| Grade I race | |
| Location | Woodbine Racetrack Toronto, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1953 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Website | woodbineentertainment.com |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 mile (8.0 furlongs) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Two-year-olds |
| Weight | Scale Weight |
| Purse | Can$400,000 (2021) [1] |
The Summer Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-September at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Contested on turf over a distance of 1 mile (8 furlongs), it is open to two-year-old horses. It became a Grade II in 1999 but in 2006 was downgraded to a Grade III status. In 2012, it returned to Grade II status. [1] In 2018, the Jockey Club of Canada moved it to Grade I status. [2]
Part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, the winner of the Summer Stakes automatically qualifies for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. [3]
Inaugurated in 1953 at Fort Erie Racetrack as a sprint race on dirt, the Summer Stakes was moved to the turf in 1962. Since inception it has been run at various distances:
The race was run in two divisions in 1958, 1967, and 1969.
Speed record:
Most wins by an owner:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Woodbine Racetrack is a race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group, Woodbine Racetrack manages and hosts Canada's most famous race, the King's Plate. The track was opened in 1956 with a one-mile oval dirt track, as well as a seven-eights turf course. It has been extensively remodeled since 1993, and since 1994 has had three racecourses.
The Baltimore Washington International Turf Cup is an American Grade III invitational horse race run over one mile. Inaugurated in 1952 as the Washington, D.C. International Stakes, it was raced at Laurel Park Racecourse on the turf in Laurel, Maryland, at a distance of 1+1⁄2 miles, and attracted top turf horses from North America and Europe.
The Prince of Wales Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Fort Erie Race Track in Fort Erie, Ontario. Restricted to only three-year-old horses bred in Canada, it is contested on dirt over a distance of 1+3⁄16 miles. In 1959, the Prince of Wales Stakes became the second race in the Canadian Triple Crown series. It follows the August running of the King's Plate and precedes the Breeders' Stakes in October.
The Breeders' Stakes is a stakes race for Thoroughbred race horses foaled in Canada, first run in 1889. Since 1959, it has been the third race in the Canadian Triple Crown for three-year-olds. Held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, the Breeders' Stakes follows the August running of the King's Plate and the September running of the Prince of Wales Stakes. At a distance of one-and-a-half miles, the Breeders' Stakes is the longest of the three Triple Crown races and is the only jewel raced on turf.
The Coronation Futurity Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old horses foaled in Canada. It is run annually in mid-November at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles. Along with its turf counterpart, the Cup and Saucer Stakes, the Coronation Futurity is the richest race for two-year-olds foaled in Canada.
The King Edward Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The Grade II turf race is open to horses aged three and older and is raced over a distance of one mile. Run in late June or early July, it currently offers a purse of CAD$200,000.
The Northern Dancer Turf Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario in mid-September. A Grade I event with a current purse of Can$300,000, it is run at a distance of 1+1⁄2 miles on Woodbine's E. P. Taylor turf course.
The Nassau Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. A Grade II event raced in early June, it is open to horses aged three and older and run over a distance of one mile on turf. Currently, the Nassau Stakes offers a purse of $153,540.
The Achievement Stakes was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. An allowance race restricted to three-year-old horses foaled in the province of Ontario, it was run on Tapeta synthetic dirt over a distance of six furlongs.
The Play the King Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. A Grade II sprint race, it is open to horses age three and older and is run over a distance of seven furlongs on turf. It currently offers a purse of CAN$200,000.
The Natalma Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Run in mid-September, the Grade I race is run at a distance of one mile on turf and is open to two-year-old fillies. In 2016, the purse was increased to Can$250,000.
The Toronto Cup Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually on turf at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. Run in early July, the race is open to three-year-olds and is run over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles on turf.
The Bison City Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Held during first week of July, it is open to Canadian-foaled three-year-old fillies. Since the 1999 creation of the Canadian Triple Tiara, the race has been the second leg of the series. It is contested over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles on Polytrack synthetic dirt, the race currently offers a purse of $191,725.
The Vandal Stakes was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1956 through 2016 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The race has been on hiatus since the 2016 edition. The sprint race was open to two-year-old horses bred in Ontario. In 2016, the distance was changed to 6+1⁄2 furlongs and the surface was changed to turf. It currently offers a purse of $150,000.
The Jacques Cartier Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually since 1954 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Run near the beginning of the Woodbine spring meeting, the sprint race is open to horses aged four and older and is run over a distance of six furlongs on Tapeta synthetic dirt. In 2019, it became a Grade III stakes race and the purse has been subsequently increased to Can$150,000 with an additional $30,000 available for Ontario-bred horses.
The Whimsical Stakes is a thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid April at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A Grade III race since 2006, it is open to fillies and mares aged four and older. It is raced over a distance of 6 furlongs on Tapeta synthetic dirt and currently carries a purse of $115,500.
The Connaught Cup Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Run in late May, the Grade II race is open to horses aged four and older. Raced over a distance of seven furlongs on turf, it currently offers a purse of $196,750.
The Duchess Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is open to three-year-old fillies. Held during the first part of August, it is contested over a distance of 7 furlongs on Polytrack synthetic dirt. It currently offers a purse of $96,363 with an additional $50,000 for Ontario-bred horses. Previously a Grade III race, it lost its graded status in 2006.
The Highlander Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Run in mid to late June, the Grade II race is open to horses aged three and older. Raced over a distance of six furlongs on turf, it currently offers a purse of $250,000.
The Valedictory Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late November or early December at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Open to horses age three and older, the Grade III stakes is contested on a synthetic "all weather" surface over a distance of 1+1⁄2 miles.
