Revised Woodbine stakes schedule excludes Canadian International

Woodbine Entertainment unveiled its revised stakes schedule for the 2020 Thoroughbred racing season, which is now scheduled to open on Saturday, June 6, and to run through Sunday, Dec. 13, at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.

The 2020 stakes program includes $13.8 million (Canadian) in purses across 75 stakes and features The Queen’s Plate (Saturday, Sept. 12) and the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile (Saturday, Sept. 19) scheduled on back-to-back weekends for the first time in Woodbine’s storied history.

“It’s been an unprecedented year, which has led to a unique stakes schedule that we are very excited about,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “The summer stakes schedule will build the anticipation for a very busy and exciting fall at Woodbine Racetrack highlighted by the running of our two biggest stakes races on back-to-back Saturdays.”

Due to complications with international travel, at this time the Pattison Canadian International (Grade 1) has been cancelled for the 2020 season. For this season, Pattison Outdoor will be the presenting sponsor of the Northern Dancer.

Here are highlights of this year’s stakes schedule:

• The Canadian Triple Crown will get underway with the 161st running of The Queen’s Plate followed by the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie racetrack on Tuesday, Sept. 29, and concluding on the turf at Woodbine with the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes on Saturday, Oct. 24. 
  
  
• Designated as Breeders’ Cup “Win And You’re In” races, the Ricoh Woodbine Mile will be followed by the Grade 1 Summer Stakes and the filly companion Grade 1 Natalma Stakes for 2-year-olds on Sunday, Sept. 20. 
  
  
• The Woodbine Cares and Ontario Racing Stakes, new juvenile inner turf stakes that launched in 2019, will be contested on Saturday, Sept. 19 with purses increased to $135,000 each.
  
  
• Sunday, Oct. 18 will feature the $600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1), the $300,000 Northern Dancer (G1) and the $250,000 Nearctic Stakes (G2).
  
  
• Woodbine’s Ladies of the Lawn Series, which provides the winner with a $75,000 bonus, returns in 2020 with the first leg on Saturday, June 27 with the $175,000 Nassau Stakes (G2); followed by the $175,000 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2) on Saturday, August 15; the $250,000 Canadian Stakes (G2) on Saturday, Sept. 12; and the E.P. Taylor Stakes. The inaugural winner of the 2019 Ladies of the Lawn Series was Canadian Horse of the YearStarship Jubilee.
  
  
• The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, headlines another major race card on Saturday, Aug. 15 that will include the $150,000 Plate Trial, which is one of six Canadian-foaled classics to receive a purse boost for 2020.
  
  
• The Greenwood Stakes has been shifted to Saturday, Aug. 1 and is one of three Ontario-Bred stakes on the calendar with purses increased from $125,000 to $150,000.