Last week, Ontario’s premier horse racing operator, Woodbine Entertainment, announced its full schedule for its 2024 Standardbred stakes harness season at Woodbine Mohawk Park. For the first time since 2012, the season will feature three CA$1 million races, with the Pepsi North America Cup, the Mohawk Million, and Metro Pace all offering guaranteed purses of CA$1M.
Woodbine informed that nominations for all 2024 major stakes events at the Campbellville track will conclude on February 15, 2024. In the meantime, the operator also administrates stakes for racetracks in the province, including Grand River Raceway, Flamboro Downs, Clinton Raceway and Hanover Raceway. Stakes payments can be made at its race office, by mail or online.
Full Schedule Now Available
One of the most anticipated events of the 2024 calendar is the 41st edition of the Pepsi North America Cup for three-year-old pacers. It will be hosted on Saturday, June 15, 2024. The CA$2.2 million-plus program will also feature CA$420,000 Fan Hanover, CA$305,000 Roses Are Red, CA$210,000 Armbro Flight, CA$250,000 Goodtimes, and CA$100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup Invitational.
The Mohawk Million for two-year-old trotters and Metro Pace for two-year-old paces will be contested on September 21, 2024. The day’s CA$3.5 million-plus card will be Canada’s richest one in 2024, with the CA$660,000 Canadian Trotting Classic, the CA$540,000 Shes A Great Lady, and the CA$375,000 Elegantimage completing the rest of the card for the evening.
However, for this year’s running of the Mohawk Million, Woodbine announced changes to the conditions. Now, prices have been reduced for purchasing a slot in the race for two-year-old trotters from CA$100,000 to CA$50,000 and all 10 slots will be available for purchase. Under the previous, format nine instead of all 10 were available for purchase.
Then on August 24, 2024, the track will host the CA$620,000 William Wellwood Memorial for two-year-old trotters and the CA$425,000 Peaceful Way for two-year-old trotting fillies. There is also the CA$615,000 Canadian Pacing Derby and the CA$530,000 Maple Leaf Trot on August 31, 2024. The Grand Circuit will also feature Champlain, Simcoe, Nassagaweya, Eternal Camnation, Casual Breeze and Milton.
Fans also have to look forward to some new events on the calendar. For instance, on June 27 and June 28, 2024, the track will organize the Tompkins-Geers Stakes for two-year-olds for fillies on 27 and colds and geldings on 28. The Ontario Graduate Series is renamed the Canadian Graduate Series and is again open to all Canadian-sired four-year-olds. Its final is on May 4, 2024.
Assessing Horse Racing’s Impact
This January, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is conducting a study to examine the current economic impact of the sector. The survey is now open for completion and will be available until February 9. OLG said participation from Ontario’s harness racing industry is key to help ensure that the study will cover a wide range of data that will accurately reflect the sport’s economic contribution.
Source: “Woodbine releases schedule for 2024 stakes season” HarnessLink, January 19, 2024
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