ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine has announced purse increases for overnight and Ontario bonus programs effective for this year’s meet, which begins on April 18. The overnight increases, as much as 7.7 percent on base purses, apply to maiden special weight races and select maiden optional-claiming races. Overnight purses will average approximately $450,000 per card for 2020. Maiden special weight races for 2-year-olds will go for a total of $126,800, including Ontario-sired and Ontario-bred bonuses. Maiden special weight races for 3-year-olds and up will be worth $123,200, including both of those bonuses. :: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Ontario-sired bonuses will increase from 30 to 33 percent, and Ontario-bred bonuses climb from 20 to 43 percent for the aforementioned categories. Total purses for the hybrid races that combine $40,000 claimers with Ontario-sired allowance runners will be just over $60,000, including the Ontario-sired and Ontario-bred bonuses. The Ontario-sired bonuses will increase from 20 to 33 percent, and the Ontario-bred bonuses remain at 20 percent. New for this year is the option for Ontario-sired horses to run in this condition with or without the claiming tag and still be eligible for the Ontario-sired bonus. Woodbine is offering a new hybrid race combining $25,000 maiden claimers with Ontario-sired maidens for a purse of $48,300, including bonuses. To run protected at this level, the Ontario-sired horses will had to have competed in maiden $40,000/Ontario-sired events with three consecutive finishes of sixth or worse in 2019-2020.  Woodbine has increased the Ontario-sired bonus from 20 to 22 percent on every other condition. Ontario-sired and Ontario-bred bonuses are paid out to the top five finishers in a race. The 133-day meet has 87 stakes and total purses of $61 million, highlighted by three $1 million races: the Queen’s Plate, the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, and the Grade 1 Canadian International. “Woodbine is committed to attracting and retaining top quality horses in support of a strong racing program,” said Jessica Buckley, senior vicepresident of Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing for Woodbine Entertainment. “We are pleased to offer enhanced overnight purses for some conditions as well as significant bonus increases for the Ontario-sired and Ontario-bred programs that will benefit the local horse racing industry.” The first condition for the meet is now available at Woodbine.com.