Canadian International worth $2M

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Canadian International will offer a record purse of $2 million this year, an increase of $500,000, while its companion feature, the E.P. Taylor Stakes, has been upped by $250,000 to $1 million.

The boosts for the Canadian International and E.P. Taylor, both Grade 1 turf races, are the highlights of the 2005 stakes calendar announced Thursday by Woodbine Entertainment. The schedule includes 101 stakes totaling $21.4 million over the course of the 167-day meeting, which begins April 16.

The Canadian International, E.P. Taylor, and Grade 2 Nearctic, a turf sprint that will double in value to $500,000, will be run Oct. 23, the Sunday before the Breeders' Cup.

"I suppose we're an option to the Breeders' Cup; there's no getting around that," said Chris Evans, Woodbine's vice president of Thoroughbred racing. "It's a matter of being competitive with other major turf races around the world. We recognize that in order to continue to compete the purses for these races have to come up."

Five other stakes that will see purse increases of at least $50,000 - the Dance Smartly, Sky Classic, Nassau, Play the King, and Canadian - also will be run on the turf.

There are no new stakes on the schedule, which also features the $1 million Queen's Plate and the $1 million Atto Mile. But there has been a noteworthy change in the conditions, as 11 stakes formerly open to all Canadian-breds now will be restricted to horses foaled in Ontario. The stakes affected by the change, in chronological order, are the Queenston, Fury, Achievement, Clarendon, Ontario Damsel, Shady Well, Vandal, Carotene, Fanfreluche, Jammed Lovely, and Ontario Lassie.

The only stakes retaining the Canadian-bred designation will be the Plate Trial; the Queen's Plate and the Breeders', which are the first and third legs of the Canadian Triple Crown for 3-year-olds; the Woodbine Oaks and the Wonder Where, the opening and closing legs of the triple tiara for 3-year-old fillies; the Cup and Saucer, Coronation Futurity, and Princess Elizabeth Futurity, which are early-closing stakes for 2-year-olds; and the six yearling sales stakes.

Evans also notes that purses for allowance and maiden special weight races will rise 5 percent, and overnight stakes are going up almost 3 percent to $100,000.

And, for the first time, Woodbine will offer a $400 stipend for any starter who does not earn purse money by finishing fifth or better. The $400 payment applies to entrants in all levels of races.

"It's a set fee that goes to the owner's account to offset the cost of running a horse," said Evans. "The idea is to increase field sizes."

2005 stakes schedule

* Foaled in Canada; **Foaled in Ontario; ***Ontario-sired; **Ont.-sired