From October 5 – 8.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Toronto, October 6, 2023
The Jockey Club of Canada is proud to participate in the festivities of the Grade 1 Canadian International and E. P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack with our presentation of a commemorative cooler to the winner of the Jockey Club of Canada 50th Anniversary Cup race on the October 8 undercard.
The year 2023 marks two very important 50th-anniversary milestones for Thoroughbred racing in Canada – the final career race of the great Secretariat in the 1973 Canadian International Championship Stakes at Woodbine and the formation of The Jockey Club of Canada. Both anniversaries are just days apart, with The Jockey Club of Canada’s Letters Patent recorded by the federal government on October 23 and Secretariat’s victory coming on October 28. 1973 was also the year in which the aptly-named Royal Chocolate won the Queen’s Plate Stakes with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in attendance.
The evidence of E. P. Taylor’s involvement in racing can still be felt decades after his passing through the permeating success of the bloodlines of his Windfields Farm-bred horses, the vibrant and ever-evolving racing scene at Woodbine, the stalwart existence of The Jockey Club of Canada, and beyond.
E. P. Taylor founded The Jockey Club of Canada and served as its first Chairman of the Board from 1973 to 1976. What began as an association comprised of individuals from across the country committed to maintaining the high standards and traditions of Canadian racing continues to be so today as its membership grows and Thoroughbred racing evolves.
Woodbine has long played host to some of the most prestigious races in the country, including the Canadian Triple Crown and world-class turf racing. At the pinnacle of these races stand the Canadian International and E. P. Taylor Stakes. The E. P. Taylor Stakes began as the Nettie Handicap in 1956, changing its name to honour the Canadian racing titan in 1981. It has been an internationally significant race for fillies and mares for much of its existence, running as a grade 1 since 1999. The Canadian International had its first running in 1938 as the Long Branch Championship at Long Branch Racetrack in Etobicoke, and has held grade 1 status since 1975.
We wish to extend our sincere thanks to Lesley of L J’s Tack Shop in Alberta for coordinating the production and shipping of our commemorative coolers for races across the country, our Sovereign Awards Committee for helping bring the idea to life, and our members for taking pride in representing The Jockey Club of Canada and its values.
The Jockey Club of Canada was founded in 1973 by E. P. Taylor to serve as the international representative of the Canadian Thoroughbred industry. The mission of The Jockey Club of Canada is to promote and maintain a high standard for Thoroughbred racing and breeding in Canada at a level which is recognized internationally for the benefit of all those interested in the sport, including the general public. This is achieved through operations and services such as, but not limited to: evaluating all Graded, Listed and Black-type races in Canada annually; conducting the annual Sovereign Awards for outstanding achievement in Thoroughbred racing and breeding in Canada; maintaining a field office in Canada for the Jockey Club of the United States and the Jockey Club Registry Service; and by representing Canada as a Member of the IFHA.
Source: The Jockey Club of Canada