For the 1950s, the fresh OJC, under the management off Canadian industrialist and pony breeder Age

They decrease the fresh new inside the 1963

Woodbine Racetrack try a race track having Thoroughbred horse race inside the the brand new Etobicoke part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Woodbine Amusement Group, Woodbine Racetrack handles and you may servers Canada’s most well-known race, the fresh King’s Dish. The fresh track is actually open within the 1956 that have a single-mile egg-shaped mud tune, and a good seven-eights yard course. [ one ] It’s been generally refurbished because the 1993, and because 1994 has had around three racecourses. [ 2 ]

Background

The present day Woodbine carries the name in the first place employed by a good racetrack and this work during the the southern area of Toronto, at Queen Path East and you may Kingston Roadway, of 1874 as a twinky win consequence of 1993. (Because Dated Woodbine Race course was at the fresh new southern area prevent away from Woodbine Opportunity, the modern Woodbine was no place near they.) During the 1951, it actually was work because of the Ontario Jockey Bar (OJC) and you can held the newest esteemed King’s Dish, however it competed with many most other racetracks inside Ontario and you will is looking for adaptation. [ twenty-three ]

P. Taylor, began a course out of racetrack purchases aimed at is the largest and more than profitable agent in the Ontario horse racing, just like Taylor’s prior to acquisitions and you will consolidations from the Canadian making industry. Inside the 1952, the fresh new OJC ordered and you can finalized the bucks-shedding Thorncliffe Playground, [ 4 ] bought and you may finalized the brand new Hamilton Racetrack, and ordered the fresh Fort Erie Racetrack having Ca$780,000 . [ 4 ] Home improvements began quickly at Fort Erie and at Woodbine, financed because of the a public offering from stock getting Ca$2 mil . [ twenty-three ]

Inside the 1953, the new OJC ordered Stamford Playground within the Stamford township (now part of Niagara Falls, Ontario). It actually was signed and soon after redeveloped to the a residential subdivision. Within the 1955, Taylor himself purchased the fresh contending Orpen-owned Dufferin Playground Racetrack and Enough time Branch Racetracks to have California$4 mil ($44.6 million in the 2023 cash) [ 5 ] . [ 6 ] The newest Orpen tunes had been closed and redeveloped, as well as the Orpen battle charters moved to the new OJC. The latest OJC continued the newest Canadian All over the world and you can Cup-and-saucer limits racing that were kept from the Orpen tracks. [ eight ] The latest race charters obtained regarding almost every other tunes let the brand new OJC to perform 196 days of race, over double the desired complete regarding 84 weeks inside the 1952. [ twenty-three ]

Every perform at racetrack purchases and you will closures were customized to support an alternative “supertrack”. Inside 1952, the fresh new OJC recognized the new located area of the racetrack during the Road 27 east of your own Toronto airport and you will purchased more eight hundred acres (160 ha). The newest designer selected is actually Earle C. Morgan. Even if Morgan had not customized a great racetrack, he spent the next a couple of years development the shape together with Arthur Froelich, who’d customized Movie industry Park Racetrack and you may Garden State Park Racetrack in the united states. [ 8 ] The latest tune was designed to hold 40,000 spectators, provides big vehicle parking, about three competition courses as well as 2 degree tunes. They got secure room for just one,000 horses and you may bedroom to own 700 professionals. The fresh grandstand, made to get as many individuals as near towards finish line that you could, included multiple restaurants and you may cafeterias. [ nine ] Design towards the new supertrack began in the 1955.

The latest racetrack launched for the June a dozen, 1956, dependent at a cost from Ca$13 mil ($143 million inside the 2023 bucks). [ 5 ] [ 10 ] It absolutely was initially known as the The newest Woodbine Racetrack. The outdated song are changed into a mixed thoroughbred and you may standardbred tune known afterwards while the Dated Woodbine or, for most of rest of the history, because the Greenwood Raceway (through the standardbred meets) and you will Greenwood Race track (throughout thoroughbred meets). The 2 thoroughbred and two standardbred meets conducted during the Greenwood had been gone to live in the fresh new Woodbine inside 1994, that has been before this only dedicated to thoroughbred race. Towards Summer thirty, 1959, Queen E II and Duke of Edinburgh went to the fresh new 100th powering of one’s Queen’s Dish, [ eleven ] and you will Queen Elizabeth II once more to your , went to the latest 151st running of Queen’s Dish Bet and you will presented trophies.