Woodbine has record handle; 2023 season opener tentatively set for April 22

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The 132-day Woodbine meet wrapped up Sunday with a record all-sources handle of $620 million, according to Woodbine Entertainment commercial president Michael Copeland.

The 126-day 2023 meet is scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 22, pending regulatory approval by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

“After thorough analysis, our original plan was to reduce the number of scheduled race days from 133 to 124 and start our season on April 29,” Copeland said. “However, as a result of the feedback provided at our most recent Stronger Together session, and from some direct conversations with individual owners, breeders, trainers and other individuals on the backstretch, we put together a race schedule for next year that supports [horsepeople] while also helping address other important operating issues we are hoping to resolve.”

Copeland said the 2023 purse commitment remains the same as 2022 at $62 million and he anticipates the same number or races to be run as in 2022.

Kazushi Kimura won his second straight riding title this year. Before taking the last week of the meet off, the Japanese native won 152 races from 755 rides and his mounts earned a meet-leading $8.9 million.

Rafael Hernandez ranked second with 122 wins. He missed the last two days of the meet after suffering broken ribs in a spill on Friday.

:: DRF Bets members get FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Join now!

Hernandez’s win on Fashionably Fab in the Dec. 9 Shady Well Stakes made him the meet’s leading stakes-winning jockey by a 16-15 margin over Kimura.

Justin Stein edged out Emma-Jayne Wilson for third by a margin of 86-85.

Sahin Civaci was the hottest rider at meet’s end and ranked fifth with 70 tallies. He was followed by Luis Contreras (66), and the leading apprentice Slade Jones (60).

Perennial leading trainer Mark Casse accumulated 119 wins from 671 starters. Kevin Attard ranked second with 95 wins, and Marty Drexler rounded out the top three with 70 victories.

Bruno Schickedanz was the leading owner by wins with 46. The partnership of Al and Bill Ulwelling ranked second with 31 scores.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.