Nijinsky Stakes

The Nijinsky Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Since 2009, it has been run in late July. The Grade II race is open to horses aged three years and up and is run on Woodbine Racetrack's E. P. Taylor Turf Course at a distance of one and one eight miles. The race currently offers a purse of CAD$200,000.^[1]

Inaugurated as the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy Stakes in 1998, it was raced during the third week of July on turf at a distance of  1 ³⁄₈ miles. In 2002, the Chinese Cultural Centre sponsored the race and it was renamed the Chinese Cultural Centre Stakes. In 2006, the race was renamed the Nijinsky Stakes and the Chinese Cultural Centre assumed sponsorship for the Seagram Cup Stakes .

The race honors the Canadian-born Nijinsky, the 1970 English Triple Crown champion and a son of Canada's most famous horse, Northern Dancer.

Originally run at  1 ³⁄₈ miles, as the Nijinsky Stakes it was contested at  1 ¹⁄₂ miles in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 and 2009 it was run at  1 ¹⁄₄ miles and beginning in 2010 at  1 ¹⁄₈ miles.

Records

Time record:

• At old distance of  1 ¹⁄₄ miles — 2:00.60 - Seaside Retreat (2008) (new stakes and course record)
• At current distance of  1 ¹⁄₈ miles — 1:45.28 - So Long George (2013)

Most wins by a horse

• 2 - Up With the Birds (2014, 2016)
• 2 - Windwards Islands (2010, 2011)

Most wins by an owner:

• 7 - Sam-Son Farm (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2016)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 3 - Todd Kabel (2003, 2004, 2012)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 5 - Mark Frostad (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011)

Winners of the Nijinsky Stakes

References