Woodbine Announces 2024 Stakes Schedule
The Woodbine season is set to kick off on April 27, with the storied million-dollar King’s Plate and Woodbine Mile headlining the stakes schedule.
Stakes Schedule
The 165th running of the King’s Plate will take place on August 17, while the Woodbine Mile, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In,” will run off on August 28. The two races will be among 38 graded stakes, including four Grade 1 events.
Vice-President’s Comment
“It’s exciting to have the dates locked and start working towards our major events,” said Woodbine’s vice-president of Thoroughbred Racing, Tim Lawson. “We are proud of our entire stakes program and looking forward to what 2024 brings.”
King’s Plate and Woodbine Mile
The King’s Plate, won last year by Paramount Prince with veteran Barbadian Patrick Husbands aboard, will also launch the Triple Crown, with the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes on September 10 and the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes on September 29, the remaining legs. Husbands will chase a record-equalling fourth King’s Plate this season, following previous victories with Wando in 2002 and Lexie Lou in 2014.
The Woodbine Mile will headline Canada’s most lucrative day of horse racing as one of four Grade 1 events scheduled for September 14. The Woodbine Mile, won last year by Godolphin’s Master of the Seas, will be run on the same card as the $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes, the $500,000 Natalma Stakes, and the $500,000 Summer Stakes.
Other Notable Events
Woodbine will also host another cash-rich day of racing on June 29, with the Canada Day Racing Festival fielding a program comprising the $200,000 Grade 2 Highlander Stakes and $175,000 Grade 2 Nassau Stakes, along with the Dominion Day Stakes, Selene Stakes, and Marine Stakes—all Grade 3, $150,000 events. The half-million dollar Woodbine Oaks on July 20 will act as the first leg of the Triple Tiara, featuring the $250,000 Bison City Stakes on August 10 and the $150,000 Wonder Where Stakes on September 8.
Conclusion
The Woodbine season promises to be an exciting one, with a packed stakes schedule and a variety of high-stakes races to look forward to. From the King’s Plate to the Woodbine Mile, there’s something for every horse racing fan to enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
* When does the Woodbine season begin?
+ April 27
* When is the King’s Plate scheduled to take place?
+ August 17
* When is the Woodbine Mile scheduled to take place?
+ August 28
* How many graded stakes will be held during the Woodbine season?
+ 38
* What is the total purse for the Woodbine Mile?
+ $1 million