Woodbine Racetrack opens its 71st Thoroughbred season in Toronto on Saturday with optimism, familiar faces returning to the saddle, and one of the most significant campaigns in recent memory stretching through to December. A total of 128 race dates are scheduled for 2026, beginning with a seven-race opening-day card and continuing through December 13.
There is a sense of renewal around the Ontario venue as horses return to the track and preparations intensify for a calendar packed with major fixtures. Woodbine Entertainment chief executive Michael Copeland said the new season offers another chance to build on recent progress while welcoming fans, horsemen and partners back for a fresh year of competition.
The centrepiece of the Woodbine 2026 racing season will again be the King’s Plate, set for its 167th running on Saturday, August 15. Worth $1 million, the historic contest forms the opening leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. The series continues with the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on September 7 before concluding with the Breeders’ Stakes back at Woodbine on September 27.
A notable change to the programme this year is the delayed reopening of the celebrated E.P. Taylor Turf Course. Renovation work began after King’s Plate Day last August and the course is expected to return in early September, in time for Turf Champions Day on September 12.
That card is set to carry added international significance, with four Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series races scheduled on the same afternoon for the first time. The Woodbine Mile, E.P. Taylor Stakes, Natalma Stakes and Summer Stakes will all feature, giving the meeting a prominent place on the North American calendar.
The Woodbine 2026 racing season will also bring back many of the sport’s leading names. Rafael Hernandez returns to defend his riding title after a superb 2025 campaign in which he recorded 148 winners, topped the earnings list, and led the stakes standings. Rising talent Pietro Moran, who captured last year’s King’s Plate aboard Mansetti, is expected to be among the leading challengers once again after finishing second in the jockeys’ table with 139 victories.
Both Hernandez and Moran are among the finalists for Outstanding Jockey at the 2025 Sovereign Awards, due to be presented on April 23.
Among trainers, Hall of Famer Mark Casse begins another campaign in pursuit of an 18th Woodbine title after a 97-win season last year. Kevin Attard is again expected to feature strongly across the major races, while Dale Desruisseaux aims to build on a career-best season that included several Sovereign Award finalists.
The early schedule follows a gradual expansion. Live racing will be staged on Saturdays and Sundays for the opening three weeks of the meet, with Fridays added from May 8 and Thursdays joining the programme from June 11. Opening-day post time is 1:20 p.m.
For Woodbine, the season begins with tradition intact, fresh improvements underway, and the promise of another long year of top-class racing in Toronto.
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