Woodbine Entertainment and 1/ST Racing renewed their partnership on September 11, 2026. The agreement gives the winner of the $200,000 Dance Smartly Stakes an automatic invitation to the 2027 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes in Florida.

The arrangement gives an Ontario race a direct link to one of North America’s prominent international turf events.

Toronto race becomes Pegasus qualifier

The Dance Smartly Stakes will be held at Woodbine Racetrack on October 3, 2026. The Grade 2 race will cover 1 1/16 miles on Woodbine’s restored E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

The race will be part of a card led by the $750,000 Canadian International. The Dance Smartly winner will receive an automatic invitation to compete at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

What the partnership changes

Woodbine operates Toronto’s thoroughbred track and owns HPIbet, a horse-racing wagering platform. Woodbine says its operations support more than 25,000 jobs across Ontario and that it reinvests profits in the horse-racing industry.

The agreement does not create a new Ontario gambling licence or change provincial betting rules. Its direct effect is sporting and commercial. It increases the significance of the local race by connecting its winner to the 2027 Pegasus event.

Horse-racing wagering remains separate

Horse-race wagering in Ontario remains subject to the province’s regulatory framework and the rules governing pari-mutuel betting.

The partnership applies to the competition itself. It does not make online casino or sports betting available through the Dance Smartly Stakes or Woodbine’s event.

Ontario’s regulated online gambling market operates separately from horse-racing wagering. The new invitation route gives Woodbine greater international racing exposure while keeping betting activity tied to a specific race meeting.

Key dates and figures

  • Dance Smartly Stakes: October 3, 2026.
  • Prize purse: $200,000.
  • Race distance: 1 1/16 miles.
  • Invitation: 2027 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes.
  • Venue for the Pegasus event: Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
  • Canadian International purse on the same card: $750,000.

The 2026 renewal extends a partnership that began with the 2025 Dance Smartly Stakes. Woodbine said Breath Away won that race and became the first horse to earn an automatic invitation through the arrangement.