Toronto, ON – One hundred and three stakes races, worth over $22 million in purses, will highlight Woodbine’s 167-day Thoroughbred meet in 2010.
The Woodbine stakes schedule, unveiled today by the Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG), offers a July date, its first since 1996, for the 151st running of the Queen’s Plate. The 1 1/4-mile event, which carries a $1 million purse, is set for Sunday, July 4.
The Plate, North America’s oldest continuously-run stakes event and first jewel in Canada’s Triple Crown of Racing, will be complemented by two turf stakes events, the Grade 2, $200,000 Highlander Stakes and the Grade 3, $150,000 Singspiel Stakes.
Woodbine’s richest race, the Grade 1, $2 million Pattison Canadian International, is set for Saturday, October 16. The 1 1/2-mile grass event headlines an outstanding card in which the E.P. Taylor Turf Course is prominently featured. The Grade 1, $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes, for fillies and mares, and the Grade 1, $500,000 Nearctic Stakes, a six-furlong turf dash, are also slated for International day.
All three added-money events continue to be popular events in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series which features a lucrative “Win and You’re In” incentive. A score in the International, the E.P. Taylor or the Nearctic guarantees the victor a berth in the corresponding championship event, three weeks later, at the Breeders’ Cup (November 5 & 6) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
“We moved the Plate back to give the three-year-olds an extra week of preparation,” said Steve Lym, Woodbine’s Director of Racing and Racing Secretary, in discussing the July date for the Queen’s Plate. “We’ve set up our days to give fans and horseplayers the biggest bang for their buck. The schedule is also designed to attract the best horses at Woodbine and across the continent.”
ESPN, the renowned U.S. TV sports network, will be broadcasting all three International day “Win and You’re In” events, in HD, live from Woodbine.
The Woodbine stakes calendar also features three other “Win and You’re In” events, all turf contests carded on the same September weekend.
On Saturday, September 18, the sport’s freshmen receive their own day to showcase their turf talents in the $250,000 Summer Stakes, a Grade 3 grass test for two-year-olds, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Natalma Stakes, for two-year-old fillies.
The weekend’s third Breeders’ Cup Challenge race is the $1 million Woodbine Mile, the highlight of a lucrative $2 million day of racing on September 19. The Grade 1, $750,000 Northern Dancer Turf, presented by VTech and the Grade 2, $300,000 Canadian Stakes, for turf fillies and mares, will also be contested on Mile day.
Sunday, June 13 will be another big day on track. The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, the first leg in Canada’s Triple Tiara of Racing, is scheduled for that day. Also slated is the $150,000 Plate Trial, the country’s top prep race for the Queen’s Plate.
“Putting the Oaks and Plate Trial together gives horseplayers another day where Woodbine is in racing’s spotlight,” Lym said.
The Breeders’ Stakes, third and turf gem of racing’s Triple Crown, is set for Sunday, August 15 at Woodbine. The 1 1/2-mile turf event carries a purse of $500,000.
WEG has also modified distances for some of the early season turf stakes. The Grade 3, $150,000 Connaught Cup, the traditional season-opening grass event, will now be contested at seven furlongs (1 1/16 miles in 2009) on May 30, serving as a prep for the flat-mile Grade 2, $300,000 King Edward Stakes (1 1/8 miles in 2009) on June 27.
“We were looking to add another premier mile race to our schedule and the changes to the Connaught Cup and King Edward accomplishes that,” Lym said.
The Woodbine meet launches Good Friday, April 2.
The entire 2010 Woodbine stakes schedule, which is subject to Ontario Racing Commission approval, follows.
For further details on the schedule, please visit www.woodbineentertainment.com.
2010 Stakes Schedule
April
$150,000 STAR SHOOT STAKES – Saturday, April 10
$150,000 JACQUES CARTIER STAKES – Sunday, April 11
$150,000 WHIMSICAL STAKES – Sunday, April 18 (Gr. 3)
$150,000 WOODSTOCK STAKES – Sunday, April 25
May
$150,000 FURY STAKES* – Sunday, May 1
$150,000 VIGIL STAKES – Sunday, May 9 (Gr. 3)
$150,000 QUEENSTON STAKES* – Saturday, May 15
$150,000 HENDRIE STAKES – Sunday, May 16 (Gr. 3)
$125,000 BALLADE STAKES** – Saturday, May 22
$150,000 LA LORGNETTE STAKES – Sunday, May 23
$125,000 LADY ANGELA STAKES** – Monday, May 24
$150,000 MARINE STAKES – Saturday, May 29
$150,000 CONNAUGHT CUP STAKES – Sunday, May 30 (Gr. 3, Turf)
June
$150,000 ECLIPSE STAKES – Saturday, June 5 (Gr. 3)
$300,000 NASSAU STAKES – Saturday, June 5 (Gr. 2, Turf)
$125,000 BOLD RUCKUS STAKES** – Sunday, June 6 (Turf)
$125,000 NEW PROVIDENCE STAKES** – Wednesday, June 9
$125,000 STEADY GROWTH STAKES** – Saturday, June 12
$500,000 WOODBINE OAKS STAKES, presented by Budweiser*** – Sunday, June 13
$150,000 PLATE TRIAL STAKES*** – Sunday, June 13
$150,000 VICTORIA STAKES – Saturday, June 19
$100,000 HILL ‘N’ DALE STAKES – Sunday, June 20
$150,000 MY DEAR STAKES – Saturday, June 26
$150,000 VICTORIA PARK STAKES – Sunday, June 27
$300,000 KING EDWARD STAKES – Sunday, June 27 (Gr. 2, Turf)
July
$200,000 DOMINION DAY STAKES – Thursday, July 1 (Gr. 3)
$150,000 CLARENDON STAKES* – Saturday, July 3
$150,000 ACHIEVEMENT STAKES* – Saturday, July 3
$1,000,000 QUEEN’S PLATE STAKES*** – Sunday, July 4
$200,000 HIGHLANDER STAKES – Sunday, July 4 (Gr. 2, Turf)
$150,000 SINGSPIEL STAKES, Sunday, July 4 (Gr. 3, Turf)
$150,000 ONTARIO DAMSEL STAKES* – Saturday, July 10 (Turf)
$250,000 BISON CITY STAKES*** – Sunday, July 11
$150,000 COLIN STAKES – Saturday, July 17
$150,000 BOLD VENTURE STAKES – Saturday, July 17
$150,000 SHADY WELL STAKES* – Sunday, July 18
$300,000 DANCE SMARTLY STAKES – Sunday, July 18 (Gr. 2, Turf)
$125,000 PASSING MOOD STAKES** – Wednesday, July 21 (Turf)
$150,000 TORONTO CUP STAKES – Saturday, July 24 (Turf)
$300,000 NIJINSKY STAKES – Saturday, July 24 (Gr.2,Turf)
$150,000 ONTARIO MATRON STAKES – Sunday, July 25
$125,000 DEPUTY MINISTER STAKES** – Wednesday, July 28
$150,000 VANDAL STAKES* – Saturday, July 31
August
$250,000 WONDER WHERE STAKES*** – Sunday, August 1 (Turf)
$150,000 ROYAL NORTH STAKES – Monday, August 2 (Gr. 3, Turf)
$125,000 SHEPPERTON STAKES** – Wednesday, August 4
$150,000 DUCHESS STAKES – Saturday, August 7
$150,000 SEAGRAM CUP STAKES – Sunday, August 8(Gr. 3)
$125,000 NANDI STAKES** – Sunday, August 8
$150,000 ONTARIO DEBUTANTE STAKES – Saturday, August 14
$125,000 VICTORIANA STAKES** – Sunday, August 15 (Turf)
$500,000 BREEDERS’ STAKES*** – Sunday, August 15 (Turf)
$125,000 ETERNAL SEARCH STAKES** – Saturday, August 21
$250,000 SKY CLASSIC STAKES – Sunday, August 22 (Gr. 2, Turf)
$150,000 ONTARIO COLLEEN STAKES – Saturday, August 28 (Turf)
$200,000 PLAY THE KING STAKES – Sunday, August 29 (Gr. 2, Turf)
September
$150,000 SEAWAY STAKES – Saturday, September 4 (Gr. 3)
$125,000 VICE REGENT STAKES** – Sunday, September 5 (Turf)
$125,000 MUSKOKA STAKES*** – Monday, September 6
$125,000 SIMCOE STAKES*** – Monday, September 6
$125,000 KENORA STAKES*** – Monday, September 6
$125,000 ELGIN STAKES*** – Monday, September 6
$125,000 ALGOMA STAKES*** – Monday, September 6
$125,000 HALTON STAKES*** – Monday, September 6 (Turf)
$125,000 LA PREVOYANTE STAKES** – Saturday, September 11 (Turf)
$150,000 SWYNFORD STAKES – Sunday, September 12
$200,000 NATALMA STAKES -Saturday, September 18 (Gr. 3, Turf) WAYI
$250,000 SUMMER STAKES – Saturday, September 18 (Gr. 3, Turf) WAYI
$1,000,000 WOODBINE MILE – Sunday, September 19 (Gr. 1, Turf) WAYI
$750,000 NORTHERN DANCER TURF-Presented by Vtech – Sunday, September 19 (Gr. 1, Turf)
$300,000 CANADIAN STAKES – Sunday, September 19 (Gr. 2, Turf)
$150,000 ONTARIO DERBY – Saturday, September 25
$250,000 SELENE STAKES – Sunday, September 26 (Gr. 3)
$125,000 OVERSKATE STAKES** – Wednesday, September 29
October
$125,000 VICTORIAN QUEEN STAKES** – Saturday, October 2
$150,000 DURHAM CUP STAKES – Sunday, October 3 (Gr. 3)
$150,000 CAROTENE STAKES* – Sunday, October 3 (Turf)
$125,000 CLASSY’N SMART STAKES** – Wednesday, October 6
$225,000 MAZARINE STAKES – Saturday, October 9 (Gr. 3)
$225,000 GREY STAKES – Sunday, October 10 (Gr. 3)
$125,000 BULL PAGE STAKES** – Monday, October 11
$2,000,000 PATTISON CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL – Saturday, October 16 (Gr. 1, Turf) WAYI
$1,000,000 E.P. TAYLOR STAKES – Saturday, October 16 Gr. 1, Turf) WAYI
$500,000 NEARCTIC STAKES – Saturday, October 16 (Gr. 1, Turf) WAYI
$250,000 CUP & SAUCER STAKES* – Sunday, October 17 (Turf)
$125,000 BUNTY LAWLESS STAKES** – Saturday, October 23 (Turf)
$150,000 FANFRELUCHE STAKES* – Sunday, October 24
$250,000 PRINCESS ELIZABETH STAKES*** – Saturday, October 30
$150,000 ONTARIO FASHION STAKES – Sunday, October 31
November
$125,000 FROST KING STAKES** – Wednesday, November 3
$175,000 MAPLE LEAF STAKES – Saturday, November 6
$250,000 CORONATION FUTURITY*** – Sunday, November 7
$125,000 SOUTH OCEAN STAKES** – Wednesday, November 10
$150,000 AUTUMN STAKES – Saturday, November 13 (Gr.2)
$150,000 GLORIOUS SONG STAKES – Sunday, November 14
$150,000 JAMMED LOVELY STAKES* – Wednesday, November 17
$150,000 KENNEDY ROAD STAKES – Saturday, November 20 (Gr.3)
$150,000 BESSARABIAN STAKES – Sunday, November 21
$125,000 KINGARVIE STAKES** – Saturday, November 27
$150,000 DISPLAY STAKES – Sunday, November 28
December
$125,000 SIR BARTON STAKES** – Wednesday, December 1
$150,000 ONTARIO LASSIE STAKES* – Saturday, December 4
$150,000 VALEDICTORY STAKES – Sunday, December 5
*starters must be foaled in Ontario
**starters must be sired by Ontario-based stallions ***starters must be foaled in Canada WAYI “Win and You’re In”
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