Track will be sharing some jockeys and horses with Assiniboia until riders from 2019 can travel back to Canada from home countries.
COVID-19
The Belmont is shortened from the traditional 1 1/2 miles to 1 1/8 miles this year and is the first leg of the American Triple Crown.
The prestigious British meeting will be held without fans and the stakes race schedule has been altered, but there is no shortage of stars.
Healthy handles at Fort Erie belie the horse supply issue that continues to plague the track which is made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.
The first 22 races of the 2020 Woodbine season are in the books as racing took place June 6 and 7 with no fans in the stands.
Century Mile in Alberta and Hastings Racecourse in British Columbia appear set to announce opening dates for racing, possibly as soon as June 12.
The 2020 Woodbine Thoroughbred season will finally get underway Saturday, June 6 after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed horse racing.
To keep racing participants safe, Woodbine has issued a lengthy list of raceday protocols effective June 6 and until further notice.
Fort Erie racetrack opened its 2020 season on June 2 and had its second biggest wagering mark in the history of the track.
It has been a long and unsettling wait for Thoroughbred racing since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but racing is set to begin June 6 in Ontario.
Winnipeg track receives a small percentage of lofty wagering totals as betting is done through Woodbine's HorsePlayer Interactive.
Assiniboia's CEO Darren Dunn understandably pleased that racing has started, although there is still plenty of missing revenue.
Field size could be light to begin the 39-day meeting which will race over the 123-year-old track on Mondays and Tuesdays at 1:20 p.m.
Horse racing-starved Canadians bet six races at Winnipeg track with enthusiasm, boosting the total wagering 340% from opening day a year ago.
Canadian horse racing returns Monday night May 25 in Winnipeg and it will be racing like we have never seen before - no spectators.
