Within the 1950s, the fresh new OJC, within the frontrunners out of Canadian industrialist and you can horse breeder E

They fell the brand new inside the 1963

Woodbine Racetrack are a race-track for Thoroughbred pony racing inside the the latest Etobicoke section of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Belonging to Woodbine Activities Group, Woodbine Racetrack takes care of and hosts Canada’s most well-known competition, the fresh King’s Dish. The latest track is opened for the 1956 which have a single-distance oval dirt tune, in addition to a eight-eights yard movement. [ one ] It’s been commonly remodeled since 1993, and since 1994 has received around three racecourses. [ 2 ]

Background

The present day Woodbine offers the name in the first place used by a racetrack hence work within the the southern area of Toronto, in the Slots of Vegas Queen Street Eastern and Kingston Path, away from 1874 thanks to 1993. (Because the Dated Woodbine Race-course was at the latest southern stop out of Woodbine Method, the present day Woodbine try no place close it.) During the 1951, it actually was work by Ontario Jockey Bar (OJC) and kept the new prestigious King’s Plate, however it competed with many different other racetracks inside Ontario and you can is actually searching for adaptation. [ 12 ]

P. Taylor, first started a course away from racetrack purchases geared towards become the biggest and most successful agent within the Ontario pony rushing, similar to Taylor’s prior to purchases and consolidations regarding the Canadian brewing world. Inside 1952, the latest OJC ordered and you will closed the bucks-dropping Thorncliffe Playground, [ 4 ] bought and finalized the latest Hamilton Racetrack, and you can ordered the latest Fort Erie Racetrack for Ca$780,000 . [ 4 ] Renovations first started quickly within Fort Erie and also at Woodbine, financed by the a general public offering of stock to possess Ca$2 mil . [ 12 ]

In the 1953, the fresh OJC ordered Stamford Playground inside the Stamford township (now element of Niagara Drops, Ontario). It had been signed and later redeveloped on the a residential subdivision. Within the 1955, Taylor themselves ordered the brand new fighting Orpen-had Dufferin Park Racetrack and you can Long Part Racetracks to own California$4 million ($44.6 billion inside 2023 bucks) [ 5 ] . [ 6 ] The brand new Orpen songs was finalized and you will redeveloped, as well as the Orpen battle charters gone to live in the latest OJC. The fresh OJC proceeded the newest Canadian Globally and you can Cup and saucer limits events that were stored from the Orpen music. [ 7 ] The newest race charters acquired regarding most other songs enabled the latest OJC to perform 196 times of racing, more than double its acceptance total out of 84 months inside the 1952. [ twenty-three ]

All the work in the racetrack acquisitions and you will closures were designed to support an alternative “supertrack”. During the 1952, the new OJC understood the fresh new located area of the racetrack during the Highway 27 eastern of one’s Toronto airport and you may bought more 400 miles (160 ha). The newest architect picked is actually Earle C. Morgan. Whether or not Morgan hadn’t customized a good racetrack, the guy spent another a couple of years development the shape together having Arthur Froelich, that has tailored Hollywood Park Racetrack and you may Yard Condition Park Racetrack in america. [ 8 ] The fresh track was designed to keep forty,000 spectators, provides nice parking, three race programmes and two education songs. It got steady area for one,000 horses and you will rooms for 700 staff. The new grandstand, made to rating as many people as close to the end range that one can, included numerous dining and you can cafeterias. [ 9 ] Construction for the the latest supertrack first started inside 1955.

The brand new racetrack launched for the Summer a dozen, 1956, founded at a high price away from California$13 million ($143 million during the 2023 dollars). [ 5 ] [ 10 ] It absolutely was initial referred to as The brand new Woodbine Racetrack. The old tune is converted to a blended thoroughbred and you can standardbred tune understood afterwards since the Dated Woodbine otherwise, for many of your rest of the record, since Greenwood Raceway (while in the standardbred suits) and you can Greenwood Race-track (throughout thoroughbred matches). The 2 thoroughbred and two standardbred matches conducted within Greenwood were transferred to the fresh new Woodbine during the 1994, that has been until then exclusively centered on thoroughbred rushing. To your Summer thirty, 1959, Queen Age II while the Duke out of Edinburgh attended the latest 100th powering of one’s Queen’s Plate, [ eleven ] and you may King E II again to your , went to the fresh 151st running of your Queen’s Plate Bet and demonstrated trophies.