The Valedictory Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early December at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Open to horses age three and older, the n;on-graded stakes is contested on Polytrack synthetic dirt over a distance of 1¾ 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 were it remains.
Always a longer distance race on dirt, over the years it has been contested at a variety of distances:
- 1952 : 1⅝ miles
- 1954–1955 : 1⅜ miles
- 1956–present : 1¾ miles
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 forced.
The Valedictory was upgraded to grade III status in 2011.
Read more about Valedictory Stakes: Records, Winners, Other North American Marathon Races
Famous quotes containing the word stakes:
“Law makes long spokes of the short stakes of men.”
—William Empson (1906–1984)