Woodbine Unveils 2026 Thoroughbred, Standardbred Stakes Schedules: 39 Graded Races

Woodbine Entertainment released its 2026 Thoroughbred stakes schedule March 4, 2026, unveiling a calendar that runs from April 18 through December and features 39 graded stakes, five Grade 1 events and two $1,000,000 races. The program is headlined by the 167th King’s Plate and the GI Woodbine Mile, positioning Woodbine's spring-to-fall season around two marquee classics.

The 167th King’s Plate will run Saturday, August 15, 2026, with post time listed at 11:30 A.M. ET in Woodbine’s media advisory. The King’s Plate carries a $1,000,000 purse, will be contested at Woodbine Racetrack at 555 Rexdale Boulevard in Toronto and is billed as "Canada’s oldest and most prestigious Thoroughbred race." Woodbine’s advisory says free parking will be available, paid valet service offered and that 2026 King’s Plate tickets "will be on sale soon"; the Plate remains the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Turf Champions Day on Saturday, Sept. 12 will be a central focus with four Grade I Breeders’ Cup "Win and You're In" races on the same card. The Grade I Woodbine Mile is a $1,000,000 event on that card, accompanied by the $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes, the $500,000 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes and the $500,000 bet365 Summer Stakes. Woodbine and trade coverage note this will be the first time the racetrack hosts four Breeders’ Cup qualifying races on one card.

Woodbine’s Triple Crown and fillies programs retain traditional sequencing: the King’s Plate on Aug. 15 will be followed by the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes Sept. 7 at Fort Erie Racetrack and the Breeders’ Stakes, a 1 1/2-mile turf race, on Sept. 27 at Woodbine. For three-year-old fillies, the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks and the $150,000 Plate Trial are scheduled for July 19, with the $250,000 Bison City Stakes set for Aug. 8 and the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes on Sept. 6. The Grade 1, $750,000 Canadian International is scheduled for Oct. 3 on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Woodbine said the E.P. Taylor Turf Course renovation that affected last year’s calendar remains on schedule for completion by September 2026. Michael Copeland, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment, commented on the stakes slate and season: "We're very proud of our stakes program at Woodbine and eagerly anticipate a season filled with outstanding competition," and "We look forward to welcoming our racing community and fans back to the track on Apr. 18 for the start of another exciting racing season."

Woodbine Mohawk Park issued a separate stakes release Jan. 6, 2026 for its Standardbred program, which features a trio of million-dollar races, 12 Grade 1 events and 32 graded stakes — the release calls that the largest number of graded stakes of any racetrack in North America. Major Mohawk dates include the North America Cup on June 13, and Mohawk Million and Metro Pace on Sept. 26; Woodbine’s release describes the 2026 stakes program as a "prestigious $20 million-plus stakes program" and notes nominations for major Mohawk stakes closed Feb. 17.

Woodbine’s releases direct fans to the racetrack’s channels for the full stakes schedule and ticket updates; the media advisory specifically asks interested visitors to join the newsletter for King’s Plate ticket information. With Turf Champions Day and the 167th King’s Plate anchoring the calendar, Woodbine’s 2026 program sets a packed sequence of high-purse dates running from April into October and beyond.