Nijinsky Stakes

The Nijinsky Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race held annually on the last Sunday of August at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. 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 $300,000.

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 great 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.

Woodbine Racetrack Graded Stakes Races

Stakes Race Grade Purse
Eclipse Stakes III $150,000
Nassau Stakes II $300,000
King Edward Stakes II $250,000
Highlander Stakes II $200,000
Singspiel Stakes III $150,000
Queen's Plate Stakes I $1,000,000
Dominion Day Stakes III $200,000
Dance Smartly Stakes II $300,000
Ontario Matron Stakes III $150,000
Nijinsky Stakes II $300,000
Royal North Stakes III $150,000
Sky Classic Stakes II $250,000
Ontario Colleen Stakes III $150,000
Play the King Stakes II $200,000
Seaway Stakes III $150,000
Natalma Stakes III $200,000
Summer Stakes III $250,000
Canadian Stakes II $300,000
Northern Dancer Turf Stakes I $500,000
Woodbine Mile Stakes I $1,000,000
Selene Stakes III $250,000
Grey Stakes III $200,000
Nearctic Stakes I $500,000
E.P. Taylor Stakes I $1,000,000
Canadian International Stakes I $1,500,000
Autumn Stakes II $150,000
Kennedy Road Stakes III $150,000
Bessarabian Stakes III $150,000
Valedictory Stakes III $150,000