THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Three journalists get a first-hand look at all that Woodbine Racetrack has to offer
Flashymeister didn’t have the best odds against favourites Lion Kingdom and Rumors of Violence. But as they raced around the track, Flashymeister pulled into the lead, beating the odds and taking first place.
Even for those who’ve never watched live horse racing before, the excitement is contagious.
“I won?” said Vawn Himmelsbach, one of three journalists — along with Dick Snyder, who specializes in travel, food, wine and spirits, and Charmaine Noronha, a lifestyle reporter and former editor at Huff Post Canada — who recently spent a day at Woodbine Racetrack to experience the entertainment complex first-hand.
But Himmelsbach didn’t place her bet with any knowledge of the horse — or horse racing, for that matter.
Earlier, the three visited the paddock, just outside the grandstand, where spectators can view the horses and jockeys before a race. While betting can get complicated (involving a lot of math), many new to the sport choose a horse based on a name they like or their temperament in the paddock. Himmelsbach, for example, liked Flashymeister’s name and braided mane.
Heading to the grandstand, staff is on hand to explain the basics and help those unfamiliar with horse racing to place a bet using kiosks. Bets can start as low as 20 cents, so it’s a no-pressure way to participate. And if you change your mind about a horse, you can switch your bet before a race by inserting your ticket back into the kiosk — which means the odds are always in flux.
The kiosks let you bet in multiple ways, including win, place or show (first, second or third). With her ‘place’ bet on Flashymeister, Himmelsbach walked away with an extra $5 in her pocket — and a chance to snap a photo with the winning jockey, Luis Contreras, and congratulate him on his against-the-odds win.
Woodbine has three tracks, including the outermost turf course for thoroughbreds, which is 2.4 kilometres in length. Inside that is the 1.6-km synthetic course (used for racing in all weather conditions) and inside that is another, shorter turf course. Live racing takes place four days a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, in season.
All three courses are easy to view from the racetrack’s many dining venues, which offer a range of options from casual trackside snacks to locally sourced gourmet cuisine.
The three journalists were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food served at the Woodbine Club’s upscale all-you-can-eat buffet featuring slow-roasted meats, market-fresh veggies and special chef creations. With tiered seating overlooking the track and screens at each table, everyone had a VIP view of the races.
Woodbine Entertainment’s Executive Chef George Correia and Chef de Cuisine Michael Mortensen dropped by to visit the journalists at the Woodbine Club and explain the concept behind its culinary program.
“We like to use real food to make real food,” said Mortensen. “We make everything from scratch. We make our own mayonnaise, we make our own jam, we make our own desserts — we make everything.”
There is no admission charge to Woodbine Racetrack on regular race days, so spectators can stay as long as they want and watch as many races as they want — and their table at the Woodbine Club is theirs for the night.
Wrapping up the day, the journalists rode a golf cart along the backstretch for a face-to-face meeting with the true stars of Woodbine: the horses.
“I honestly never really thought about spending the day at a racetrack before,” said Noronha, “but now that I have, I feel like I could totally do it again.”