GRACIAS!
as hinted in THOROUGHBLOG towards the end of the 2007 Woodbine season, the Woodbine stakes schedule changed dramatically for 2008 with the announcement that seevral races have joined the Win and You're In title for Breeders' Cup.
If you are a grass horse, you're doing quite all right at Woodbine...read on...
Woodbine 2008 stakes schedule to feature "Win and You're In" racesTORONTO, February 14 -
Woodbine's 2008 Thoroughbred stakes schedule,released today by Woodbine Entertainment Group, features a new incentivethat is certain to attract a strong cast of participants.
In addition to offering over $22 million in purses, six of thecalendar's 103 races are part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series andfeature a lucrative "Win and You're In" guarantee.
A score in one of the six events, all of which take place over theworld-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course, earns the victor a berth in thecorresponding event at the Breeders' Cup, set for October 24 & 25 atSanta Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
The winner of the $1 million Woodbine Mile on Sunday, September 7, forinstance, is assured an entry in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile. Thetwo-year-old filly that takes the Sunday, September 14 Natalma Stakeswill receive a berth in the new Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The final four Woodbine events in the Series will anchor a stellarautumn card on Saturday, October 4.
The Toronto oval's richest event, the $2 million Pattison CanadianInternational, and the $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes, for fillies andmares, were moved up two weeks for inclusion in the "Win and You're In"concept.
The Grade 1 turf features are accompanied by the $500,000 NearcticStakes, a Grade 2 turf sprint, and the $300,000 Summer Stakes, a Grade 3grass test for two-year-olds.
Both are also part of the ChallengeSeries. ESPN, the prominent U.S. TV sports network, will be broadcasting allfour International day "Win and You're In" events live from Woodbine.
"We are thrilled with our 2008 stakes schedule," said Steve Lym,Woodbine's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. "Our prominent lateseason turf stakes have always been popular with fans and horsemen, andnow that we have six 'Win and You're In' events, those cards will beeven more exciting."
As in 2007, Woodbine is committed to the creation of full-day eventsand has grouped important added-money features on the same card.
Threeracing programmes will serve fans and horsemen a stakes menu worth $1.5million or more. This year, the $750,000 Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf Stakes,which was upgraded to Grade 1, will be contested on Woodbine Mile dayand should serve as a natural stepping stone to the Pattison CanadianInternational. The Grade 2, $300,000 Canadian Stakes, for turf filliesand mares, will also take place on Mile day.
The Queen's Plate, Canada's most renowned horse race and NorthAmerica's oldest continuously-run stakes event, will have its 149thrunning on Sunday, June 22. The 1 1/4-mile classic, the first jewel inCanada's Triple Crown of Racing, is worth $1 million.The $200,000 Scotts Highlander Stakes and the $150,000 SingspielStakes, now a Grade 3 event, will complement the Plate day programme.
The Breeders' Stakes, third and turf gem of racing's Triple Crown, isset for Sunday, August 3 at Woodbine.
The 1 1/2-mile turf event carriesa purse of $500,000. The middle leg of the three-race series, the$500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, will be run at Fort Erie on Sunday,July 13.The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, the first leg inthe Canada's Triple Tiara of Racing, is scheduled for Sunday, June 8.
Known for the last several years as the Labatt Woodbine Oaks, the raceis now sponsored by the company's Budweiser brand.
The Woodbine meet runs for 167 dates from Saturday, April 5 to Sunday,December 7.
The entire 2008 Woodbine stakes schedule, which is subject to OntarioRacing Commission approval, follows.For further details on the schedule, please visitwww.woodbineentertainment.com.2008 Stakes Schedule.
If you are a grass horse, you're doing quite all right at Woodbine...read on...
Woodbine 2008 stakes schedule to feature "Win and You're In" racesTORONTO, February 14 -
Woodbine's 2008 Thoroughbred stakes schedule,released today by Woodbine Entertainment Group, features a new incentivethat is certain to attract a strong cast of participants.
In addition to offering over $22 million in purses, six of thecalendar's 103 races are part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series andfeature a lucrative "Win and You're In" guarantee.
A score in one of the six events, all of which take place over theworld-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course, earns the victor a berth in thecorresponding event at the Breeders' Cup, set for October 24 & 25 atSanta Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
The winner of the $1 million Woodbine Mile on Sunday, September 7, forinstance, is assured an entry in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile. Thetwo-year-old filly that takes the Sunday, September 14 Natalma Stakeswill receive a berth in the new Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The final four Woodbine events in the Series will anchor a stellarautumn card on Saturday, October 4.
The Toronto oval's richest event, the $2 million Pattison CanadianInternational, and the $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes, for fillies andmares, were moved up two weeks for inclusion in the "Win and You're In"concept.
The Grade 1 turf features are accompanied by the $500,000 NearcticStakes, a Grade 2 turf sprint, and the $300,000 Summer Stakes, a Grade 3grass test for two-year-olds.
Both are also part of the ChallengeSeries. ESPN, the prominent U.S. TV sports network, will be broadcasting allfour International day "Win and You're In" events live from Woodbine.
"We are thrilled with our 2008 stakes schedule," said Steve Lym,Woodbine's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. "Our prominent lateseason turf stakes have always been popular with fans and horsemen, andnow that we have six 'Win and You're In' events, those cards will beeven more exciting."
As in 2007, Woodbine is committed to the creation of full-day eventsand has grouped important added-money features on the same card.
Threeracing programmes will serve fans and horsemen a stakes menu worth $1.5million or more. This year, the $750,000 Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf Stakes,which was upgraded to Grade 1, will be contested on Woodbine Mile dayand should serve as a natural stepping stone to the Pattison CanadianInternational. The Grade 2, $300,000 Canadian Stakes, for turf filliesand mares, will also take place on Mile day.
The Queen's Plate, Canada's most renowned horse race and NorthAmerica's oldest continuously-run stakes event, will have its 149thrunning on Sunday, June 22. The 1 1/4-mile classic, the first jewel inCanada's Triple Crown of Racing, is worth $1 million.The $200,000 Scotts Highlander Stakes and the $150,000 SingspielStakes, now a Grade 3 event, will complement the Plate day programme.
The Breeders' Stakes, third and turf gem of racing's Triple Crown, isset for Sunday, August 3 at Woodbine.
The 1 1/2-mile turf event carriesa purse of $500,000. The middle leg of the three-race series, the$500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, will be run at Fort Erie on Sunday,July 13.The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, the first leg inthe Canada's Triple Tiara of Racing, is scheduled for Sunday, June 8.
Known for the last several years as the Labatt Woodbine Oaks, the raceis now sponsored by the company's Budweiser brand.
The Woodbine meet runs for 167 dates from Saturday, April 5 to Sunday,December 7.
The entire 2008 Woodbine stakes schedule, which is subject to OntarioRacing Commission approval, follows.For further details on the schedule, please visitwww.woodbineentertainment.com.2008 Stakes Schedule.
posted by Jen Morrison @ 11:07 AM
5 Comments:
At 10:44 AM,
Anonymous said…
It's nice to have these WAYI races on our home turf. It should attract larger fields to Woodbine, and might give some Canadian-based horses a bit of an advantage.
But browsing the new stakes schedule, one thing continues to bother me. It seems that no matter where Woodbine tries to put the Northern Dancer race on the stakes schedule, it just doesn't seem to fit. It didn't really work in July because it was too close to the Arlington Million. Now, putting it on the same day as the Woodbine Mile doesn't feel right, either. Of course the races are two different distances, but I think pairing them up like that might dilute the fields and take some of the shine away from the Mile, which has always been a marquee race. It just seems a strange move on Woodbine's part. Why not put the race in August or June, maybe even on the Saturday of Plate weekend, and make that week huge for the Woodbine meet? I think that would be very lucrative, and may get a lot of US-based trainers shipping up here. Some come for the Plate anyway; why not bring a turf horse along too?
At 12:01 PM,
Anonymous said…
Ihave a problem with the heads talking head's at HPI.Why is it that when a horse wins by open length's ...its a very nice win.They all use the words very nice hundred's of times a day ,it get's to be too much. and why does it sound like Serge Leblank struggles for every word?
hmmmmmmmmm some people beton thier opinion's,so maybe these people should do a little research on the upcoming cards for the day,instead of flying by the seat of there pant's when they punch the clock.
At 10:25 AM,
Anonymous said…
I almost never go with HPI's picks. If the Maven picks your horse, run to the windows and change your bet ASAP. At least you can count on that. :)
At 8:51 PM,
Anonymous said…
I agree with the Maven comment, he has been absent recently. I don't think the host picks have been that bad. I follow them and there have been some decent prices at times.
At 8:48 AM,
Anonymous said…
I don't have a problem with most of of the HPI commentators; I just don't pick their horses. By far the best one they have is Renee Kierens. It's too bad she isn't on more often. If she picks a horse, I will take a good long look at it if I haven't already.
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