Woodbine Entertainment is set to begin its 71st Thoroughbred racing season at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, tomorrow (Saturday, April 18).
The 2026 season will run from this Saturday (April 18) through December 13 with a total of 128 race dates scheduled. Saturday's opening day card will feature seven races.
"Each new season is an opportunity to build on our momentum and reaffirm our commitment to excellence in racing," said Michael Copeland, CEO of Woodbine. "We're proud to welcome back our fans, horsepeople, and partners for another year of racing. There's a real sense of anticipation as we get underway, and we're looking forward to a strong and exciting season ahead."
The crown jewel of each racing season at Woodbine is the prestigious King's Plate, which is set for its 167th running on Saturday, August 15. The $1 million King's Plate is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, which is completed by the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on September 7 and the Breeders' Stakes back at Woodbine on September 27.
Tickets are on sale now for The King's Plate, Toronto biggest social event of the summer, at KingsPlate.com.
A different look for the 2026 is the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course will not open until September. Renovations on the E.P. Taylor began following King's Plate Day last August and the project remains on track to be completed by early September, which will set the stage for Woodbine's Turf Champions Day on September 12.
A total of four Grade 1 Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Series races will be held on Turf Champions Day, featuring the Woodbine Mile, E.P. Taylor Stakes, Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes and bet365 Summer Stakes.
This will mark the first time Woodbine has held four Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races on the same card.
To view the full stakes schedule for 2026, click here.
Racing fans will be able to see the return of many familiar stars to the Toronto racetrack in 2026.
Veteran jockey Rafael Hernandez returns to defend his riding title in 2026. A native of Puerto Rico, Hernandez captured his second Woodbine title in 2025 with 148 victories and led all jockeys in earnings with $6.4 million (USD) and stakes wins with 23.
Young star Pietro Moran will look to follow up a memorable 2025 campaign that saw him capture the King's Plate with Mansetti and finish second among jockeys with 139 wins.
Hernandez and Moran are two of three finalists for Outstanding Jockey at the 2025 Sovereign Awards on April 23.
On the training side, Hall of Famer Mark Casse will be in search of his 18th Woodbine training title after a 97-win season last year earned him his latest honour. Sovereign Award-winning trainer Kevin Attard is again set to figure prominently in all areas, while Dale Desruisseaux will look to build off a career-best season in 2025 that saw him campaign multiple Sovereign Award finalists.
With morning activity continuing to pick up, the Woodbine racing calendar will start with live racing offered on Saturdays and Sundays for the first three-weeks of the meet. Fridays will be added to the schedule on May 8 and Thursdays on June 11.
Post time for the start of the meet is 1:20 p.m.
To make dining reservations for opening day and all-season at Woodbine, click here.
Horseplayers in Canada can watch and wager on the entire racing season at Woodbine through HPIbet.com and bet365.
For the latest racing schedule, live video, wagering tools and news, visit Woodbine.com or follow @WoodbineTB and @WoodbineComms on social media.
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.
