Canada is one of the hotspots for horse racing. Judging by the level of activities and the number of bookmakers in Canada, this is one country to watch. Kate Richardson is doing exactly that, presenting the major horse racing events for the remainder of the year as well as the early months of 2022. Also, as a betting enthusiast, you may be interested in knowing more about Irish horse racing and what the future holds, all that information can be obtained here.
Canada’s horse racing calendar is full of events, running from January to December. Fans are busy throughout the period. We can comfortably conclude that there is no dull moment for horse racing fans, enthusiasts, and betters too. For those looking for action, Prince Wales is coming, this time around not in July but starting on September 14th, 2021.
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Prince Wales
For the last ninety-two years, the Prince of Wales Stakes has been held annually at Fort Erie racing track, located at Fort Erie in Ontario Canada. The races which are restricted to three-year-olds strictly bred in Canada, see the horses run a distance of 1.9 kilometers. Since 1959, the race has been part of the Canadian Triple Crown, a series of three races that are run in the country that has only Thoroughbred horses participating. It normally comes after the Queen’s Plate, the other Crown series but before the Breeder’s Stake, the third in the series that also happens in August.
The event in the 2021 calendar has been moved from July to September due to the effects of COVID-19. As usual, it is set to attract huge crowds partly because it might be warmer and the restriction on participation in the event will have been eased. This is an event that every horse racing enthusiast should look forward to, as it promises fun and thrilling action. For the betting enthusiasts too, this is an event that should be on the list, given its prominence and also the fact that it will be held away from its usual time.
Those who may be interested in the other two races in the Canadian Triple Crown series should also know that these events will be held in new seasons. The change in dates has been occasioned by the COVID-19 restrictions. The Queen’s plate will be on August 22, 2021, at the Woodbine Race track while the Breeders’ Stakes will be on October 3rd at the same race track.
Other races which will be held in between these two events include:
- Travers Stakes which will be at Saratoga on August 28, 2021
- Ricoh Woodbine which will be also held at Woodbine Racetrack starting September 18, 2021
- Canadian International Stakes scheduled for September 18, 2021, at Woodbine Racetrack, and
- Gand Prix l’Arch de Triomphe which will be at Longchamp on October 3rd
Canadian International Stakes
Canadian International Stakes is scheduled for September 18, 2021, at Woodbine Racetrack. Inaugurated in 1938, the Grade 1 stakes race is a Thoroughbred flat racing that happens annually in October at the famous Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. It is run on a turf surface with three years and above horses covering a distance of one and a half miles. This year’s race will be held one month earlier, these are some of the changes which have been made due to the effects of COVID 19.
The current winner is the Desert Encounter who still holding the title he won in 2019 following the cancellation of the 2020 race. Desert Encounter also won the 2018 race. Now almost eight years old, its Jockey is Andrea Atzeni, an Italian professional who is based in England. Its trainer is David Simcock while it is owned by Abdulla Al Mansoori. Just like other events which are held at Woodbine Racecourse, the Canadian International Stakes promises to give the horse racing fans and enthusiasts the best in terms of thrills and fun. Woodbine Racetrack is a place that is known to host other famous races such as Queen’s plate. One of the oldest in Canada, it contains three racecourses.
Apart from Canadian international Stakes and Queen’s stakes other notable races that are held here include:
- Breeders’ Stakes
- Woodbine Mile, EP Taylor
- Nearctic Stakes, and
- Northern Dancer turf stakes.
The EP Taylor Stakes
October 17, 2021, Woodbine Racetrack will be again hosting a huge horse race, the EP Taylor Stakes. The Thoroughbred race which features three-year-old fillies and mares has been around since 1956. It is named after the late Edward Plunket Taylor who was the Ontario Club president between 1953 and 1973. EP is also remembered for the role that he played in founding the Jockey Club of Canada as well as his success in horse breeding. It is a Grade 1 event, meaning that it features thoroughbred horses and meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee. It is considered an international event since it attracts horses both from North America and Europe.
It is a companion event in the Canadian International Stakes. The current winner is Etoile, a horse that is trained by Chad Brown and owned by Peter Brant, an American entrepreneur who owns several publishing outlets, film production companies, and art collection centers. The four-year-old horse is trained by one of the best American Thoroughbred trainers famed for his expertise in turf horses as well as mares and fillies. Some of the horses he has trained include Stacelita, Lady Eli, and Big Blue Kitten, the winners of the Eclipse Award among other titles.