Woodbine’s highly anticipated turf racing season is set to get underway this Saturday afternoon (May 27).
A total of three turf races are carded Saturday for the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course. The Inner Turf, which will host its fifth year of racing this season, is set to open soon.
“I think everyone, horse people and fans, look forward to the start of turf racing,” said trainer Kevin Attard. “We have two beautiful courses and the races are always competitive.”
The first turf contest of the season is carded as Race 4 and will see a field of seven go six and a half furlongs in an Allowance Optional Claiming event. The next turf event is Race 6 and features a sizeable field of 12 fillies and mares going six and a half furlongs in an Optional Claimer. The afternoon’s final race over the E.P. Taylor Turf is Race 8 and has a field of nine Allowance Optional Claiming fillies and mares running a mile and a sixteenth.
Attard will send out four-year-old Trizzel Trazzel in Saturday’s sixth race. The filly’s lone victory to date came over the Woodbine turf last September.
“Hopefully, we can have a strong start and carry that throughout the turf season,” said Attard.
Trainer Katerina Vassilieva is also excited to get the turf season underway.
“The turf courses at Woodbine are world renowned and beautifully maintained,” said Vassilieva. “I’ve got some good grass runners in my barn and I’m looking forward to having them back on that surface. Our barn kicks off the opening of the turf with the start of Witch Hazel who runs this Saturday (Race 4).”
Woodbine’s turf racing season is headlined by the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile, Grade 1 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes and Grade 1 Summer Stakes on Saturday, September 16. The famed Grade 1 Canadian International also returns to the calendar for 2023, taking place with the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes on Sunday, October 8.
Post time for Saturday’s card of live racing is 1:10 p.m.
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