The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has announced that Woodbine Racetrack in Rexdale, Ontario, Canada, near Toronto, has earned reaccreditation from the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance.

Opened in 1956 bearing a name associated with racing in the area since 1874, Woodbine opened its live Thoroughbred racing season on April 9 with the unveiling of a new synthetic Tapeta racing surface. The 133-date meet—with racing Fridays to Sundays, Wednesday nights starting May 18, plus some holidays—runs through Dec. 4.

Meet highlights include the 157th running of Canada’s most famous horse race, the $1 million Queen’s Plate, on July 3; the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on June 12; the $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes, the third leg in the Canadian Triple Crown, on August 21; the $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile and the $300,000 Northern Dancer Turf on Sept. 17; the $250,000 Natalma Stakes on Sept. 18; and the $1 million Canadian International and $500,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes on Oct. 16.

Woodbine’s reaccreditation was the culmination of a lengthy process that began with the track’s completion of an extensive written application and continued as the track hosted several meetings with alliance officials. An on-site review included inspections of all facets of the racing operations. Interviews were conducted with track executives, racetrack personnel, jockeys, owners, trainers, veterinarians, stewards and regulators. The inspection team was comprised of Jim Gates, racetrack operations consultant, former general manager of Churchill Downs; Ron Jensen, DVM, veterinary and regulatory consultant, former equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board; Mike Kilpack, security and integrity consultant, past chairman of the Organization of Racetrack Investigators; and Steve Koch, executive director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance