AGCO Reaches Settlement with Woodbine Regarding Racehorse Incidents

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced that it reached a settlement with Woodbine Entertainment regarding an investigation into earlier horse-related incidents.

Several Incidents Prompted Regulatory Intervention

The incidents in question were recorded in the second half of 2024 when over a dozen horses were hurt. Between October 28 and December 15, a total of 19 thoroughbred racehorses sustained injuries while racing and training on Woodbine’s all-weather Tapeta surface. To make matters worse, ten of those injuries resulted in euthanasia.

Roughly a third of all incidents happened on November 9, when six racehorses suffered breakdowns. Three of those required euthanasia, the AGCO noted. Considering that the Tapeta surface is considered to be among the safest, the regulator launched an investigation into the incidents.

After examining the matter, the AGCO understood that Woodbine’s track maintenance in 2024 was insufficient. The major issues included substandard grooming practices, irregular surface depth measurement, inexperienced maintenance staff, absence of standardized maintenance protocols, and improperly maintained track equipment.

Woodbine Settled the Matter with the AGCO

Woodbine Entertainment has responded to the AGCO’s investigation and agreed to implement a variety of remediation measures. These will include the following:

• Independent oversight – per its agreement with the AGCO, Woodbine will retain two knowledgeable track safety experts to asses the Tapeta surface. The independent examiners will share their findings with both Woodbine and the AGCO;
• Governance enhancement – Woodbine will create a Track Surfaces Committee, which will be comprised of experts who will monitor the track safety and make recommendations for further improvements;
• Board-level oversight – Woodbine Entertainment’s board of directors will mandate that its governance and compliance committee provide oversight of the Track Surfaces Committee.

If Woodbine fails to comply with these measures, it risks a CAD 200,000 fine.

Under the settlement with the AGCO, Woodbine Entertainment will also donate CAD 200,000 to support equine aftercare and welfare in the province of Ontario. LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will receive half of the money each.

Woodbine Entertainment Has Made Additional Voluntary Commitments

In addition to that, Woodbine Entertainment has already commenced training of its Racing Surfaces team. The company has begun recruiting skilled full-track maintenance specialists and has set out to acquire better maintenance equipment.

Woodbine has also decided to install an integrated racetrack surface tester, which will monitor moisture, temperature and cushion depth. The company will furthermore renovate a portion of the track and update its maintenance protocols.

In the meantime, the AGCO will enhance its Rules of Racing, mandating better veterinary oversight, increased scrutiny of horses returning from the vet’s list and new guidance for therapeutic treatments.