On Friday (April 29) Woodbine Entertainment announced plans to offer an enhanced Free For All in the coming weeks at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
With eyes on attracting top-level horses to compliment Woodbine’s top Preferred competitors, the newly written Free For All will see the purse for each week’s top-class calculated at $6,500 per horse in the field. The enhanced Free For All will be offered for both pacers and trotters, with the possibility of a $65,000 purse should the class attract 10 entrants.
“We want to reassure our local owners and trainers that we are focused on getting our top-level horses raced as often as possible,” said Tony O’Sullivan, Woodbine Standardbred Race Secretary. “With the stakes scene picking up in the month of May, we’re hopeful this new look Free For All will be enticing for those shipping horses up from the U.S. to also bring open level competitors.”
The enhanced Free For All for pacers will be written for May 7, 14, 21 and June 4. The Free For All for trotters will be written for May 9, 16, 23 and 30.
Upcoming stakes in Ontario include the Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup (formerly Confederation Cup) on May 22 at Flamboro Downs and Camluck Classic on May 27 at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
Woodbine Mohawk Park’s Grand Circuit stakes begin the first weekend in June with the Graduate Series for four-year-olds and Somebeachsomewhere Stakes for three-year-old pacers.
Live harness racing continues every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Post time is 7:00 p.m.
(Woodbine)