The Seagram Cup has changed a lot since its first running in 1903 at the Old Woodbine Racetrack. A race on dirt, it was named in honour of owner/breeder Joseph E. Seagram whose Seagram Stables dominated Canadian racing at the time and who had won Canada’s most prestigious race, the Queen’s Plate, eight consecutive times between 1891 and 1898.
That first winner of the Seagram was Easy Street, owned by Nathanial Dyment. There were several years the race was not held but some of the high-profile winners during the Old Woodbine years were stars Canadian Champ and Canadian Triple Crown winner New Providence.
With the cessation of Thoroughbred racing at Old Woodbine, the Seagram Cup was moved to the new Woodbine Racetrack and in 1959 became a race on turf. As a grass handicap the race was won by a litany of great Canadian racehorses such as He’s a Smoothie, Bridle Path and Sky Classic.