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Woodbine Meet Officially Over

While attempts were made to reach an agreement with the Ontario government to continue racing despite a mandatory 28-day lockdown of Toronto and its suburbs, Woodbine Entertainment announced Thursday that the track’s 2020 Thoroughbred meet was officially over.

“While I am extremely disappointed we are not able to complete the 2020 Thoroughbred meet, what we achieved this year in face of significant adversity is quite remarkable,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “I have been around horse racing my entire life and I can proudly say that I have never seen the industry come together as it did throughout this year.

“Together, we were able to develop, implement and follow strict COVID-19 Prevention Protocols that allowed us to be the first sport to return to competition in Canada since the shutdowns in March,” said Lawson. “We safely resumed racing in early June and ran almost 100 racing cards, more than 900 races, and the majority of our stakes schedule, including the 161st running of The Queen’s Plate.

“We hope the Government of Ontario has gained a better understanding of our business and appreciation of our safety record in operating live racing without spectators.”

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Woodbine Issues Statement on Sports Betting

Woodbine Entertainment issued the following statement Thursday:

In response to the Federal Government introducing a Bill that proposes to legalize single event sports wagering in Canada, Woodbine Entertainment would like to congratulate the Government of Canada for considering the potential impacts to the horse racing industry.

While the proposed Bill to Amend the Criminal Code would permit single event sports betting on most sports, Woodbine Entertainment is pleased that under the new proposed legislation, fixed odds wagering will not be permitted on horse racing.

“On behalf of the entire horse racing industry and the more than 50,000 jobs it represents throughout Canada, I would like to congratulate the Government of Canada and Minister Lametti for clearly considering the interests of horse racing as related to the potential legalization of single event sports wagering,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment.

“We look forward to continuing to represent the views of the horse racing industry throughout the legislative process in the House of Commons and the Senate of Canada to ensure that our role continues to be supported and strengthened where possible,” said Lawson. “This includes collaborating with the Federal and Provincial Government in future discussions regarding the impacts sports betting may have on horse racing while looking to enhance opportunities that would benefit the industry and the tens of thousands of people it employs.”

Woodbine Entertainment also offered its support for the legalization of fixed odds single event sports betting so long as it is provided an opportunity to be involved in a meaningful way.

“For many decades, Woodbine Entertainment has legally operated single event wagering through a pari-mutuel model, earning the trust of bettors and government agencies, while developing safe and secure technologies that could also benefit single event sports wagering,” said Lawson. “Throughout our future discussions with government authorities, we look forward to demonstrating how we can play a meaningful role in the execution of the legalization of sports betting that leverages our industry-leading experience and technology in single event wagering, while also offering a solution that would ensure any profits derived from sports betting remain in our economy.”

Operating without share capital, Woodbine Entertainment’s sole mission as an organization is to sustain the Ontario horse racing industry and the tens of thousands of jobs it supports.

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Woodbine Officials Set Thursday 6 P.M. Deadline For Government Talks On Racing Resumption

Woodbine Entertainment provided the following update on the 2020 Thoroughbred meet:

We are continuing our efforts to gain approval from the Government of Ontario to safely complete the 2020 Thoroughbred meet.

Based on the timing of these ongoing efforts, live racing on Saturday, November 28, has been cancelled.

Should Government permit us to safely resume live racing, Sunday, November 29, would be the earliest date. The Race Office would open on Friday, November 27 at 6 a.m. for entries.

Furthermore, if Woodbine Entertainment is permitted to complete the 2020 Thoroughbred meet, it will endeavor to reschedule the cancelled races.

Woodbine Entertainment has committed to make a final decision on the status of the season by 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 26. We sincerely appreciate the patience from our community.

As per the Grey (Lockdown) phase of the Government's COVID-19 restrictions which went into effect on Monday, November 23, at 12:01 a.m., the stabling and training of horses is permitted at Woodbine Racetrack, but live horse racing is not.

Since being permitted to race without spectators in early June, Woodbine Entertainment has demonstrated that live racing poses no greater health risk to participants than training. Furthermore, it believes it has clearly demonstrated an ability to safely operate live racing without spectators during that time.

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Woodbine Officials Negotiating for Permission to Complete Season

Despite a mandatory 28-day lockdown of Toronto and one of its suburbs, officials at Woodbine Racetrack remain in negotiations with the Ontario government as they seek permission to complete the 2020 Thoroughbred season.

The lockdown went into effect Monday, Nov. 25, at 12:01 a.m. and allows for training and stabling of horses at the track, but live racing has been canceled.

An update late Tuesday from Woodbine read:

“Since being permitted to race without spectators in early June, Woodbine Entertainment has demonstrated that live racing poses no greater health risk to participants than training. Furthermore, it believes it has clearly demonstrated an ability to safely operate live racing without spectators during that time.

“Based on the timing of these ongoing conversations, live racing on Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27 has been cancelled. Should Government make the decision that live racing is permitted to safely resume, Saturday, Nov. 28 would be the earliest date. This would require entries to be submitted on Thursday morning.

“Furthermore, if Woodbine Entertainment is permitted to complete the 2020 Thoroughbred meet, it will endeavour to reschedule the cancelled races.

“Woodbine Entertainment will continue to provide updates as they become available.”

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