Woodbine goes the Distance in 2016

If you are a fan of thoroughbred horse racing, it has been a great year to follow Woodbine Racetrack.

From Tepin winning the Woodbine Mile to right-handed turf racing...

...from Sir Dudley Digges in the Queen’s Plate to an Eruption in the Pattison Canadian International, the 2016 season at the Toronto oval has had something for everyone. The Pizza Man delivered, there were track records on the Tapeta surface, which proved to be a consistent and safe replacement of the old Polytrack, fantastic turf racing, as always, and as many interesting betting options as any track in North America -- Woodbine truly went the distance for fans and handicappers alike. It seems only fitting then that Sunday’s 1 ¾-mile Valedictory will highlight closing day of the eight-month thoroughbred racing season. 

Meet leading jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva will hop aboard the defending champion, Melmich, who won this race by more than ten lengths last year. The chestnut gelding has been a real find for trainer Kevin Attard and owners Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman. Since being claimed for only $20,000 just over two years ago, the five-year-old son of Wilko has put together a sparkling record of 10 wins in 17 starts, with all the wins coming at Woodbine. The winner of the Grade 3 Dominion Day in July was most recently a competitive fourth behind Scuba in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Marathon at Santa Anita. That race was also at 14-furlongs, further demonstrating his fondness for the trip. 

Chief among his six rivals will be the graded stakes winner, Aldous Snow. Still going strong at age seven, once upon a time the Sam-Son charge finished a close second in the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the 12-furlong Breeders’ Stakes. Better known for his turf prowess, the son of Theatrical has shown a strong affinity for the Tapeta, having won two straight strong allowance races at 12 and 13-furlongs respectively. 

The closing day card will also feature 13 other races, with 151 horses in total entered for the meet, making it a great betting day. Along those lines, Woodbine will be offering a mandatory payout in the Jackpot Hi5, with a carryover already over $260,000. While the Hi5 is guaranteed to be paid out after the 14^th and final race, the closing day menu will also feature a pair of Pick 4 sequences, both carrying a guarantee of at least $100,000. Finally, the Pick-5 starting in Race 2 will have a $50,000 guarantee.   

2016 marked the 60^th year of racing at Woodbine. It’s not over until Sunday night, but as many good things happened this year, I’m already looking forward to next year!