Woodbine’s senior vice-president of Thoroughbred and Standardbred Racing JESSICA BUCKLEY communicated the following updates for horsepeople for the 2021 racing season:
1. Bio-Security Fund – one-time annual fee for each horse that starts at Woodbine
During the outbreak of EHV-1 in May 2020, there were considerable costs incurred by owners to complete all the necessary veterinary testing. Woodbine will create a Bio-Security Fund to operate akin to a partial insurance plan and will assist owners in paying a portion of the costs of any future testing, should there be an infectious disease outbreak amongst the racing population. Details of the fund will be communicated in the spring of 2021, and will be managed by the joint Woodbine, HBPA Equine Health & Safety Committee. Each horse that makes a start at Woodbine, will be charged a one-time annual fee of $25 upon its first start of the season.
2. Maidens: Please be advised that Maiden 6 year olds and up will not be eligible to race at Woodbine in the 2021 season.
Stall Applications
1. Stall Applications for the 2021 racing season are due by Friday, January 29, 2021. Please note that trainers must be in good standing with Woodbine, including, if necessary, a payment plan for any outstanding environmental charges. Additionally, stalls will be allocated based on a number of data
points for consideration including horses’ ability, starts per stall and trainer’s contribution to the overall Woodbine program.
2. Stall applications are available at woodbine.com or please contact Scott Lane, Race Secretary at slane@woodbine.com or Tim Lawson, Mgr Racing Development and Stabling Operations at tlawson@woodbine.com.
Horse Acquisition Program:
The following program will be in place for the 2021 Thoroughbred season at Woodbine Racetrack.
Horse Acquisition Incentive:
The incentive program noted below is intended to help local horsemen acquire new, race ready horses over the offseason for the start of the 2021 season at Woodbine:
• Open to all local horsemen (Owners) who stabled at Woodbine during the 2020 season for at least 3 consecutive months and have submitted a stall application for the 2021 season at Woodbine.
• Race ready horses (3 YO and upward) acquired that have never raced or stabled at Woodbine, and have made a start in a race at the $25,000 claiming level or higher pre-purchase, in the previous 6 months (Oct 1, 2020 – April 1, 2021) in a jurisdiction other than Ontario, the following incentive is available:
* $1,000 shipping allowance per horse, payable upon the horse entering an allocated stall on Woodbine’s
backstretch on or before April 17, 2021 and makes at least one start on or before June 5, 2021.
* $1,500/per start the new horse makes at Woodbine between the dates of April 17 and June 5, 2021, up to a
maximum of three starts including the start noted above.
Total available incentive value per horse: $5,500 Cdn
KEY DATES:
1. Friday, January 29, 2021 – Stall Applications Due
2. Monday, February 1, 2021 – Nominations due for Canadian Triple Crown and Woodbine Oaks
3. Monday, February 22, 2021 – Backstretch re-opens for set-up
4. Wednesday, February 24, 2021 – Horses begin shipping in
5. Thursday, February 25, 2021 – Sand Ring and Training Track Open- weather permitting
6. Saturday, March 20, 2021 – Main Track Opens – weather permitting
7. Saturday, April 17, 2021 – anticipated Opening Day
Woodbine also announced Dec. 8 that it has retained the services of Collaborative Equities and its Managing Principal and prominent developer William Kohn Fleissig to lead its property development portfolio.
In the capacity of Chief Development Officer and providing direct consultation to CEO Jim Lawson, Fleissig will work closely with Woodbine’s executive leadership team to strategically and responsibly redevelop its underutilized lands to expand its revenue streams and ensure the long-term sustainability of the horse racing industry in Ontario.
Fleissig joins Woodbine as one of the most innovative land developers and community builders of the past 20 years. Recent highlights from his extensive portfolio include serving as the Managing Director, Treasure Island Development Group (TIDG) where he led the infrastructure development of a 400-acre, $6 billion new community in San Francisco, designated as the largest LEED-ND Platinum neighborhood in North America. Prior to joining TIDG in 2018, Fleissig was President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto, a tri-government backed organization tasked with revitalizing 2,000 acres of industrial lands adjacent to Toronto’s downtown core.
“As a recognized global leader, Will’s experience and acumen will be instrumental in guiding Woodbine’s robust, ambitious and exciting property development portfolio,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “The development of the property surrounding our racetracks remains fundamental to our strategy in sustaining our business and the horse racing industry for decades to come. We are excited to have Will lead our efforts to help bring the most exciting development project in Canada to life.”
Situated in Etobicoke, Woodbine Entertainment operates Thoroughbred Horse Racing at Woodbine Racetrack and hosts Casino Woodbine, which sits on 680 acres of property that is also owned by Woodbine Entertainment and is highly desirable and largely undeveloped land just minutes from Toronto Pearson Airport. Woodbine Districts will continue to be the ultimate destination for horse racing and gaming, while integrating new expanded entertainment and cultural offerings, food and dining, hotel, shopping, employment, post-secondary education, recreation, health, wellness, and urban residential living. As part of the development plan, a world-class casino resort is currently being built by Ontario Gaming GTA LP in the northeast corner of the property while a Metrolinx Go Station is planned for the southeast corner.
“Through careful stewardship of its land assets, Woodbine can secure long-term benefits by developing a complete neighborhood district — incorporating a mix of homes, commercial uses, community venues and public parks,” said Fleissig. “I look forward to leading the team to ensure we deliver vibrant, sustainable places for the community to enjoy while supporting the Ontario horse racing industry.”
Additional examples of memorable places developed by Fleissig-led teams include the largest “zero net energy” community in the United States, a 130-acre West Village Campus at The University of California, Davis; along with Belmar, a 103-acre former shopping centre site that was redeveloped into a stunning new downtown in Lakewood, Colorado combining shopping, dining, entertainment, employment, residences, cultural venues and parks. Both the West Village Campus and Belmar received the prestigious Urban Land Institute Global Award of Excellence. Fleissig is also recognized as a thought leader in integrating transit and development, having served as a long-time board member of Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit Oriented Development.
Fleissig, who spearheaded the $1.25 billion funding package for the Port Lands revitalization while at Waterfront Toronto, has previously collaborated with Metrolinx, the Province, the City of Toronto and Infrastructure Canada.
With experience as a green builder, as a municipal planning head, and as a policy advisor to non-profit organizations, Fleissig has helped to shape the next generation of development and planning leaders through previous teaching positions at The University of Colorado’s Real Estate Center, UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, School of Architecture and Planning Departments and at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.
Fleissig will begin his role as Chief Development Officer effective immediately.
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