Valedictory Stakes
| Grade III stakes race | |
| Location |
Woodbine Racetrack Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1952 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | www |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 3⁄4 miles (14 furlongs) |
| Surface | Synthetic "all weather" dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-years-old & up |
| Weight | Three-Year-Olds: 122 lbs. Older horses: 124 lbs. Allowances |
| Purse | C$150,000 since 2009 |
| Bonuses | $30,000 for eligible Ontario-breds |
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" dirt surface over a distance of 1 3⁄4 miles (14 furlongs).
Inaugurated as the Valedictory Handicap in 1952 at the Dufferin Park Racetrack, it was moved to the new Woodbine Racetrack for the 1956 running where it remained through 1960. From 1991 through 1993, the race was hosted by Greenwood Raceway; thereafter, the race returned to Woodine where it remains.
The Valedictory was originally run on dirt but in 2006 Woodbine switched to a synthetic "all weather" surface (originally Polytrack and then Tapeta starting in 2016). Always a longer distance race, over the years it has been contested at a variety of distances:
There was no race run in 1953 and the regularly scheduled race on December 7, 2008 had to be canceled due to extreme cold weather.
The Valedictory was upgraded to grade III status in 2011. It is the final stakes event of the year at Woodbine racetrack, which is closed to Thoroughbred racing during the winter.
Speed record:
Most wins:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
On dirt:
On turf:
...
Wikipedia