Dance Smartly Stakes

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The Dance Smartly Stakes is a thoroughbred horse race run annually in August at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A Grade II stakes race raced on turf, it is open to fillies and mares three years of age and older and run at 1+1⁄16 miles. Originally known as the Woodbine Handicap, the race was renamed in 1998 for Dance Smartly, the second filly to win the Canadian Triple Crown who went undefeated during the 1991 racing season and was inducted into both the Canadian and United States Racing Hall of Fames.^[1]

Inaugurated in 1986, it was raced on dirt through 1989 at a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles. In 1990 it was switched over to the turf course and raced that year at 1+1⁄16 miles after which it remained on the turf but at its original 1+1⁄8 miles. It was lengthened to 1+1⁄4 miles in 2017.^[2] In 2022 the race returned to the current distance of 1+1⁄16 miles.

Time record on turf:

• 1+1⁄16 miles (current distance): 1:39.46 – Wakanaka (2022)
• 1+1⁄8 miles: 1:44.25 – Overheard (2014)
• 1+1⁄4 miles: 1:59.51 – Santa Monica (2018)

Most wins:

• 2 – Radiant Ring (1991, 1992)

Most wins by an owner:

• 3 – Sam-Son Farm (1991, 1992, 1998)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 4 – Patrick Husbands (1999, 2003, 2010, 2016)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 4 – Roger Attfield (1987, 2002, 2005, 2010)

• List of Canadian flat horse races