There won’t be any fans in the stands, on the rail or in the many top-notch restaurants at Canada’s biggest racetrack but Thoroughbred racing will return Saturday June 6 when Woodbine opens.
The deadly COVID-19 pandemic has had tragic results in the world and continues to be a threat but as the number of cases begins to steady in Ontario, government has begun to open businesses. Horse racing, which provides thousands of jobs, was on the short list three weeks ago to begin the process of opening (in the case of Woodbine Mohawk standardbred racing, re-opening).
That came as precious news to hundreds of horse owners and breeders, trainers and caretakers who have been caring for horses at Woodbine since they shipped in on the first weekend of March. It has been a trying time since then as the provincial ‘state of emergency’ meant that the number of people on the backstretch was restricted, workouts and gate schooling halted and owners and trainers were left paying bills while the originally scheduled opening day of Woodbine of April 18 passed by.