Woodbine Entertainment, the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association of Ontario, and Ontario Racing announced July 13 significant purse enhancements for the 2026 Thoroughbred racing season at Woodbine Racetrack, representing one of the largest investments in Ontario racing in recent years.
The enhancements are made possible through the additional $35 million in annual funding for Ontario's horse racing industry announced in late June as part of the fifth amendment to the Long-Term Funding Agreement with the government of Ontario. Of the new funding, $10 million has been allocated to Ontario's Thoroughbred racing sector and $5 million will be invested through OR's Thoroughbred Improvement Program to strengthen Ontario-bred and Ontario-sired stakes programs, increase breeders' awards, and further incentivize the breeding, raising, and racing of Thoroughbreds in the province.
An additional $4.5 million will be invested through TIP to enhance racing opportunities for Ontario-bred and Ontario-sired horses at Woodbine, including the 2026 purse enhancements.
"These purse enhancements represent an important investment in our horse people and in the continued growth of Thoroughbred racing in Ontario," said Michael Copeland, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. "Working together with the HBPA and Ontario Racing, we are pleased to direct this new funding toward strengthening overnight racing, enhancing our stakes program, and creating additional opportunities for Ontario-bred horses. These investments will support owners and trainers while continuing to enhance the quality and competitiveness of racing at Woodbine."
"Base purse increases encourage much needed investment in our industry and entices owners both locally and internationally to buy and race in Ontario," said Sue Leslie, president of the HBPA and a member of the TIP Committee. "In addition, increasing our base purses raises the (Ontario-bred) and (Ontario-sired) bonuses giving significant reason to invest in OB and OS horses. The HBPA thanks Woodbine for working with us, Ontario Racing for their hard work and our government partners for their continued support of our industry."
As the additional funding was announced and allocated after the 2026 racing season had already begun, the full amount of the new purse funding for Woodbine will be distributed over the remainder of the 2026 racing season.
The purse enhancements include:
- Overnight purses for races with claiming prices of $25,000 and above will increase by 9%.
- Overnight purses for races with claiming prices of $15,000 and below will increase by 3.5%.
- Total funding for the stakes program will increase by 16%, through higher guaranteed purses and new Ontario-bred bonuses.
Open Stakes Program
Woodbine's open stakes program will also receive significant investment:
- Grade 2 stakes currently contested for $175,000 will increase to $200,000.
- Grade 3 stakes currently run for $150,000 will increase to $175,000.
- Listed stakes currently contested for $100,000 will increase to $125,000.
- Two-year-old stakes for Canadian-foaled horses—including the Cup & Saucer Stakes, Princess Elizabeth Stakes, and Coronation Futurity—will increase from $250,000 to $300,000.
Grade 2 and grade 3 stakes already offering purses at or above the new levels will remain unchanged.
Two new stakes races, each carrying a purse of $125,000, will be added to the fall stakes schedule. The races will be contested as sprints, with one open to 3-year-olds and the other restricted to 3-year-old fillies.
Triple Tiara and Canadian Triple Crown
Ontario's premier stakes races will receive additional funding through TIP-supported bonuses to Ontario-breds, further enhancing both the Triple Tiara and Canadian Triple Crown.
- Woodbine Oaks: The first leg of the Triple Tiara will be contested for $750,000, which now includes a $250,000 bonus for Ontario-breds.
- Bison City Stakes and Wonder Where Stakes: The second and third legs of the Triple Tiara will each carry purses of $350,000, which now includes a $100,000 bonus for Ontario-breds.
- Prince of Wales Stakes and Breeders' Stakes: The second and third jewels of the Canadian Triple Crown will each be contested for $500,000, which now includes a $100,000 bonus for Ontario-breds.
Ontario-Bred and Ontario-Sired Racing
The CTHS Sales Stakes program will receive a significant boost through additional TIP funding, with $1 million in purses offered across four stakes races on CTHS Sales Stakes Day for the first time. The Muskoka Stakes and Simcoe Stakes will each increase from $200,000 to $300,000, while the Algoma Stakes and Elgin Stakes will each double from $100,000 to $200,000.
Ontario-sired stakes also will receive a substantial increase, with purses rising from $100,000 to $150,000. The TIP-funded increase applies to the Victorian Queen Stakes, Bull Page Stakes, South Ocean Stakes, Frost King Stakes, Eternal Search Stakes, Overskate Stakes, La Prevoyante Stakes, and Steady Growth Stakes.
The Ontario Sired Heritage Series will also receive a significant increase through additional TIP funding, with purses for the remaining legs of the series, Thunder Bay Stakes, Ashbridges Bay Stakes (Final), Lake Superior Stakes, Lake Ontario Stakes (Final) at Woodbine Racetrack and the Rondeau Bay Stakes and Lake Erie Stakes at Fort Erie Race Track, increasing from $100,000 to $150,000.
The enhanced purses for overnight races will take effect in the next condition book which will be released on the weekend of July 18. Increased purses for stakes races will begin with the July 19 racing card.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
