Woodbine will stage the $150,000 Vice Regent Stakes on Sunday, with Artemus Citylimits returning to the inner turf as the defending champion and one of the experienced names in the Ontario-bred field.
Vice Regent Stakes 2026 will be contested over five furlongs on the inner turf for Ontario-bred three-year-olds and older horses.
The nine-year-old son of Temple City has built a substantial record over the years, with nine wins, 11 seconds and 12 thirds from 47 starts. His turf record is similarly solid, producing six victories, six runner-up finishes and nine third-place efforts from 33 appearances.
Trained by Audrey Cheung, Artemus Citylimits arrives in good form. The veteran was second in a six-furlong main-track sprint on May 30 before returning to the inner turf and recording a decisive three-and-a-half-length victory over five furlongs. The winning time was 56.48 seconds.
That latest performance also confirmed the effectiveness of a front-running approach. Artemus Citylimits broke sharply, settled into his rhythm and maintained control throughout, producing one of his more convincing efforts of the season.
The Woodbine veteran has generally been prepared with a light training programme, with his work designed to sharpen rather than overextend him before race day. His latest breeze came on August 7, when he covered three furlongs on the main track in 36.60 seconds.
Cheung will now look for a repeat of the conditions that brought success in last year’s renewal. Artemus Citylimits has always performed particularly well on the inner turf, and his recent form suggests he is entering the race in sound condition.
Bred in Ontario by Gunpowder Farms, Artemus Citylimits is out of the City Zip mare Dene Court. The gelding began racing in 2020 and quickly established a reputation for consistency, finishing in the first three in 21 of his first 22 starts.
He broke his maiden at Turfway Park on March 14, 2020, winning by a length and a quarter on debut. Later that year, he made his stakes debut in the Greenwood at Woodbine and finished third.
His career has since included a start in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland, where he finished fifth. His first stakes victory came in the 2025 Vice Regent Stakes, making Sunday’s return particularly significant.
Artemus Citylimits has earned more than $763,000 during his career and remains a major part of Cheung’s stable. The trainer is also chasing a first stakes success after beginning a solo conditioning career earlier this year.
The horse’s preparation has included careful attention to his temperament as well as his fitness. His long-time groom Philip Hyde continues to play an important role in keeping the veteran settled and ready for his races.
For Cheung, the objective on Sunday is straightforward: reproduce the sharpness and efficiency shown in his latest turf appearance while allowing the horse to use his natural speed.
A repeat of last year’s success would give Artemus Citylimits another important chapter in a career that has already included stakes success, graded-stakes placings and more than $763,000 in earnings.
The Vice Regent Stakes is an upcoming race, so the official finish order is not yet available. It will be added once the race has been completed.
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