Woodbine's E.P. Taylor Turf Course set to reopen Aug. 8

Woodbine will reopen the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on Aug. 8, putting the track’s grass program back into play several weeks ahead of the original Sept. 1 target. The return matters most for turf divisions, trainers with grass horses and owners whose runners are built for pedigree-rich turf trips, because the course shapes not just who runs at Woodbine Racetrack, but how the meet is built and bet.

The reopening follows a comprehensive renovation centered on the backstretch section of the turf course. Woodbine said the project included a new drainage system and upgraded irrigation, with the work aimed at improving long-term safety, consistency and sustainability on the surface. Construction began immediately after the 2025 King’s Plate, giving the project a clear stakes-weekend starting point and a defined path back to racing.

The schedule now marks the end of a rebuild Woodbine had been planning for a long time. On Nov. 22, 2023, Woodbine Entertainment announced initial plans to rebuild a portion of the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, and Woodbine’s 2025 stakes schedule already had the course set for construction after King’s Plate weekend. The Aug. 8 return means the track will have its premier turf venue back in action in time to restore a more normal late-summer and early-fall rhythm.

That rhythm matters at Woodbine because turf racing changes the entire shape of the meet. Grass races tend to draw different types of horses than dirt or synthetic events, reward different running styles and pedigree profiles, and create a separate betting puzzle for handicappers who follow the surface closely. With the E.P. Taylor Turf Course available again, horsemen will have firmer placement options, stakes planners can rely on a deeper turf program and bettors will once again have to account for the grass-specific form cycle that drives so much of Woodbine’s summer product.