The 2022 Standardbred live racing season at Woodbine Mohawk Park is set to be an action-packed one. Last week, Woodbine Entertainment posted its 2022 racing schedule for the Milton horse racing facility, with is slated to offer more than CA$21 million in stakes events, including the US$6.7 million Breeders Crown, as well as the return of the Pepsi North America Cup.
This yearās edition of the Pepsi North America Cup will be the 39th running. The event was rescheduled in 2020 and 2021, the prestigious race for three-year-old pacers is slated to return this summer on Saturday, June 18, 2022. Also, during the current season, the company will be hosting the 3rd running of its Mohawk Million event.
CA$21 Million in Stakes
Once again, the Pepsi North America Cup card will be packed with tons of excitement. It is set to feature a CA$450,000 Fan Hanover for three-year-old pacing fillies, CA$330,000 Roses Are Red for pacing mares, the CA$250,000 Armbro Flight for trotting mares, the CA$250,000 Goodtimes for three-year-old trotters, as well as the CA$100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup Invitational.
The Mohawk Million will be hosted on Saturday, September 24, 2022, and the CA$1 million race for two-year-old trotters returns for its 3rd running. In order for horse owners to participate in the event, they will need to purchase a slot for the race, and each cost CA$100,000. There are nine available for purchase, and the final tenth will be the winner of the CA$610,000 William Wellwood Memorial.
The William Wellwood Memorial for two-year-old trotters and the CA$400,000 Peaceful Way for two-year-old trotting fillies are scheduled for Saturday, August 27, 2022. Then on September 3, 2022, the track is set to host the CA$525,000 Canadian Pacing Derby for three-year-old and up pacers, and the CA$600,000 Maple Leaf Trot for three-year-old and up trotters.
Additionally, for the 2022 season, the company announced that the SBOA Stakes for Ontario Sired 3-Year-Old Colts & Geldings for Pace and trot will be held on Saturday, May 21, with eliminations on May 13. Nominations close on February 15, and finals come with CA$100,000 in stakes. Also, the Canadian Pacing Derby, the Canadian Trotting Classic, the Elegantimage, and the Maple Leaf Trot all return to eliminations and final format.
2021 Performance Stats
Also, last week, Woodbine Entertainment posted its annual report for its 2021 Standardbred season at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The venue managed to accumulate an impressive all-source handle of CA$324 million. The amount was the largest one for a Standardbred track in the whole of North America. Additionally, the track reported an average nightly handle of CA$2 million for the second year in a row.
Thoroughbred Season Review
The horse racing leader has also published its 2021 report for its Thoroughbred season at its Woodbine Racetrack at Etobicoke. The season ended on December 5, 2021, and the company reported an all-source handle of CA$505,348,339. This is the third-highest tally for the trackās history. This was primarily due to the trackās all-time high of foreign wagering handle of CA$420,666,755.
Source: āWoodbine releases schedule for massive 2022 Standardbred stakes seasonā, Woodbine Entertainment, January 14, 2022
