Woodbine to Shift from Polytrack to Tapeta

Officials at Woodbine Racetrack outside of Toronto, Ontario, have announced that the existing Polytrack surface, in place since August 2006, will be replaced by a Tapeta track in time for the 2016 racing season. Construction on the new surface will begin immediately following the conclusion of the 2015 meet. Four December racing dates will be moved to Thursdays in November, normal dark days at the track, pending approval from the Ontario Racing Commission. 

“At Woodbine, it’s in our mandate to act in the best interests of horse racing and a regular, thorough examination of our track surfaces is paramount in that pursuit,” said Jim Lawson, chairman of the board of the Woodbine Entertainment Group. “We went through an exhaustive consultation exercise in our search for the new main track. It’s clear that Tapeta is the next generation of horse racing surfaces that we’ll be proud to unveil in April of 2016.” 

Officials at the Woodbine Entertainment Group began exploring options to replace the main track in 2014, including a return to a conventional dirt surface, but, after consulting with industry stakeholders for their opinions, decided on sticking with a synthetic track, albeit a slightly different one. 

“A surface that will endure racing and training through hot and cold climate extremes for more than eight months a year is critical for our horsepeople,” said Lawson. “We also considered racing fans and horseplayers through this process. Field size, the number of quality races and wagering on Woodbine’s thoroughbred racing product has grown appreciably in the synthetic track era. We see those metrics continuing to improve with the installation of Tapeta.” 

Sue Leslie, president of the local Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, admitted that there was no unanimity among members as to the final decision, but praised WEG executives for their efforts in the process. 

“The HBPA has appreciated WEG’s regular and transparent communication with the HBPA’s directors and its members as Woodbine reviewed options for a new racing surface,” Leslie said. “While acknowledging that HBPA members were very split on their preferred surface, we are satisfied that WEG was thorough and open-minded in its review. The change of surface announcement is a good day for horsepeople and their horses.” 

Two stakes races, the $125,000 Kingarvie S. and the GIII $150,000 Valedictory S., originally scheduled for Dec. 5 and 6, respectively, will be moved up a week to Nov. 28 and Nov 29. 

Woodbine will join Golden Gate Fields and Presque Isle Downs as the only North American facilities to conduct main-track racing on Tapeta. Arlington Park and Turfway Park are the lone remaining venues with Polytrack after the surface was recently removed at Keeneland and Del Mar.