Woodbine partners with 1/ST for Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Qualifier
TORONTO, September 4, 2025 – Woodbine Entertainment today announced a partnership with 1/ST Racing that will see the bet365 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2) become a qualifying race for the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (G2).
The winner of this year’s $200,000 bet365 Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack will receive an automatic invitation to the 2026 $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
The Dance Smartly, to be held on Saturday, October 4 at Woodbine, will be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the bet365 Inner Turf Course and is part of a stacked card headlined by the returning $750,000 Canadian International (G1).
“We’re pleased to partner with the team at 1/ST Racing to add this unique bonus to the Dance Smartly,” said Tim Lawson, Vice-President of Thoroughbred Racing for Woodbine. “Pegasus World Cup Day has become an outstanding showcase of our sport and it’s exciting that the opportunity to be part of it will be connected to a prominent race on one of our biggest days of the season.”
The 2026 Pegasus World Cup will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of racing’s leading luxury, lifestyle and sporting event. The Pegasus World Cup debuted in 2017 as part of 1/ST’s mission to excite, energize and modernize the sport of racing for a new generation of fans and to provide lucrative opportunities for Thoroughbred owners and trainers. The event annually attracts the sport’s biggest names and is viewed globally.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Woodbine in linking the Dance Smartly to Pegasus World Cup Day,” said Aidan Butler, President, 1/ST. “This collaboration strengthens the global profile of both events, while providing horsemen and fans with a world-class pathway from Toronto to South Florida.”
The 2026 Pegasus World Cup will be held in January.
For the latest news and updates on live racing at Woodbine, visit Woodbine.com or follow @WoodbineTB on Instagram, X and Facebook.
For more details on the 2026 Pegasus World Cup, visit www.pegasusworldcup.com or follow along @PegasusWorldCup on Instagram and X.
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Mark McKelvie