Woodbine targets June opening day, delayed Queen's Plate

Woodbine Entertainment Group has in mind either of two dates in June for resuming Thoroughbred racing, and plans for the meet include postponing the Queen's Plate until September.

CEO Jim Lawson said in a live-streamed interview Tuesday that officials with the Toronto-area track are planning around reopening behind closed doors on June 6 or June 13.

The decision on when to get back to racing will depend on approval from provincial and municipal authorities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Lawson said.

"Let's hope we can proceed with the big caveat that this virus has to continue to cooperate and go in the right direction," he said.

"People need to get back to live racing, they need to earn a living, and there's a very large constituency in this province of people involved, and their livelihoods are dependent on horse racing."

Plans also call for Woodbine to open its training track on May 22 and to have timed workouts a week later. Officials hope to have a condition book by late this week or early next week.

Lawson said he doesn't envision the track allowing spectators until at least until September.

The Queen's Plate, originally scheduled for June 27, likely will be held in September, Lawson said.

“I think it would be a shame that owners who have horses in the Queen’s Plate wouldn’t be allowed to attend, and part of our thinking is there’s a better chance for spectators in September than August, for example," he said. "In any event, we feel like we need a couple of months of prep races to get horses ready to go a mile and a quarter. And so I believe what you’re going to see is the Queen’s Plate will be on a September date.”