Mayor John Tory’s announcement on Tuesday that city-led events in Toronto’s will be banned until June 30 does not prohibit professional sporting events.
With all major sports such as the NHL, NBA and Major League Baseball all on hiatus, these sports could conceivably be back in action before that, albeit with strict measures such as no spectators.
The Queen’s Plate is scheduled for June 27 but Woodbine Entertainment’s CEO Jim Lawson had already spoken to a reviewing of the stakes schedule, since it is not clear when racing can begin. Opening day was set for April 18, but it has been delayed.
The province’s state of emergency has been pushed to April 14 by Premier Doug Ford.
Indeed, Plate ‘prep’ races have to be held before the big race itself, so delaying the Plate is likely inevitable.
In response to Mayor Tory’s ban, Woodbine issued the following statement:
We are aware of the City of Toronto’s announcement regarding the cancellation of all City-led major mass participation events through June 30. Furthermore, due to the postponement of the start of the 2020 Thoroughbred season in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have already been discussing and evaluating the potential postponement of the Queen’s Plate, the oldest continuously run horse race in North America. Those discussions will be accelerated in light of this news and we will provide an update in the coming days.
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