Woodbine releases 2025 stakes schedule

Woodbine’s 2025 stakes schedule, released on Monday, revealed that the Grade 1 Canadian International will return from a hiatus and will be switched to the inner turf along with three Grade 1 stakes while the main course undergoes extensive renovations beginning in late summer.

The 166th running of the King’s Plate headlines the meet. The $1 million Tapeta event, the opening leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, is scheduled for Aug. 16 on a card which also includes the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor, a new Breeders’ Cup "Win and You’re In" contest. The middle Triple Crown race, the $400,000 Prince of Wales on the dirt at Fort Erie, goes Sept. 9. The $400,000 Breeders’ completes the series and goes over Woodbine’s inner turf on Sept. 28.

"We are excited to kick off the 2025 Thoroughbred racing season at Woodbine on April 26," said Woodbine CEO Michael Copeland. "This year’s stakes schedule promises to be one of our most exciting yet, as fans can look forward to some notable changes, including running the E.P. Taylor Stakes on King’s Plate Day and the return of the historic Canadian International. It’s going to be an incredible season, and we can’t wait to welcome racing fans and our racing community back to Woodbine."

Back at its traditional distance of 1 1/2 miles, the $750,000 Canadian International is scheduled for Oct. 4. The historic race, won by the great Secretariat in 1973, was not run in 2020, 2022, and 2024.

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The inner turf will be in full use for Turf Champions Day on Sept. 13, when a trio of Grade 1 BC "Win and You're In" qualifiers will be staged, headlined by the $1 million Woodbine Mile. The Summer and Natalma, both $500,000 tilts for 2-year-olds, round out the major turf races that Saturday.

The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks will be held July 20. The Oaks is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, a series for Canadian-bred three-year-old fillies, followed by the $250,000 Bison City Aug. 9 and $250,000 Wonder Where Sept. 6.

The Canada Day Racing Festival, scheduled for June 28, is again a marquee day on the calendar. The holiday card features five stakes races, including the Grade 2 Nassau and Grade 2 Highlander Stakes.

There are 91 stakes on the schedule, 39 of which are graded. The $125,000 Star Shoot kicks off the stakes action on opening day, while the closing day feature on Dec. 14 is the $100,000 Steady Growth.

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