The Canadian Turf Handicap is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Thoroughbred horse race

Thoroughbred horse race

Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...

 held annually in February at Gulfstream Park

Gulfstream Park

Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....

 in Hallandale Beach, Florida

Hallandale Beach, Florida

Hallandale Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Luther Halland, a worker for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,113...

. The Grade III

Graded stakes race

A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...

 race is open to horses four-year-old and up and is run at a distance of 11/16 miles on turf.

The inaugural race was run on March 18, 1967 and was named to honor the many Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 racing fans who vacation or reside in the state of Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 during the winter months and who in 1967 were celebrating the Canadian Centennial

Canadian Centennial

The Canadian Centennial was a year long celebration held in 1967 when Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. Celebrations occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1. 1967 coins were different from previous years' issues, with animals on each...

.

The 1990 Canadian Triple Crown champion and Horse of the Year

Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year

The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honor in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing....

, Izvestia

Izvestia (horse)

Izvestia was a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Canadian Triple Crown in 1990. A descendant of Nearco, his damsire Personality was the 1970 Co-American Horse of the Year. Owned and bred by Kinghaven Farms, the colt began racing in the United States, winning two Graded stakes races at the...

, wintered in Florida and made his 1991 racing debut with a win in this race.

In 2002 and 2004, the race was run on dirt and was downgraded to a listed race until 2007 when it was restored to its Grade III status.

In 2005, Old Forester set a new Gulfstream Park turf course record for 1 1/16 miles in winning the Canadian Turf Handicap in a time of 1:38.20.

In 2009, the race was raced at a distance of one mile. It was run in two divisions in 1968, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987.

Winners since 2000

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2011	Little Mike	4	Joe Bravo Joe Bravo Wilkyns Nuñez, better known by his ring name Joe Bravo, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler best known for performing with the International Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Council.-International Wrestling Association :...	Dale Romans	Priscilla Vaccarezza	1:32.37
2010	Courageous Cat	4	Garrett Gomez	William I. Mott	Pam & Martin Wygod Martin J. Wygod Martin J. Wygod is an American businessman and a prominent Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder. A business administration graduate from New York University, he joined a Wall Street stock brokerage firm before becoming a managing partner in a similar firm.In 1964, Wygod became involved with...	1:31.58
2009	Twilight Meteor	5	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher is a leading American thoroughbred horse trainer. He has won four consecutive Eclipse Awards as outstanding Trainer of the Year, while topping the leader board in purse earnings in 2004, 2005, and 2006. His horse Super Saver won the 2010 Kentucky Derby, the first of his 24 horses...	Peachtree Stable	1:34.31
2008	Host	8	John Velazquez	Tom Albertrani Tom Albertrani Thomas "Tom" Albertrani is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He began his career as a jockey then spent a number of years as an assistant to trainer Bill Mott. In 1995 Albertrani was hired as an assistant to head trainer Saeed bin Suroor at the prominent international Godolphin Racing...	Eugene Melnyk Eugene Melnyk Eugene Melnyk is a Ukrainian Canadian businessman who now resides in Barbados. He is the current owner, governor, and chairman of the Ottawa Senators professional ice hockey club of the National Hockey League . He also owns the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors junior-age ice hockey club...	1:39.85
2007	Giant Wrecker	5	Javier Castellano Javier Castellano Javier Castellano is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.Castellano began his riding career in his native Venezuela in 1996 and in June 1997 moved to the United States where rode at race tracks in southern Florida until 2001 when he moved to race on the New York State racing circuit.In...	Mark A. Hennig Mark A. Hennig Mark A. Hennig is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer.Born into a horse racing family, his father, John Hennig, was also a trainer. After working with his father, Mark Hennig became an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas before going out on his own in 1991.-References:*...	Edward P. Evans	1:39.70
2006	English Channel English Channel (horse) English Channel is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned by James T. Scatuorchio and bred by Keene Ridge Farm, he was sired by Smart Strike out of the Theatrical mare Belva. In four years of racing, he competed in twenty three races, winning thirteen, finishing second in four, and finishing...	4	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	James T. Scatuorchio	1:39.13
2005	Old Forester	4	Eibar Coa Eibar Coa Eibar Coa Monteverde is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. A five-time judo champion in his teens, he attended jockey school from 1989 to 1991 then began his professional riding career in 1992...	William I. Mott	Live Oak Plantation Racing	1:38.20
2004	Newfoundland	4	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Sumaya Us Stable	1:44.90
2003	Political Attack	4	Mark Guidry Mark Guidry Mark Guidry is a retired American jockey.He began his riding career in Thoroughbred horse racing in his native Louisiana in 1974 where he remained until 1986 when he went to race in Illinois. He was the leading jockey at Hawthorne Race Course seven times, Sportsman's Park nine times, and two...	Michael Matz Michael Matz Michael Ray Matz is an American Olympic equestrian rider and horse trainer. He is perhaps most well known for having trained the ill-fated Barbaro to win the 132nd Kentucky Derby in 2006. The previously undefeated colt suffered a career and life ending injury after the start of the Preakness Stakes...	Fitz Eugene Dixon, Jr. Fitz Eugene Dixon, Jr. Fitz Eugene Dixon, Jr. was an American educator, sportsman, and philanthropist.-Biography:He was the son of banker Fitz Eugene Dixon, Sr. and his wife Eleanor Widener, a member of the wealthy Philadelphia Widener family. His grandfather, George D. Widener, and uncle, Harry Elkins Widener, had both...	1:40.43
2002	North East Bound	6	Jose Velez, Jr.	William W. Perry	Julian Demarco/Richard Disano	1:44.01
2001	Inexplicable	6	Jose Santos José Santos Jose Abon Santos is a retired Chilean thoroughbred jockey who has been honored by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in the United States.-Career:...	Christophe Clement Christophe Clement Christophe Clement is a Thoroughbred horse trainer in the United States.- Racing background :Christophe Clement initially acquired his training skills from father Miguel, a leading trainer in France, Christophe later worked for the prominent French racing family of trainer Alec Head...	Lucy Young-Boutin	1:39.43
2000	Shamrock City	5	Edgar Prado	Mohammed Moubarak	Buckram Oak Farm	1:47.15