Where did all the judges go?

The HPIbet partnership with the Pari-Mutuel Urbain could also bring WMP trotting to French bettors. by Melissa Keith In early 2024, French trotters quietly expanded their presence on Canada's only legal online wagering platform for horse racing. On Jan. 25, Woodbine Entertainment's HPIbet offered its first full eight-race card from Hippodrome…

One of the biggest races of the year is just days away and Ontario-based users of formerly "grey" sportsbooks no longer have access to what might have been their usual way of betting on the sport of kings. Ontario horseplayers may want to pour themselves a mint julep before reading this. That's because recent changes to sports betting in…

What could be one of the greatest horse races of all time will take place Nov. 25 at The Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. The $350000 Fanduel Championship Open Pace has drawn a full field of 10 horses in Race 11 of the evening slated for 11:30 p.m., Atlantic, which includes three-year-old speedster Confederate. The sophomore son of Sweet Lou…

TORONTO- Woodbine Entertainment, Canada's leading race track operator, and global sports betting leader bet365, are proud to announce that horse racing is now available to Ontario sports bettors through bet365's Ontario site. "This a great day for Ontario sports bettors and especially for the horse racing industry in the province," said Jim Lawson,…

Ontario sports bettors will be able to place online wagers on the $1-million King's Plate. Woodbine Entertainment has reached an agreement with bet365 to make horse racing available to Ontario sports bettors through the online betting company's platform. The deal means sports punters will be able to wager on the King's Plate, the opening jewel of…

TORONTO - Ontario sports bettors will be able to place online wagers on the $1-million King's Plate. TORONTO - Ontario sports bettors will be able to place online wagers on the $1-million King's Plate. Woodbine Entertainment has reached an agreement with bet365 to make horse racing available to Ontario sports bettors through the online betting…

Ontario sports bettors will be able to place online wagers on the $1-million King's Plate. Woodbine Entertainment has reached an agreement with bet365 to make horse racing available to Ontario sports bettors through the online betting company's platform. The deal means sports punters will be able to wager on the King's Plate, the opening jewel of…

When a race caller is a major part of a racetrack's identity, finding others to fill in for him isn't easy. When that race caller is Woodbine Mohawk Park's Ken Middleton, out for an indefinite timespan, the matter is even trickier. The mainstay of Canada's top harness track is a familiar and popular aspect of what makes Mohawk so successful. When…

TORONTO, June 13, 2023 - In May of 2016 Jonathan Drury drove Betting Line (Bettor's Delight) to a runner-up finish in his seasonal harness racing debut at Woodbine Mohawk Park. It was a standard early season overnight tune-up for a sophomore pointed at major summer stakes. Afterwards, Drury told trainer Casie Coleman that he was upset because he…

In May 2016, Jonathan Drury drove Betting Line to a runner-up finish in his seasonal debut at Woodbine Mohawk Park. It was a standard early season overnight tune-up for a sophomore pointed at major summer stakes. Afterwards, Drury told trainer Casie Coleman that he was upset because he was going to be the only driver to lose all season sitting…

Woodbine Mohawk Park simulcast show welcomes a familiar face. by Melissa Keith The Woodbine Mohawk Park (WMP) 2023 International Women's Day simulcast was a harbinger of good things to come, especially for one woman with deep roots in Ontario harness racing. On March 9, Elissa Blowe co-hosted the special show alongside regular WMP racing…

Hugh Mitchell | courtesy Woodbine Entertainment Group Horse racing is an honourable sport that is steeped in tradition; built by generations of hardworking and passionate individuals and families. It's an industry that brings people together from all walks of life, and is critically dependent on everyone's contribution to its stability and success.…

Jim Lawson at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo) Woodbine Communications TORONTO, On. -Woodbine Entertainment today announced that Jim Lawson will be stepping down from his role as CEO this fall. Lawson, who has been CEO since 2015, wants to spend more time with his family and believes it's time to hand the reins to the next leader. "Being CEO of…

Jim Lawson will step down from his role as CEO of Woodbine Entertainment this fall. Lawson, who has been CEO since 2015, wants to spend more time with his family and believes it's time to hand the reins to the next leader. "Being CEO of Woodbine Entertainment has been a great honor and passion for me," said Lawson. "On a personal level, I have…

TORONTO, MARCH 23, 2023 - It might not feel like it, but according to the calendar spring started this week, and that means the harness racing stakes season is right around the corner. With that in mind, we checked in with last year's Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Super Final winners to see how they are preparing for their return to the…

Tyler Jones had several drives last Thursday (Jan. 12) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, but the card ended up canceled due to unexpectedly-warm weather, which had created unsafe track conditions. It struck him as slightly ironic: "For sure the weather is a big difference [from Florida], however it's been a fairly mild winter thus far racing at Mohawk,"…

Part 2 of our conversation with Woodbine's Chris Lush. by Melissa Keith Woodbine Mohawk Park conducted its first live races of 2023 on Monday evening (Jan. 2), beginning the new year on a positive note: Last month, the Campbellville, ON track announced that its annual all-sources wagering for 2022 had gone over the $400 million (Cdn) mark for the…

For various legal reasons, there is no wagering offered on horse racing by the legion of online sports betting apps and websites that have launched in Ontario. Woodbine wants to change that. If one company's efforts are successful, online sportsbooks in Ontario could be taking bets on horse races long before the next Kentucky Derby. For various…

This year, Campbellville's racetrack Woodbine Mohawk Park became the witness to yet another exciting edition of the Breeders Crown. The track's operator Woodbine Entertainment reported that the 2022 running of the race has generated some impressive attendance and wagering handle. Finals for the race were held on Friday, October 28 and Saturday,…

There wasn't much surprise when a trotter from the barn of John Bax was revealed as a Mohawk Million entrant on Monday (Sept. 19). If there was a surprise, it came when Righteous Resolve's name wasn't mentioned. Bax, who had a surprise of his own on Tuesday morning when he got the call to inform him that he was a finalist for the Canadian Horse…

The CEO of the Woodbine Entertainment Group warns the launch of an online sports betting and casino market in Ontario is a threat to horse racing and its 25000 jobs in the province. by Dave Briggs Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson said there's no question an open Ontario sports betting market will hurt the province's massive horse racing industry. He's not…

It was a fitting result for Woodbine's leading trainer Mark Casse on Sunday, as Sir Winston and Frosted Over went one-two, respectively, in the Grade 3 $155700 Valedictory Stakes on the final card of the 2021 Thoroughbred season at the Toronto oval. The Woodbine meet also concluded with a record setting handle of $8530593. Jockey Patrick Husbands…

TORONTO, December 1, 2021 - Woodbine Entertainment today announced the 163 running of the $1 million Queen's Plate, first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, will be held on Sunday, August 21, 2022 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. Contested annually to showcase Canada's finest three-year-old Thoroughbreds, The Queen's Plate…

Woodbine Entertainment today announced the 163rd running of the $1 million Queen's Plate, first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, will be held on Sunday, August 21, 2022 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. Contested annually to showcase Canada's finest 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, The Queen's Plate is one of the country's…