for up to 100 guests.
Mohawk Harvest Kitchen (MHK) will be open on Friday and Saturday evenings and has been redesigned to allow physically distant dining.
Tim Hortons (reduced hours, consistent with hours of operation).
Draft Beer Stand featuring sandwiches, salads, snacks, as well as non-alcoholic beverages, beer and wine.
Wagering terminals throughout the facility

Hours of Operation:

Monday: 6 p.m. to end of Live Racing
Tuesday: 6 p.m. to end of Live Racing
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 6 p.m. to end of Live Racing
Friday: 6 p.m. to end of Live Racing
Saturday: 6 p.m. to end of Live Racing
Sunday: Closed

For more information and to make a reservation, visit www.Woodbine.com/Mohawk/Guest-Registration/.

Outside food and drinks will no longer be permitted with the reopening of limited food and beverage services.

Woodbine Entertainment will continue to follow the latest information from governments and applicable health authorities to ensure a safe environment for all guests.

The post Woodbine Mohawk Park To Begin Gradual Reopening To Live Racing Fans appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Woodbine’s Top Jockeys, Drivers Team Up In Heinz Challenge For Charity

Woodbine Entertainment, in partnership with Kraft-Heinz Canada, today announced the launch of the Heinz Challenge, a six-week series to be contested during Racing Night Live on TSN.

The Heinz Challenge pairs a top Woodbine Racetrack jockey with a top Woodbine Mohawk Park driver to create four teams competing for a $5,000 charitable donation from Woodbine.

Every time one of the participating jockeys or drivers competes during a race aired on Racing Night Live, they have the opportunity to earn points towards their team's challenge score.

All eight participating athletes are ranked among the best in their sport and are well-known personalities at Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park. The four competing jockeys are Rafael Hernandez, Kazushi Kimura, Justin Stein and Emma-Jayne Wilson, while the participating drivers are Jody Jamieson, Bob McClure, Doug McNair and Louis-Philippe Roy.

The team with the best 'Points Per Race' average at the end of six weeks will win the challenge. The point system is as follows: 10 points for a win, 5 points for a second-place finish and 2 points for a third-place finish.

(Example: Team A earns 50 points over 10 races: Team A's Points Per Race is 5)

Each member of the winning team will select a charity and Woodbine Entertainment will make a $2,500 donation on their behalf to make up the $5,000 winning prize.

Woodbine Mohawk Park driver James MacDonald was originally scheduled to participate in the Heinz Challenge. MacDonald unfortunately suffered an injury in a racing accident on August 1 and will be unable to participate. Louis-Philippe Roy has been selected to replace MacDonald and the two will split the donation should their team win.

Here are the teams for the Heinz Challenge:

Team E=MC²
Jockey: Emma-Jayne Wilson
Driver: Bob McClure
#TeamEMC2

Team Club DJ
Jockey: Justin Stein
Driver: Doug McNair
#TeamClubDJ

Team Island Boyz
Jockey: Rafael Hernandez
Driver: James MacDonald (unable to participate due to injury)
Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy
#TeamIslandBoyz

Team Double Double
Jockey: Kazushi Kimura
Driver: Jody Jamieson
#TeamDoubleDouble

The Heinz Challenge is the latest feature on the weekly Racing Night Live program on TSN.

Racing Night Live, which airs every Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on TSN, showcases the world-class racing from the Thoroughbreds at Woodbine Racetrack and Standardbreds at Woodbine Mohawk Park over an action-packed two hours.

The Heinz Challenge will run from August 6 to September 10.

Fans can join the conversation, track the leaderboard and cheer on their favourite team through social media by using the hashtag #HeinzChallenge. All eight of the participating athletes can be found on various social media platforms and will be engaging with fans over the course of the six-week event.

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Jonathan Zammit Appointed Executive Director Of Ontario Racing Managment

Ontario Racing Management (ORM) is excited to announce the appointment of Jonathan Zammit as its new Executive Director. Zammit, the former Vice President of Thoroughbred Racing for Woodbine Entertainment, becomes ORM's second Executive Director, succeeding Katherine Curry who held the position since the formation of Ontario Racing in 2018.

“We are excited to welcome Jonathan's leadership, experience and financial acumen as we work with all stakeholders to further advance our efforts in sustaining a vibrant and financially sound horse racing industry for decades to come,” said John Hayes, Independent Chair of Ontario Racing's Board of Directors. “On behalf of Ontario Racing, I would like to thank Katherine for her dedication and hard work in establishing and securing the administration and management of the entire provincial horse racing industry under Ontario Racing.”

ORM is a wholly owned, Woodbine Entertainment subsidiary that implements the approved business plan of Ontario Racing's Board of Directors.

“I look forward to working with Ontario Racing's Board of Directors and the ORM team to execute the vision and strategic plan that will support, sustain and grow the sport of horse racing across the province,” said Zammit.

Zammit was most recently the Vice President, Racing Finance for Woodbine Entertainment. Prior to joining Woodbine Entertainment as the Vice President of Thoroughbred Racing in 2017, Zammit was the Director of Finance for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

“Jonathan brings a wealth of experience in financial management that positions him well to deliver Ontario Racing's strategic plan to grow and sustain the sport of horse racing that supports tens of thousands of jobs throughout the province,” said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment and a member of the Ontario Racing Board of Directors. “He will also benefit from the strong foundation that Ontario Racing has built, in large part thanks to the leadership and efforts of Katherine Curry.”

Curry will now solely focus on contributing to Woodbine Entertainment's strategic growth priorities as Vice President of Legal and Compliance and a member of the executive team. Curry has been with Woodbine Entertainment since 2015.

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Woodbine’s Minimum Weight Raised to 118

The minimum weight for jockeys will be raised to 118 pounds at Canada’s Woodbine Racetrack, effective Thursday, Aug. 6, in conjunction with Condition Book 4. Woodbine Entertainment made the announcement Saturday in consultation with the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of Ontario (HBPA) with a statement that “the health and welfare of our jockeys was the driving factor for this decision, and the new base weight aligns with racing jurisdictions in Kentucky, Florida, and New York.”

Depending on conditions and age, top weights will be up to 125 pounds. Stakes and handicap races will still be subject to assigned weights by Woodbine’s racing secretary.

The post Woodbine’s Minimum Weight Raised to 118 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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