Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto will celebrate its 50th anniversary this Sunday, July 23, 2006. Canadian industrialist E.P. Taylor consolidated Ontario racing in 1956, buying up many smaller tracks, known as the "leaky roof circuit", and opened the new Woodbine in the Toronto suburb of Rexdale. The original Woodbine was located on the shores of Lake Ontario on Queen Street West next to the city's eastern beaches, and it continued to host live racing under its new name, Greenwood, until 1994.
Taylor intended Woodbine to be a showcase for Canadian Thoroughbred racing, and that dream became reality on June 12, 1956 when the track opened its doors to the public. Since then, the track has seen many greats race before its towering grandstand. On three occasions, the reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, attended the Queen's Plate at Woodbine to award the winning connections their trophy as well as their 50 guineas, a gift which dates back to Queen Victoria. Queen Elizabeth accepted Taylor's invitation to attend the 1959 running, and returned in 1973 and most recently in 1997, when California shipper Awesome Again captured the Guineas for owner Frank Stronach.
Two of the most popular American horses in modern times made their final career starts at Woodbine. In 1973, Triple Crown winner Secretariat shipped in for the Canadian International. On a cold and dreary October day, over a wet turf course he did not like, with Eddie Maple replacing the suspended Ron Turcotte, Secretariat drew away through the stretch to win by 6 1/2 lengths. And then in 1996, Allen Paulson homebred Cigar entered the starting gate in the Breeders' Cup Classic trying to become the first dual winner of that event and close out his career a winner. It was not to be as Alphabet Soup rallied on the outside for the upset, with Cigar finishing third. Woodbine is the only track outside the USA to host the Championships. Along with Secretariat and Cigar, many other top horses from America and Europe have raced at the track, including Royal Anthem, Skip Away, Dahlia, Holy Bull, Singspiel, and most recently, 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide captured the Dominion Day Stakes, becoming the first Derby winner since Secretariat to win at Woodbine.
But with all these top horses to race Woodbine, one rises above them all. Taylor not only was an industrialist but also a top breeder of Thoroughbreds. Taylor's 1961 colt by Nearctic out of Natalma, named Northern Dancer, made racing history. Winning the 1964 Kentucky Derby in track record time, he stunned the racing world including many who could not believe that a Canadian-bred could ever wear the Roses. Coming home to a hero's welcome, he easily romped in the Queen's Plate, a race that would be his last as injury cut his career short. But the Dancer was far from finished. To say his children hit the ground running would be an understatement. With their success both on the track and as sires and broodmares, Northern Dancer's influence on the breed quickly grew. Today, 90% of all Thoroughbreds have him in their pedigrees. Clearly, Taylor put Canadian racing on the map, with his showcase racetrack called Woodbine, and with his showcase colt Northern Dancer.
On Sunday, Woodbine commemorates both the track's 50 years of racing excellence, and Canadian racing's greatest son Northern Dancer, with the $700,000 Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf (G2). It is no surprise that all seven horses in the 1 1/2 mile turf race have the Dancer in their pedigrees. Honorary Drawmaster for the race was Noreen Taylor of Windfields Farm who is the daughter-in-law of of the late E.P. Taylor. Also at the post position draw were nine legendary Woodbine jockeys, including Sandy Hawley, Robin Platts, and Lloyd Duffy.
Along with the race, Woodbine is offering a number of promotions including autograph signings by legendary jockeys, $1 Daily Racing Forms, and souvenir giveaways. There are two other stakes races on the undercard, the Ontario Jockey Club Stakes at 7 furlongs on the turf, and the Ontario Matron at 1 1/16 miles on the inner dirt track.
Below are the entries for the Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf which has a post time of 5:07pm and will be broadcast in Canada on The Score from 4:30-5:30pm.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | M/L Odds |
| 1 | Jambalaya | Catherine Day Phillips | Jono Jones | 3-1 |
| 2 | Shoal Water | Mark Frostad | Robert Landry | 12-1 |
| 3 | Porfido | Bobby Frankel | Garrett Gomez | 4-1 |
| 4 | Revved Up | Christophe Clement | Brice Blance | 2-1 |
| 5 | Pellegrino | Roger Attfield | Jim McAleney | 8-1 |
| 6 | Sky Conqueror | Darwin Banach | Todd Kabel | 9-2 |
| 7 | Last Answer | Mike Keogh | Emile Ramsammy | 10-1 |
