They decrease the brand new in the 1963
Woodbine Racetrack was a race track having Thoroughbred pony race for the the brand new Etobicoke section of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Belonging to Woodbine Entertainment Group, Woodbine Racetrack protects and machines Canada’s most famous competition, the latest King’s Plate. The brand new song is actually started inside 1956 that have a one-distance oval mud tune, as well as good seven-eights yard way. [ 1 ] This has been widely renovated while the 1993, and because 1994 has had around three racecourses. [ 2 ]
History
The current Woodbine carries title to start with utilized by good racetrack and this operate within the the southern area of Toronto, in the King Roadway Eastern and you may Kingston Roadway, from 1874 because of 1993. (Since Dated Woodbine Race course was at the fresh southern avoid out of Woodbine Opportunity, the present day Woodbine are no place near they.) During the 1951, it actually was manage from the Ontario Jockey Bar (OJC) and held the fresh prestigious King’s Dish, nonetheless it competed with many other racetracks inside the Ontario and you will was needing modernization. [ 3 ]
P. Taylor, first started a program away from racetrack acquisitions aimed at is the greatest and more than profitable operator in the Ontario pony racing, the same as Taylor’s earlier acquisitions and you can consolidations on the Canadian brewing industry. Inside the 1952, the fresh OJC betandplay purchased and you will signed the bucks-dropping Thorncliffe Playground, [ 4 ] bought and you may signed the brand new Hamilton Racetrack, and you may purchased the latest Fort Erie Racetrack for Ca$780,000 . [ 4 ] Renovations began immediately during the Fort Erie at Woodbine, funded because of the a public providing from stock for Ca$2 million . [ 12 ]
During the 1953, the newest OJC purchased Stamford Park for the Stamford township (today element of Niagara Falls, Ontario). It was closed and soon after redeveloped to the a residential subdivision. Inside 1955, Taylor himself purchased the fresh new competing Orpen-possessed Dufferin Playground Racetrack and you can A lot of time Branch Racetracks for California$four billion ($forty-two.six mil inside 2023 dollars) [ 5 ] . [ six ] The fresh Orpen tracks had been signed and you can redeveloped, while the Orpen competition charters moved to the latest OJC. The brand new OJC went on the fresh Canadian Globally and Cup-and-saucer bet racing that were held at the Orpen tunes. [ 7 ] The fresh new rushing charters gotten regarding most other music let the new OJC to operate 196 times of racing, over double the desired total off 84 weeks inside the 1952. [ 12 ]
All of the services within racetrack purchases and you may closures was basically customized to support another type of “supertrack”. In the 1952, the fresh OJC identified the new location of the racetrack at the Highway twenty-seven east of Toronto airport and you can purchased more 400 acres (160 ha). The fresh designer picked was Earle C. Morgan. Whether or not Morgan had not customized good racetrack, the guy spent the next two years development the proper execution hand in hand that have Arthur Froelich, that has tailored Hollywood Park Racetrack and you will Yard State Playground Racetrack in america. [ 8 ] The new song was created to keep 40,000 spectators, have good vehicle parking, about three race programs as well as 2 studies songs. It got stable place for one,000 horses and you will room to possess 700 teams. The fresh new grandstand, made to rating as many folks as close to the find yourself range you could, provided several dinner and you will cafeterias. [ 9 ] Structure to your the new supertrack began inside 1955.
The latest racetrack exposed on the June a dozen, 1956, founded at a price away from California$thirteen billion ($143 mil for the 2023 cash). [ 5 ] [ 10 ] It absolutely was very first known as the The fresh Woodbine Racetrack. The existing track are changed into a blended thoroughbred and you will standardbred track identified after that because Old Woodbine or, for the majority of one’s remainder of their history, while the Greenwood Raceway (throughout the standardbred match) and you can Greenwood Race-track (throughout thoroughbred suits). The two thoroughbred as well as 2 standardbred matches presented during the Greenwood was basically transferred to the brand new Woodbine inside 1994, that was until then only dedicated to thoroughbred rushing. Into the Summer 30, 1959, King Age II plus the Duke out of Edinburgh attended the fresh 100th powering of your Queen’s Plate, [ 11 ] and you can King Age II once again into the , attended the new 151st running of Queen’s Dish Stakes and you can presented trophies.
