Woodbine Mohawk Park
Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14
Woodbine Mohawk Park 9430 Guelph Line
Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 Canada
Year Opened: 1963
The Other Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Mohawk Park in Campbellville, Ontario is about 30 miles west of Woodbine Racetrack. Both facilities are owned and operated by Woodbine Entertainment Group, but Mohawk Park is used for standardbred racing while Woodbine is used for thoroughbred racing.
Mohawk Park is an equally modern and well-kept facility as Woodbine, with restaurants on site, lots of nice amenities and decor, but in this writer’s opinion Mohawk Park offers a lot more money on the table to be won.
Food & Beverage 4
The second level at Mohawk Park offers a premium buffet with everything from meats carved in front of you to a chocolate fountain; you can also choose from various pasta dishes, a smorgasbord of sliced fruit, multiple dessert options, and much more. This option is available in the tiered dining room on the second floor that overlooks the track, so you can watch the races while you eat.
But if something quick service, or less expensive, is more your style, the first level offers everything from Tim Hortons to traditional concessions stands selling pizza, burgers, and snacks. Other options on the first level include Trackside Bar and Patio, where you can find fish tacos, wings, and burgers while still enjoying a view of the track in front of you. The prices at all of these locations are a little on the high side, but you definitely won’t go hungry as you wager on the cards.
Atmosphere 4
There is a lot of great decor at Mohawk Park, including trophies on display and imagery of races and drivers from the past. There are also plenty of different places to sit, including the racebook or in one of the restaurants overlooking the track. There are also plenty of live tellers on site, to help with making your wagers, and the pool sizes are surprisingly large – during my last visit I saw superfecta payouts run into the hundreds of dollars for practically every race, which is not what I am used to when visiting horse tracks in the U.S.
The only gap is that there aren’t very many people here during the average race meeting, so there is not much crowd noise or energy at the end of each race, when you are used to hearing lots of cheering if the right horse comes in, or lots of cursing if the wrong one does.
Neighborhood 2
Mohawk Park is located in a rural area right off Highway 401, so the nearby attractions mostly center around conservation areas. There are a few boutique shopping areas nearby, as well as a few local restaurants, but you are about 40 minutes away from any big city-type amenities. The closest hotels are all about 10 to 12 minutes away in Milton.
Fans 2
Very few patrons show up at Mohawk Park during the average race day, but as mentioned above the pool sizes seem to be pretty large, so it may be that most of the gamblers just bet online. On the plus side this gives you plenty of room to move around, and the ability to sit pretty much wherever you want, either inside or out, and on the second level or the first.
Access 4
There is an escalator connecting the two levels, and free parking right outside the main entrance. There are also more than enough concessions, bathrooms, tellers, and betting machines to accommodate the small crowd, so you should never have to wait in line for anything while you are at Mohawk Park. The only potential downside, as noted above, is that you are pretty far off the beaten path when you choose to come here.
Return on Investment 4
The facility at Mohawk Park is not as grand as the one at Woodbine over in Etobicoke, so I am not sure I would come back here despite the deeper betting pools and higher payouts. In addition, having only two levels means the grandstand is not elevated enough to get a good view of the far side of the track.
Extras 2
Due to the larger field sizes, I felt like it was much harder to cash tickets here than at Woodbine, since there are more longshot horses who can crash the gate. Also, even though the betting lines are short, the tellers seem to be concentrated on the first floor, so you may have to keep going downstairs between races to make bets, instead of staying on the same floor the whole time.
Final Thoughts
Mohawk Park is a quiet, low key horse track which some fans might enjoy. The decor is interesting to look at, especially the trophies, and it is great not to have to wait in line at the betting machines. However, the experience just might be a little too low key, making it hard to get into the spirit of things.
