The thoroughbreds are back at the track Saturday for Woodbine’s 60th season, but dozens of their caretakers won’t be.

As many as 100 skilled grooms and exercise riders from other countries who have worked at Woodbine for years were required to leave their Canadian jobs as of April 1.

Changes to the federal Temporary Foreign Workers Program took effect last week. They state that migrant workers in jobs deemed “unskilled,” who have been employed in Canada for four years or more and have not made headway to obtain permanent residence must leave the country.

These workers, said to be number about 70,000, will be banned from working in Canada for four years, and after that time is up, must reapply to return. Jobs as grooms, which can pay up to $700 a week, are considered unskilled according to Employment and Social Development Canada.