Betting on horse races is still a major pastime and industry in Canada.  The hype surrounding the Kentucky Derby and both the American and Canadian Triple Crowns every year is proof of the popularity of the sport in Canada.  As old and full of tradition as horse racing is, it is here to stay and it remains one of the most bet on sports in Canada.

Horse Race Betting 101

Here is some required reading for beginning horse racing bettors.  If you haven’t bet on horse racing before then I strongly suggest you read through each of these pages to understand how the odds work and the betting options.

• Parimutuel Betting – The betting system used for horse racing around the world.
• Win, Place or Show – The standard horse racing bets.
• Exotic Bets – The more difficult to hit, but higher payout bets that somewhat resemble parlay betting in regular sports betting.

Recent Horse Racing Articles

Betting at Canadian Racetracks

Canada has five major racetracks with horse races that you can bet on through the spring, summer and autumn months.

• Assiniboia Downs (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
• Fort Erie Racetrack (Fort Erie, Ontario)
• Hastings Park Racecourse (Vancouver, British Columbia)
• Mohawk Racetrack (Campbellville, Ontario)
• Woodbine Racetrack (Toronto, Ontario)

Major Canadian Horse Races

Canadian horse races often get overlooked when compared with the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing, but Canada does have several high profile races each year.

Canadian Triple Crown Races

The Canadian Triple Crown is a series of three races run in July and August, a couple months after the American Triple Crown finishes up.  The races share the exact same distances as the American Triple Crown races, but they are run on three different surfaces.

• Queens Plate – 1.25 miles on Polytrack – Woodbine Racetrack in early July.
• Prince of Wales Stakes – 1 3/16 miles on a dirt track – Fort Erie Racetrack in late July.
• Breeders’ Stakes – 1.5 miles on turf – Woodbine Racetrack in mid August.

Other Major Canadian Races

There are several other major horse races that get the attention of the general public in Canada.

• Canadian International Stakes – $1,000,000 thoroughbred race for 3-year olds or older at Woodbine Racetrack in October.
• E.P. Taylor Stakes – $500,000 thoroughbred race for horses upwards of 3-years olds held on the same day as the Canadian International in October.
• North America Cup – $1,000,000 harness racing event for 3-year-old standardbred pacing horses at Mohawk Racetrack.
• Northern Dancer Turf Stakes – $750,000 thoroughbred race for 3-year olds or older at Woodbine Racetrack in late July.
• Woodbine Mile – $1,000,000 thoroughbred race for 3-year olds and up, run over a mile on turf track at Woodbine Racetrack in mid September.
• Woodbine Oaks – $500,000 thoroughbred horse race run over a distance of 1 1⁄8 miles on Polytrack at Woodbine Racetrack.

USA Triple Crown Races

The Kentucky Derby and the other American Triple Crown races get more media coverage in Canada than the major Canadian races.

• Kentucky Derby – The first race of the American Triple Crown and the most famous and popular race in North America.
• Preakness Stakes – The second race of the American Triple Crown and the second most attended race in North America.
• Belmont Stakes – The third and final race of the American Triple Crown, which is massively hyped when there is a Triple Crown opportunity.