Revised schedule consists of 75 stakes; Canadian International canceled due to travel concerns

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine’s revised stakes schedule reveals that the historic Canadian International has been shelved for this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A release put out by Woodbine Entertainment on Wednesday stated that complications with international travel led to the cancellation of the Grade 1 fixture. The Oct. 18 card on which it was scheduled remains an excellent one, headed by the Grade 1, $600,000 E.P. Taylor and the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf. Pattison, the longtime sponsor of the Canadian International, will sponsor the $300,000 Northern Dancer this year.

The 2020 stakes program is worth $13.8 million for the 75 stakes. The Sept. 12 Queen’s Plate and Sept. 19 Woodbine Mile will be run on back-to-back weekends for the first time in Woodbine history.

“It’s been an unprecedented year, which has led to a unique stakes schedule that we are very excited about,” said Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson. “The summer stakes schedule will build the anticipation for a very busy and exciting fall at Woodbine Racetrack, highlighted by the running of our two biggest stakes races on back-to-back Saturdays.”

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Canadian-bred 3-year-olds will prep for the $1 million Queen’s Plate in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks and $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes on Aug. 15.

The Queen’s Plate card includes two other stakes, the Grade 2, $250,000 Canadian and the $250,000 Bison City.

There are three other stakes on the spectacular Woodbine Mile program, most notably the Grade 3, $125,000 Singspiel.

Promising 2-year-olds will be on display the day after the Woodbine Mile in the Summer and Natalma, two Grade 1 events worth $250,000 apiece. Both are Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Win and You’re In qualifiers, which is also the case with the $1 million Woodbine Mile.

The $400,000 Breeders’, the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, is set for Oct. 24. The Queen’s Plate kicks off the series, with the middle leg, the $400,000 Prince of Wales, scheduled for Sept. 29 at Fort Erie.

The stakes schedule kicks off June 13 with a double-header, the $100,000 Woodstock and the $100,000 Star Shoot.

Three-time Canadian champion male sprinter Pink Lloyd figures to head the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier on June 20.

The meet is scheduled to go from June 6 to Dec. 13. The Grade 3 Valedictory, a 1 3/4-mile marathon worth $125,000, is the closing day feature.

For the entire schedule, click here.