Woodbine Racetrack - Live Racing
Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71
Woodbine Racetrack 555 Rexdale Blvd
Etobicoke, ON M9W 5L2 Canada
Year Opened: 1956
Capacity: 42,000
Flat Racing Etobicoke
Woodbine Racetrack sits in a small town near Toronto in Ontario, Canada, and is a wonderful thoroughbred horse track that boasts both turf and dirt courses. The modern, glass-fronted facility stands out from its surrounding area, beckoning fun and excitement like the sirens of old. There are multiple food options inside, and many different vantage points from which patrons can watch the races. And best of all, it is relatively easy to cash tickets, adding even more enjoyment to your visit.
Food & Beverage 4
Canadians love their donuts, and what better donut shop is there than Tim Hortons? Woodbine has one inside the grandstand, as well as places to get hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, and pizza – the pizza is from a chain called Pizza Pizza (which despite the similarity in branding does not have the same ownership as Little Caesar’s). You can also find beer and canned cocktails, as well as soda and bottled water.
There are also four sit-down restaurants on site – the second floor has the owner’s and trainer’s club, the third floor has the Stella Artois Terrace (a.k.a. the patio, which appears to be trackside but it actually more elevated than it looks), and the fourth floor has both the Woodbine Club Dining Room and the Post Parade Lounge.
Atmosphere 5
The first thing I’ll say is that the staff members at Woodbine are very friendly, always willing to help you understand how to make a bet, or politely showing you where to find the seating section you’re looking for. But in addition to that, there are a lot of great vantage points from which to watch the races, including seats both outside and in, as well as places to sit next to the track itself, or higher up so you can see the action on the far side. There are also tables inside you can use to sit and eat your food, or use to peruse your program and make notes about the runners.
The best seating section might be the Stella Artois Terrace; this area is very tropical-looking, but these seats must be reserved. They provide shade from the potentially hot summer days, however, which is worth planning for in advance.
Neighborhood 4
It may not look like the nicest neighborhood, but there are a slew of restaurants right across the street from Woodbine, in a strip mall that looks a little dilapidated. But there are also several hotels in the immediate vicinity, including one connected to the track and casino itself. There is also the Woodbine Mall and Fantasy Fair, a retro 1980s-themed classic shopping mall with an indoor amusement park. The amusement park has a vintage carousel you can ride, as well as bumper cars, hot air balloon rides, and a train you can ride around the property.
Whether you come for just the day or the whole weekend, there is plenty to keep you busy right in the immediate vicinity of the horse track. The only reason the score for this section is not a little higher is because some of the nearby restaurants and shopping have seen better days, though Woodbine itself looks ultra shiny and new.
Fans 3
There aren’t a ton of fans who show up at Woodbine (more on potential reasons why later), but this is a rather upscale crowd from what I could see. The people here seem to be there to enjoy the racing, or to be out and about seeing and being seen. This track doesn’t have the type of crowd who is there strictly for the gambling.
Access 2
Once you get inside the facility, it is easy to move around, there is plenty of room with no lines, and you shouldn’t have any problems. The issue, however, is actually getting into the building.
Unfortunately, the security staff at Woodbine are on strike, and have been for a while, as I understand things; they are actually employed by the larger resort entity. As a result the parking lots are almost entirely blocked – from what I observed they only let one car into the property every 5 or 10 minutes. There was also no information provided about this, so I didn’t find this out until I showed up. Furthermore, I only noticed because I was impatient and drove around to the front after quickly getting tired of waiting – I saw the “On Strike” sign and realized they weren’t letting any cars in, so I drove across the street and walked from there. I am very surprised that management hasn’t dealt with this yet, since I assume it is costing them money.
Return on Investment 5
I would not make a special trip for this race track, but if I was in Toronto again I would definitely go back to Woodbine to see the races. There is no cost to get in, and it was a lot of fun, especially because of the type of bets they offer.
One type of bet I saw here I haven’t seen elsewhere is called a Swinger, where you pick two horses that both have to come in first, second, or third. This is a pretty easy bet to hit, because it gives you cover if one of your chosen horses is a little slow and doesn’t quite make it into second place like they are supposed to. Swingers don’t pay a lot when they hit, but it is fun to actually win a bet, and these win fairly often.
Extras 3
There is some great horse racing-themed decor around the property, including paintings and some sculptures outside. There are also plants inside and outside which provide a bit of an upscale atmosphere to the facility, making it look even nicer than it appears at first blush. And as at all horse racing tracks, there is also a racebook (complete with a wall of TVs) where you can watch, and bet on, races happening at other tracks.
Final Thoughts
Woodbine looks great on the outside, and inside it has all the amenities you could ask for at a horse track. If the staff could address the staffing issues outside, and perhaps bring in a couple of other grab-and-go food options to add some variety in the grandstand, this could be a top-notch horse racing facility.
