carlonr
07-07-2010, 09:41 PM
As promised, here is the response in full I received from the Jockey Club of Canada.
From Ross McKague <mckaguer@mts.net>
to carlonr@gmail.com
cc jlawson@westerkirk.ca,
Carolyn Pulis <jockeyclub@bellnet.ca>
date Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 12:30 PM
subject Re: Graded Stakes Clarification
mailed-by mymts.net
hide details 12:30 PM (6 hours ago)
Hello Mr. Rogers:
Ten or more years ago (can't remember when exactly), when open graded stakes were North American graded stakes selected by a panel of Americans, very few Canadian races were granted graded status. At that time, out of frustration, it was decided that Canada should create our own mini graded stakes program. Races such as the Queens Plate and the Canadian Oaks were given Grade 1 Canadian status, as were many other restricted races. (Both the Plate and the Oaks are restricted to Canadian Breds.) These races still appear in sales catalogues today (usually under the third or fourth dam) as Grade 1 Canadian, as that is how they were designated at the time.
The North American Graded Stakes Committee continued to dole out graded status to a scant few OPEN races in Canada, to races which did not have a Canadian graded designation. This created further confusion, as many did not understand the difference between Canadian Graded and Open Graded.
My predecessor, Michael Byrne, had the foresight to negotiate, at an international level, the right for Canada to grade our own stakes using international standards. This meant that open, non-restricted races with purses above a designated level were eligible for consideration for graded status. These races are carefully evaluated for graded status in a manner similiar to the US, although completely independent of their committee. Our critera is international, i.e. no restricted races are eligible for grading. Therefore the Queens Plate and the Canadian Oaks, for instance, are not eligible to be graded because they are open only to Canadian Breds.
We live in a global racing community and the "powers that be" in international racing have been impressed with our scrutiny of Canadian races and our subsequent granting of graded status. Keeneland and other world class sales companies publish our graded stakes without the appendix (C) for Canadian. Unfortunately, some US publications continue to insert the (C) into published articles. This leads to confusion as to whether this is one of the old Canadian graded stakes, or an international open graded stakes designation. I suspect (and hope) as the old designation slips off the bottom of catalogue pages they will come to accept Canadians as competent to grade our own races.
If you have any further questions regarded our Canadian graded stakes program, please feel free to email me.
Sincerely,
Ross A. McKague
Chair, Graded Stakes Committee
Jockey Club of Canada
From Ross McKague <mckaguer@mts.net>
to carlonr@gmail.com
cc jlawson@westerkirk.ca,
Carolyn Pulis <jockeyclub@bellnet.ca>
date Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 12:30 PM
subject Re: Graded Stakes Clarification
mailed-by mymts.net
hide details 12:30 PM (6 hours ago)
Hello Mr. Rogers:
Ten or more years ago (can't remember when exactly), when open graded stakes were North American graded stakes selected by a panel of Americans, very few Canadian races were granted graded status. At that time, out of frustration, it was decided that Canada should create our own mini graded stakes program. Races such as the Queens Plate and the Canadian Oaks were given Grade 1 Canadian status, as were many other restricted races. (Both the Plate and the Oaks are restricted to Canadian Breds.) These races still appear in sales catalogues today (usually under the third or fourth dam) as Grade 1 Canadian, as that is how they were designated at the time.
The North American Graded Stakes Committee continued to dole out graded status to a scant few OPEN races in Canada, to races which did not have a Canadian graded designation. This created further confusion, as many did not understand the difference between Canadian Graded and Open Graded.
My predecessor, Michael Byrne, had the foresight to negotiate, at an international level, the right for Canada to grade our own stakes using international standards. This meant that open, non-restricted races with purses above a designated level were eligible for consideration for graded status. These races are carefully evaluated for graded status in a manner similiar to the US, although completely independent of their committee. Our critera is international, i.e. no restricted races are eligible for grading. Therefore the Queens Plate and the Canadian Oaks, for instance, are not eligible to be graded because they are open only to Canadian Breds.
We live in a global racing community and the "powers that be" in international racing have been impressed with our scrutiny of Canadian races and our subsequent granting of graded status. Keeneland and other world class sales companies publish our graded stakes without the appendix (C) for Canadian. Unfortunately, some US publications continue to insert the (C) into published articles. This leads to confusion as to whether this is one of the old Canadian graded stakes, or an international open graded stakes designation. I suspect (and hope) as the old designation slips off the bottom of catalogue pages they will come to accept Canadians as competent to grade our own races.
If you have any further questions regarded our Canadian graded stakes program, please feel free to email me.
Sincerely,
Ross A. McKague
Chair, Graded Stakes Committee
Jockey Club of Canada