Canada has a rich history across all sports, whether it be ice hockey or basketball. However, the nation’s love of all things sport has transcended into horse racing across modern history, with racing enjoying a resurgence across Canada.
But, there has always been a cult following of the sport across the nation, with Canada playing host to some of the most scenic and well-respected tracks in North America. Click here to know more about some strategies to wager on racing.
Canada has also been a target for international raiders in recent years, with some notable races offering multi-million dollar purses.
But, what are some of the most famous racing stories and races from the nation?
Northern Dancer
One of the greatest Canadian legends of horse racing is Northern Dancer. The Canadian-bred horse became the first runner born in the nation to win the Kentucky Derby in 1964.
Such was his success, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest Canadian sporting icons, and that was reflected when he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1965.
Before conquering the U.S., Northern Dancer made his presence felt at home, winning the Summer Stakes and Coronation Futurity to be named the Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old. As a three-year-old, he would send the United States into a frenzy, winning the Florida Derby and Blue Grass Stakes, before winning both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
However, his Triple Crown bid would ultimately come up short after finishing third in the Belmont Stakes. Northern Dancer’s impact would later be felt for generations to come, with English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky coming out of his second crop.
Ron Turcotte
Few Canadian jockeys have had the opportunity to ride in the Kentucky Derby, but even fewer have crossed the line ahead of the field at Churchill Downs.
However, Ron Turcotte will be one of the riders that is forever associated with the great race, as he was aboard the legendary Secretariat for all three of his Triple Crown wins in 1973.
However, his success overseas far outweighs just that one afternoon, as he also rode Tom Rolfe to glory in the 1965 Preakness Stakes, and Riva Ridge to memorable wins in the Derby and Belmont Stakes.
But, it would be the image of him looking over his shoulder in the Belmont Stakes while aboard Secretariat that was the lasting memory for racing across North America in the 1970s.
Turcotte’s career was honoured in 1979 when he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, just a year after his retirement from the sport after falling during a race at Belmont Park.
Dance Smartly
Northern Dancer’s reputation as one of the leading stallions across the world was cemented in the 1990s, with Dance Smartly producing memorable performances on the biggest stage for trainer Jim Day.
As a two-year-old, he won three from five starts, while also claiming third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She was later named the Canadian champion two-year-old filly. However, it was during her three-year-old season that she would emerge as a horse of a lifetime.
She went unbeaten throughout 1991, winning the Canadian Oaks, before taking on the boys and becoming just the second filly to win the Canadian Triple Crown. Her wins in the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes are still fondly remembered to this day by Canadian racing fans, but she would set the bar higher still before retiring.
On her final start in 1991, she would make history by becoming the first Canadian-bred horse to win at the Breeders’ Cup, landing the Distaff in dominant fashion at Churchill Downs. Dance Smartly was retired after suffering injury as a four-year-old, but she exited the sport as the highest earning filly in the word, with wins on the turf and dirt to her name.
Eyes of the World on Canada
The Breeders’ Cup is the season-ending event on the flat, and it has been staged in the United States in all but one of the seasons since its formation.
However, Canada enjoyed the prestigious honour of hosting the only event outside of the U.S. in 1996, when the Breeders’ Cup was staged at Woodbine. The event marked the continued success enjoyed by the sport, and followed quickly off the back of the performances by Dance Smartly.
Alphabet Soup produced one of the most memorable finishes to a Breeders’ Cup at Woodbine in 1996, as the David Hofmans-trained runner upset the odds to hold off the great Cigar and Louis Quatorze to win one of racing’s biggest prices.
Having the eyes of the world on their racing is nothing new for Canada, as it also hosts its three most prestigious races as part of the Triple Crown series. However, no horse since Wando in 2003 has won the King’s Plate, Prince of Wales Stakes, and Breeders’ Stakes in the same season.
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