Inside Woodbine Racetrack Toronto: What to Know Before Race Day
Most casino resorts in Canada are just that - casinos. What makes this place different is that Woodbine Racetrack Toronto, sits right on the same grounds as the hotel, the gaming floor, and the restaurants.
When the Gates Open
Racing takes place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with the first race going off at 13:20 each day. In addition to live racing, simulcast broadcasts from other North American tracks air almost daily.
These are the races worth planning a trip around:
- King's Plate: Canada's oldest thoroughbred race, running since the 1860s, with a prize of $1,000,000 CAD - the one ticketed event on the calendar
- Woodbine Mile: a Grade 1 turf race drawing international competition
- Breeders' Stakes: the closing race of the Canadian Triple Crown
- Woodbine Oaks: a key summer race for three-year-old fillies, scheduled for July 2026
- Greenwood Stakes: an annual July festival combining live racing with food, music, and a fashion competition (ticketed separately from regular race days)
What Runs Here
Woodbine horse racing is built around thoroughbred racing, which means flat racing at speed over grass and dirt.
Thoroughbred Racing
Thoroughbreds are purpose-bred for speed over distance. Races run on both a turf course and a dirt track, which gives the card variety from one race to the next. The horses here compete at a high level. Several races carry Grade 1 status, which is the top classification in North American racing.
Simulcast Racing
On days without live Woodbine races, the simulcast feed brings in races from tracks across Canada and the United States. You can watch and bet on those the same way you would on a live race day. The tote board updates in real time, and the same bet types apply.
How to Place a Bet
The minimum wager is $2 CAD for standard bets. The range of options goes from straightforward win bets to multi-race exotic pools worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Standard Wager Types
Woodbine betting starts at $2 CAD and covers a straightforward range of options:
- Win: your horse finishes first
- Place: your horse finishes first or second
- Show: your horse finishes first, second, or third
- Exacta: pick the first and second finisher in exact order
- Quinella: pick the first two finishers in any order
- Trifecta: pick the first three finishers in exact order
- Superfecta: pick the first four finishers in exact order
Multi-Race Exotic Pools
These are the bets with the biggest payouts and the largest pools. They carry over when nobody wins, which is how the numbers get large.
| Bet Type | How It Works | Approximate Pool |
|---|---|---|
| Pick 3 | Pick winners of 3 consecutive races | Varies daily |
| Pick 5 | Pick winners of 5 consecutive races | Guaranteed pools available |
| Power Pick 6 | Pick winners of 6 consecutive races | ~$33,073 CAD |
Tools to Help You Handicap
The track gives you resources to make informed Woodbine race picks:
- Expert Picks: pre-race selections from handicappers, updated before each card
- Clocker Report: morning workout data on each horse - useful for spotting a horse coming into form
- Free Programs: downloadable race programs with full field information
- Racing Selections: curated picks for each race
- Betting 101: a beginner's guide available on the Woodbine site if you're starting from scratch
You can also bet online through HPIbet, which is Woodbine's own wagering platform, or through bet365 as an alternative.
Before You Go
The Clocker Report is something a lot of first-timers skip, and that's a mistake. It tracks how each horse has been working in the mornings leading up to race day. A horse that has been clocking fast times in training is often worth a second look, even if the odds don't reflect it yet. Pull it up before you finalise your picks.