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Woodbine Hopes To Resume Racing Nov. 28, If Government Gives Permission

Woodbine Entertainment confirmed this evening that it continues to have productive conversations with senior levels of the Government of Ontario regarding the possibility of being permitted to complete the 2020 Thoroughbred meet at Woodbine Racetrack.

As per the Grey (Lockdown) phase of the Government's COVID-19 restrictions which went into effect on Monday, Nov. 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.

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.

The post Woodbine Hopes To Resume Racing Nov. 28, If Government Gives Permission appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘The Case Is So Strong’ For Allowing Woodbine To Continue Racing, Says Lawson

News last weekend that new COVID-19 lockdown measures will force the closure of Woodbine before the end of its scheduled meet was met with frustration and uncertainty for track management and horsemen. The move seems unfair to Toronto Sun columnist Steve Buffery, who writes that the track has demonstrated an exemplary ability to keep COVID-19 at bay at a facility that sees 2,000 backstretch workers in the barn area every day.

Since the pandemic began, Buffery writes the track has seen one positive in its jockey colony, and that contact tracing determined the rider had been exposed to the virus outside of track property.

Training will still be permitted at Woodbine, which seems counterintuitive to Buffery, who points out that people will still need to enter the property for daily care of the horses associated with those activities.

According to the editorial published Tuesday, Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson has reached out to government officials to discuss whether there is a way to allow the meet to complete its last few days. Lawson said he has not had a response from the government and has been unable to reach anyone on the phone.

Many have expressed concern for the futures of the horses (particularly those less successful runners) and the people who rely on them if the track can not complete the meet as planned. Woodbine will lose three weeks' worth of racing, with about $5.2 million in purses not being distributed as planned.

“They didn't do enough due diligence and homework to understand what we're doing,” Lawson told Buffery. “The decision was made without enough understanding of the Woodbine situation and the thousands of people that worked there in a COVID-free environment.

“The case is so strong.”

Woodbine Cancels Remainder of Sunday Card Due to Inclement Weather

Shortly after announcing that the final three weeks of its Thoroughbred meet would be cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, Woodbine was forced to cancel races seven through 13 on Sunday’s card due to inclement weather, effectively ending the meet. Among the races cancelled Sunday were renewals of the GIII Grey S. for 2-year-old males and GIII Mazarine S. for juvenile fillies.

In a brief statement, Woodbine said, “Woodbine Racetrack was forced to cancel the remainder of its live Thoroughbred racing program on Sunday, Nov. 22 following the sixth race due to inclement weather conditions in the Toronto area. For the safety of the horses, participants and staff, races seven through 13 were cancelled as a result of the inclement weather, including accumulating snow and forecasted fluctuating temperatures and mixed precipitation.”

The post Woodbine Cancels Remainder of Sunday Card Due to Inclement Weather appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Woodbine Cancels Final Three Weeks of Meet Due to COVID Restrictions, Will Close After Sunday’s Card

As a result of the Government of Ontario’s announcement Friday that Toronto will be entering the Province’s grey ‘Lockdown’ phase of coronavirus-related restrictions, Woodbine Entertainment announced that Sunday will be the last day in 2020 of Thoroughbred racing in the Province.

“We have been, and continue to be, extremely supportive of the Government’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 throughout our Province and appreciate the many difficult decisions they have to make,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “We have approached the Government to explain the impacts this decision will have on our business and the horse racing industry in Ontario. With a better understanding of our operations and based on our safety record in operating live racing at our racetracks, we hope that the Government will consider these impacts in the future and assist us in managing the potentially devastating impact to horsepeople and animal welfare this early shutdown will cause.”

The cancelled race cards (12) at Woodbine Racetrack represented a significant opportunity for horsepeople to earn purse money that is critical for their livelihoods and the welfare of their horses as they enter the off-season for Thoroughbred racing in Ontario.

“Our organization’s sole mandate is to sustain the horse racing industry that supports the livelihoods of 20,000 families throughout the Province,” mentioned Lawson. “Woodbine Entertainment is the engine of that industry and this early shutdown further impacts our business.”

Woodbine Entertainment has approximately 1,300 employees either temporarily or permanently laid off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This shutdown of racing also negatively impacts the approximately 2,000 horsepeople on the Woodbine backstretch, putting many of them out of work.

The recent ‘Lockdown’ restrictions prohibit live racing although do allow for training to continue, however it is expected that training will be wound down this week.

“Since we started racing at Woodbine and Mohawk Park in early June, we have demonstrated that racing without spectators poses no greater health risk to participants than training,” said Lawson. “We have been a leader in health and safety since the beginning of the pandemic and we are extremely proud of our record and the cooperation of our racing participants in maintaining safe racing environments.”

Woodbine Entertainment will provide further updates Monday regarding the closure of the season at Woodbine Racetrack.

The post Woodbine Cancels Final Three Weeks of Meet Due to COVID Restrictions, Will Close After Sunday’s Card appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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