ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine launches its 2023 season on Saturday with a meet that largely resembles the 2022 version. Racing is scheduled for 133 days, ending Dec. 17. It will be conducted with a 1:10 p.m. post time on weekends until May 5, when Fridays will be added. Thursday racing begins May 25 with a 4:50 p.m. post time. The stakes program will offer more than $17 million in purses, including 39 graded stakes, five Grade 1 events, and two $1 million fixtures, the King’s Plate and Woodbine Mile. The Grade 1 Canadian International returns at a shortened distance of 1 1/4 miles on Oct. 8 after not being contested in 2020 and 2022. It will mark the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s career-ending victory in the historic turf event, and Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson is hoping the race will be rejuvenated after some lackluster editions over 1 1/2 miles. “It’s worth giving it another try rather than dropping it all together,” Lawson explained. “The mile and a quarter is being bold and trying something different. There aren’t many horses running a mile and a half these days. We’ve seen less and less breeding in North America that’s going to take horses that far. The popular sires now are milers with speed. And attracting horses from Europe is hard because there’s so much competition.” King’s Plate on Aug. 20 Transitioning from the Queen’s Plate following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, the 164th running of the King’s Plate is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 20. It kicks off the Canadian Triple Crown and will be followed by the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes on Sept. 12 at Fort Erie and the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes on Oct 1 at Woodbine. Traditionally run early in the summer, this will be the third year in a row that the Plate will be contested on the third weekend in August. :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play with FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic.  “We wanted to give the local horses that don’t go south to train in the winter the best chance to be ready at a mile and a quarter,” Lawson said. “Our wagering was just as good at that time of year, and it plays nicely into having prep races for the Woodbine Mile, Natalma, and Summer stakes.” The King’s Plate undercard will have at least three other stakes, including the Grade 2 Dance Smartly. The Grade 3 Bold Venture and Sweet Briar Too stakes are both listed for either Aug. 19 or Aug. 20. The Woodbine Mile, won last year by Modern Games, is accompanied by two $500,000 2-year-old events, the Natalma and Summer, on Sept. 16. The trio of Grade 1 races are part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In Challenge Series, and are the only races run without Lasix during the meet. The Grade 1 E.P. Taylor for fillies and mares is the co-feature on the Canadian International card. Both stakes carry a purse of $750,000. The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on July 23 is the opening leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, a series for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies. It will be followed by the $250,000 Bison City Stakes on Aug. 13 and the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes on Sept. 10. There will be five graded stakes on July 1, Canada Day: the Grade 2 Nassau, the Grade 2 Highlander, the Grade 3 Dominion Day, the Grade 3 Selene, and Grade 3 Marine. The renamed $100,000 Pink Lloyd Stakes goes June 4. Formerly the Ontario Jockey Club Stakes, the Ontario-sired sprint is named after the popular five-time Canadian champion sprinter who retired in 2021. The $250,000 Coronation Futurity for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds and the $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes for Canadian-bred 2-year-old fillies are both scheduled for Nov. 25. New deal with horsemen After arduous negotiations, Woodbine Entertainment and the Ontario HBPA reached an agreement in March for a new two-year deal that commits to $62 million in purses for the 2023 and 2024 meets. The 129-day meet in 2024 begins April 22. Reduced dates was a sticking point with the HPBA, but Woodbine expects the number of races offered to be similar as in 2023 through more optimized race scheduling. As part of the agreement, Woodbine Entertainment will continue with a contribution of $300,000 per year to the HBPA for improving working benefits and conditions for backstretch workers. “I’m glad we have a contract with the horsemen, but it’s too bad that [the negotiations] turned a little acrimonious,” Lawson said. “Our management team, including myself, really work to do what we think is best for the industry. Not everyone agrees with us, but someone has to make the tough decisions. It’s a struggling industry, and we’re trying to make sure it’s around for 30 or 40 years. “The economics of a racetrack don’t work all that well to begin with. And the demographics, from both a wagering and horse owner standpoint, are not great. We’re trying to make it attractive and have enough revenue sources to keep it going. We’ve been developing the real estate [at Woodbine] and have been working on getting sports betting. Generations are counting on working in this industry, and we want to ensure that the livelihoods of all these great people and their children and grandchildren are sustainable for decades.” Lawson said staging a long meet remains a major priority for Woodbine Entertainment. “I think the strength of Woodbine is having a big meet, so that jockeys and trainers can make a living and settle down here,” Lawson explained. “Whether that’s 120, 125, or 135 days, I don’t know for sure. What I do know is given our horse population, we’re probably running more race days now than we can handle. I’d like to look at not running a full week before the King’s Plate and a full week before the Woodbine Mile and give us a chance to have bonanza days on Plate Day and Mile Day. Given our horse population, I’m not sure that we’d have a place to move those days to.” Lawson, 65, is stepping down this fall after eight years as Woodbine Entertainment’s CEO. He said the timing is right for him to spend more time with his family. “I love the industry and I plan on staying involved,” Lawson said. “I will remain a presence within the organization, but I wanted to step back and the board accommodated me. I’ve very proud of what we’ve accomplished.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.