Jockey Club of Canada upgrades Algonquin to G3, BC Derby downgraded

The Jockey Club of Canada’s Graded Stakes Committee upgraded the bet365 Algonquin Stakes at Woodbine from Listed to Grade 3 for 2026 and downgraded the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby to Listed status, a swap that leaves the country’s total number of graded stakes at 41 and shifts the national black-type map. The Algonquin upgrade applies to the early-October running for 2-year-olds on the turf at Woodbine, while the BC Derby will lose its GIII designation under the committee’s review.

The Algonquin’s elevation to Grade 3 brings a higher international classification to Woodbine’s young turf division, formally recognizing the early-October 2-year-old turf event now styled as the bet365 Algonquin Stakes. The race’s new Grade 3 label will change how breeders, owners and racing planners value the event’s black-type potential going into the 2026 season.

The British Columbia Derby’s downgrade from Grade 3 to Listed removes a graded badge that the race carried prior to the committee’s action, altering the profile for horses and connections that target that event. The committee’s determinations explicitly reduce the number of Canadian races carrying Grade 3 status even as the overall graded-stakes count holds steady at 41.

In addition to those headline moves, the committee upgraded four races to Listed status: the Century Casino Oaks, the King Corrie Stakes, the Niagara Stakes and the Thorncliffe Stakes. Those reclassifications expand the pool of black-type Listed events in Canada and will affect stud-record valuations and future entry strategies for trainers and owners who campaign fillies and older horses in provincial programs.

The Graded Stakes Committee based its decisions on a review of North American Race Committee (NARC) figures for all graded, listed and potentially listed races in Canada, announcing the results in a press release late on Tuesday. The meeting was conducted by chair Ross McKague and included appointed members David Anderson, Jim Bannon, Jeff Begg, Catherine Day Phillips and Bernard McCormack, with The Jockey Club of Canada’s Chief Steward Doug Anderson in attendance. Racetrack representatives Allen Goodsell, Teagan Goodsell and Mike Vanin attended from Alberta; McKague represented Manitoba, and Julia Bell and Scott Lane represented Ontario.

The Jockey Club of Canada, founded in 1973 by E.P. Taylor, evaluates Graded, Listed and black-type races annually as part of its mission to maintain internationally recognized standards for Canadian Thoroughbred racing and breeding. The organization also administers the Sovereign Awards and maintains a Canadian field office for registry services.

The committee’s release included no direct quotes and did not provide purse or scheduling changes; the classification decisions are reported for the 2026 season. Key follow-ups for industry participants include obtaining the full Jockey Club press release, confirmation of effective dates, and statements from Ross McKague and the race secretaries at Woodbine and the organizers of the British Columbia Derby to clarify how the reclassifications will shape purses, entries and future scheduling.