Six Races Upgraded to Listed Status in Canada for 2020

The Jockey Club of Canada's Graded Stakes Committee upgraded six races with black-type status to listed status for 2020 during its annual review of graded and listed stakes races. The number of graded stakes in Canada will remain at 45. 

Ross McKague chaired the committee, which included Jeffrey Begg, Tom Cosgrove, Catherine Day Phillips, and Jockey Club of Canada's chief steward, R. Glenn Sikura. The attending racetrack representatives included Julie Bell, Jessica Buckley, Matt Jukich, Scott Lane, Darren MacDonald, Rob MacLennan, and Nichelle Milner. 

After reviewing the North American Race Committee figures and the race quality scores for all graded and listed races in Canada, the committee determined that the six races to be elevated to listed status—the Belle Mahone, Flaming Page, Sweet Briar Too, Charlie Barley, Alywow, and Ruling Angel stakes—are highly qualified, open black-type stakes. They had previously been considered ineligible for graded and listed status.

Other changes include distance decreases for the Nijinsky Stakes (G2T), from 12 furlongs to 10; the Dominion Day Stakes (G3), from 10 furlongs to nine; the Singspiel Stakes (G3T), from 12 furlongs to 10; and the Durham Cup (G3), from nine furlongs to 8.5 furlongs for 2020.

Additionally, the Fantasy Stakes was downgraded from listed status to black type for 2020.

The committee bases its decisions on the cumulative NARC ratings for five consecutive years as well as the most recent black-type race quality scores.