Jacques Cartier Stakes

The Jacques Cartier Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually since 1954 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Run near the beginning of the Woodbine spring meeting, the sprint race is open to horses aged four and older and is run over a distance of six furlongs on Tapeta synthetic dirt. In 2019, it became a Grade III stakes race and the purse was increased to C$125,000 with an additional $25,000 available for Ontario-bred horses.[1]

Jacques Cartier Stakes

Grade III race
Location	Woodbine Racetrack Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Inaugurated	1954
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	www.woodbineentertainment.com/qct/default.asp
Race information
Distance	6 furlongs
Surface	Tapeta
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Four-Years-Old & Up
Weight	Allowances
Purse	C$125,000
Bonuses	$25,000 Ontario-bred

Inaugurated in 1954 at the now defunct Greenwood Raceway in Toronto, the Jacques Cartier Stakes is named in honour of the French explorer, Jacques Cartier. It was raced at Woodbine Racetrack from 1956 through 1967 after which it was hosted by Fort Erie Racetrack through 1975. In 1976 the race returned to Greenwood Raceway where it remained through 1993. It returned to its prest location at Woodbine Racetrack in 1994.

The race was run in two divisions in 1984.

Since inception it has been contested at various distances:

• 6 furlongs : 1954-1975, 1994–present
• 6.5 furlongs : 1976
• 7 furlongs : 1977-1993