AJAX DOWNS, JUNE 22, 2026 - In front of a large and raucous Father's Day crowd, young jockey CORRY BELAND guided Joe Tavares' MY ROYAL SWINGER to victory in the $31,680 Unclassified Stakes, his first stakes win as a rider. The 24-year-old gathered the 3-year-old gelding up after some bumping at the start of the 330-yard dash and the pair zipped away from eight rivals to win by half a length in 17.163 for a 90 speed index.
AJAX DOWNS, JUNE 19 2026 - Celebrate Father's Day at Ajax Downs this Sunday, June 21 , and catch some exciting Quarter Horse racing, receive a gift with program purchase (while supplies last), and take part in raffle draws for prizes.
AJAX DOWNS, JUNE 11, 2026 - Quarter Horse trainer SCOTT REID scored a natural hat trick at Ajax Downs on Wednesday, June 10, sending out the winners of races seven, eight and nine, two of those owned by Rick Crispi of Guelph, ON. The triple boosted the 37-year-old horseman's win total for the young season to 10 from 26 starters, a lofty 38 percent win rate.
AJAX DOWNS, JUNE 9 2026 - There is a full card of Quarter Horse racing on tap this Wednesday, June 10 for Ajax Downs' sixth day of the 2026 season with nine races set to begin at 3:30 p.m. One horseperson who will be extra busy is James Bogar of Cameron, ON., thetrack's leading breeder the past three consecutive seasons.
AJAX DOWNS, JUNE 4, 2026 - Upsets were the order of the day on a sunny and hot June 3 afternoon at the Ajax Downs Quarter Horse racetrack. HAAAVE YOU MET KARMA, at odds of 12 to 1, won the fastest of two Trial races for the Unclassified Stakes, while later in the day, Horse of the Year HAD TO BE FABULOUS, finished fourth in a speed index dash as the 1 to 9 favourite, only her second career loss from 15 races.
AJAX DOWNS MAY 21, 2026 - With jockey Diego Benitez at the controls, COPILOT jetted to victory in Wednesday's QROOI Open Derby for 3-year-olds at Ajax Downs, the first stakes race of the 2026 Quarter Horse season.
AJAX DOWNS, MAY 19, 2026 - When Joe Tavares, one of Ajax Downs' most successful trainers, went shopping for racehorses the past two winters it would have been hard to predict that four of those purchases would be in the first stakes race of the 2026 season. The $32,805 QROOI OPEN DERBY on Wednesday, May 20 features an evenly matched field of 10 three-year-olds including three Trial winners, two of which are owned by Tavares.
AJAX DOWNS, MAY 14, 2026 - The equine star of Ajax Downs' card of racing on a crisp, windy May 13, Had to Be Ivory, won for the 34th time while later in the afternoon, jockey Corry Beland won his first race of his young career.
The Bill Galvin Racing Alliance (BGRA), with the support of Standardbred breeder and owner Tom Rankin, is once again holding its annual Youth Contests.
AJAX DOWNS, MAY 12, 2026 - Fans coming out to Ajax Downs for the second day of the 2026 Quarter Horse meeting are in for a treat as Canada's most decorated Quarter Horse, HAD TO BE IVORY, returns to action in the featured Gridiron Gallop. The two-time Horse of the Year holds the track record for the Gridiron's 110-yard distance of 6.761 seconds and comes off another spectacular season in which he won all four of his starts.
