LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, which hadn't had a million-dollar mare since 2019, had two reach seven figures during its opening session Monday in Lexington, with 19-year-old Tom Wachman making the day's highest bid of $1.6-million to acquire the broodmare prospect Prank (Into Mischief) on behalf of his grandfather, John Magnier's Coolmore. Late in the session, Tomoyuki Nakamura of K I Farm purchased Curlin's Voyage (Curlin) for $1 million.

“I think we've got to be very happy with the way the session turned out,” Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said Monday evening. “We had two million-dollar plus horses, which is the first time since 2019. The numbers were pretty much on par for much of the day compared to last year and last year was a very strong sale.”

A total of 225 horses sold Monday for $17,547,500 for an average of $77,989 and a median of $32,000. Bolstered by the two million-dollar mares, the session average was up 7.43% from a year ago, while the median declined 20%.

With 97 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 30.12%. It was 31.29% a year ago.

Bloodstock agent Steve Young, accompanied by Ramona Bass, was the session's leading buyer with three mares purchased to support Bass's recently retired Grade I-winning sire Annapolis. The session featured a diverse buying bench with the 16 top-priced horses selling to 14 different buyers.

Cormac Breathnach and Tony Lacy on Monday | Keeneland

“I was really pleased with the depth of the buyer bench here,” said Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach. “There were a lot of people signing tickets in the ring and a lot of important buyers from America and also from around the world.”

Demand for short yearlings, a segment of the market which was competitive at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale two months ago, remained strong Monday in Lexington. Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, the session's leading consignor, sold the day's two top-priced yearlings, with a colt by Curlin selling to Milan Bloodstock for $375,000 and a son of Maclean's Music selling for $300,000 to Muir Hut Stables.

“The demand for yearlings was strong,” Breathnach said. “We sold 22 six-figure yearlings today versus 17 for the same day last year.”

Still there was a familiar polarization in the market.

“The market is very, very selective right now,” said Hill 'n' Dale manager Jared Burdine. “There are no end-users for the weanlings and pinhookers are very professional. They line up on the same horse.”

Lacy acknowledged the selectivity in the market, but also saw some positivity in Monday's results.

“Quality was very much to the fore,” Lacy said. “I think there was a little weakness on the ones of perceived lesser quality. But in saying that, I think the sellers were very pleased the way the market was shaking out and the buyers found it tough to buy what they were looking for. So, all in all, a good day.”

The Keeneland January sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

$1.6M Prank Kickstarts January Sale

Prank (Into Mischief) (hip 77), never able to follow up on a scintillating debut victory on the racetrack due to injury, had a star turn in the sales ring at Keeneland Monday, selling for $1.6 million to Coolmore. The 4-year-old was consigned by Gainesway, which campaigned her in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods and StarLadies Racing to that 9 3/4-length victory which earned her 'TDN Rising Star' honors at Saratoga in 2022.

“She's a lovely filly and a very good race filly,” said Tom Wachman after signing the ticket on the bay filly on behalf of the Coolmore team. “I'd say she will go to Justify. He's a phenomenal stallion doing it on the grass and the dirt. So I'd say that's where she'd go.”

Wachman, the 19-year-old grandson of Coolmore founder John Magnier, said this was the highest-priced horse he has signed for to date.

“I'm just trying to learn the ropes at the moment,” he said.

Looking like a million bucks! Prank, TDN Rising Star and half sister to Mo Donegal delivers $1.6 million at Keeneland January. #KeeJan pic.twitter.com/2q4lydbpDm

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 8, 2024

Out of Callingmissbrown (Pulpit), Prank is a half-sister to GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo). Bred by Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Stables, she was purchased for $500,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale.

“She was a real talent,” Gainesway's Brian Graves said of Prank. “She broke her maiden by 10 at Saratoga when she won by the length of the stretch basically. She got injured and wasn't able to make it back. But she had that brilliance that people want, the type that if you pass that along to your foals, they can be Grade I winners. We certainly thought she had the ability to be a Grade I winner. On the day she broke her maiden, you would have said she was the best 2-year-old in America, colts or fillies. Her figures were among the fastest in six years in Saratoga. And those horses were Grade I winners, so the ability was there.”

Prank's last recorded works came in August and her presence in the January sale was largely an issue of timing, according to Graves.

“We were going on with her and she developed a little issue,” Graves said. “And it was obvious that we weren't going to be able to continue on and it was time for her to be a broodmare and dissolve the partnership. So she landed here.”

“She sold way above our expectations”

After the Ring: Brian Graves speaks on the session topper, Prank, who sold for $1.6 million today at Keeneland January. #KeeJan @Gainesway pic.twitter.com/Tw1mlBP2jJ

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 8, 2024

Graves admitted the filly's $1.6-million price tag exceeded expectations.

“The young and beautiful have been selling well,” Graves said. “It's been holding up and we thought she would be in the top end, but that was a bit more than we were expecting.”

Prank was the first seven-figure horse sold at Keeneland January since Abel Tasman (Quality Road) sold–also to Coolmore–for $5 million in 2019. @JessMartiniTDN

Curlin's Voyage Brings $1 Million

Canadian champion Curlin's Voyage (Curlin) (hip 413) became the second seven-figure offering of Monday's first session of the Keeneland January sale when bringing a final bid of $1 million from Tomoyuki Nakamura of K I Farm. The 7-year-old mare, who was supplemented to the auction, sold in foal to Flightline from the Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa consignment.

“I liked the pedigree, the physical and who she was in foal to,” Nakamura said through an interpreter. “Everything matched up. I liked everything about her.”

Curlin's Voyage hammers at $1 million, sold in foal to Flightline to K I Farm! #KeeJan @HillnDaleFarm pic.twitter.com/MwoICWoo8Z

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 9, 2024

Curlin's Voyage, who produced a filly by Tapit in 2022 and a filly by Uncle Mo in 2023, was bred by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale.  Racing for the partnership of Sikura and Windsor Boys Racing, the chestnut won the 2019 GIII Mazarine S. and 2020 Woodbine Oaks. She was named Canada's champion 2-year-old filly in 2019 and came back to be named champion 3-year-old filly in 2020.

The mare is out of Atlantic Voyage (Stormy Atlantic), a full-sister to Grade I winner Stormello.

Asked about his plans for the mare, Nakamura said, “I haven't decided yet. Still in the decision-making process.”

Annapolis Date for Bridlewood Cat

Bloodstock agent Steve Young, sitting alongside Ramona Bass, signed the ticket at $750,000 to acquire Bridlewood Cat (Street Sense) (hip 267). The 8-year-old mare, in foal to Tapit, was consigned by Denali Stud, as agent for Bridlewood Farm. She now has an impending date with the Bass family's recently retired Grade I winner Annapolis (War Front).

“It was a tremendous result, she's a beautiful mare.”

After the ring: Conrad Bandoroff on Bridlewood Cat selling for $750,000 at #KeeJan @DenaliStud pic.twitter.com/PJQ6NI5tdO

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 9, 2024

“She was bought for the Bass family with the intention to give Annapolis the best mare support he could possibly get,” Young said. “She is a terrific, talented horse who won her first two races with mid-90s Beyers. She had Grade I talent and is a very good-looking horse on her own. She is probably one of the fastest Street Sense fillies that there ever was, breaking her maiden going three-quarters in :09 and change and she is the type of mare that the family is going to support this horse with.”

Purchased by Bridlewood Farm for $750,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September sale, Bridlewood Cat was stakes-placed while winning two of 10 starts for earnings of $115,090.

She is out of Ithinkisawapudycat (Bluegrass Cat) and is a half-sister to GI Spinaway S. winner Sweet Loretta (Tapit). Ithinkisawapudycat is a half-sister to Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Spring in the Air (Spring At Last).

“She is from a highly talented 2-year-old family,” Young said. “Her half-sister is a Grade I winner on the dirt at Saratoga as a 2-year-old. Under the second dam is the 2-year-old champion of Canada. And we are going to breed her to an undefeated 2-year-old stakes winner in Annapolis.”

Steve Young | Keeneland

Bred and campaigned by the Bass family, Annapolis earned his first graded victory as a juvenile, winning the 2021 GII Pilgrim S. In 2022, he added the GI Coolmore Turf Mile and GIII Saranac S. He will begin his stud career next month at Claiborne Farm at a fee of $12,500.

“He is going to throw a lot of quality 2-year-olds,” Young said of the stallion. “He's going to throw dirt. We never got a chance to run him on the dirt, but he always trained tremendous on the dirt. This is the type of mare he deserves.”

Young signed for My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song), with Annapolis in utero, on behalf of Bass for $4 million at the 2018 Keeneland November sale.

Bridlewood Cat produced a colt by Authentic in 2022 and a colt by Essential Quality in 2023.

Young and Bass returned later in the session to acquire Kaling (Practical Joke) (hip 387), third in 2022 GI Spinaway S., for $650,000 from the Bluewater Sales consignment and closed out the opening session of the auction with Juniper's Moon (Galileo {Ire}) (hip 419), purchased for $625,000 from Taylor Made Sales Agency. @JessMartiniTDN

Hill 'n' Dale Consigns Pair of Top-Priced Colts

Hip 236, a son of Curlin out of 'TDN Rising Star' A Z Warrior (Bernardini), went to Milan Bloodstock on a final bid via phone of $370,000 during Monday's first session of the Keeneland January sale. The colt was the second of two top-priced short yearlings to sell within a matter of minutes consigned by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.

“Curlin sets records year after year,” said Jared Burdine, general manager at Hill 'n' Dale. “This foal fit everyone's criteria. All of them [buyers] want kind of the same thing and the same five or six people were on the horse. So when it lines up, you get paid on those.”

Hip 236 | Keeneland

Hip 236 hails from a family of 'TDN Rising Stars' including not only his dam but also three of his dam's half-siblings in Jojo Warrior (Pioneerof the Nile), herself the dam of another 'Rising Star' in Under Oath (Speightstown), along with E Z Warrior (Exploit) and J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday). He is also a half to last year's Runhappy Ellis Park Debutante S. winner Justa Warrior (Justify).

The yearling was bred by Cypress Creek Equine, which purchased A Z Warrior in foal to Uncle Mo for $550,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January sale.

Just a few minutes earlier, Muir Hut Stables went to $300,000 for hip 200, an Ontario-bred short yearling by Maclean's Music. Bred by Josham Farm's Ted Burnett, the colt is out of Wild N Ready (More Than Ready), a mare purchased by Josham Farm for $170,000 out of Keeneland November in 2017.

“We thought he'd in the 100 range,” said Burnett. “He had a few minor vet issues that I thought might hurt him but, if you've got the right horse and the issue is not a big one, I don't think it makes much difference [in the price],” said Burnett. “We have a very strong program in Ontario. So we always find that Ontario-breds have a special market and often we feel that we get a little bit of a premium because of that.”

Burnett sold Wild N Ready two months ago at Keeneland November for $60,000 carrying a full-sibling to this colt. @SGrimmTDN

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The post Curlin’s Voyage Brings $1 Million from KI Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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5th-GP, $50k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m 70 AWT, 2:49p.m. ET
On the rail and carrying the St Elias Stable colors, JOYFUL LASS (War Front) makes her career debut going long over the synthetic track. The half-sister to GISW Big World (Custom for Carlos) and that one's full-sister SP Gracida, she also has three other winning siblings. Joyful Lass was a $300,000 KEESEPT pick up from breeders KatieRich Farms, and is trained by Todd Pletcher.

To her outside is Bass homebred and stablemate Ravenna (Quality Road). Out of an unraced half-sister to GISW Stormello (Stormy Atlantic) and his full-sibling GSW My Best Brother, her dam Italia can also claim GISP Cherry Lodge (Bernardini), that one's full-sibling GSW Gala Award; GSP Greatest Game (Giant's Causeway) and the dam of Canadian champion 2-year-old filly GSW Curlin's Voyage (Curlin) as a half-relation. This is a busy, international female family with group or graded runners in Japan, England, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and the UAE as well as black-type earners in France and Hong Kong. MGSW The Pamplemousse (Kafwain) makes an appearance as well. TJCIS PPs.

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The top three finalists in each category are determined by the online ballots of the Jockey Club of Canada's knowledgeable voters.  The media category award finalists were determined by media professionals within the industry selected from across North America.

The Jockey Club of Canada is pleased to announce the 2020 Sovereign Award winners in the order in which they were presented.

Outstanding Photograph:
WILL WONG

Mambointheforest

Published, September 27, 2020; Ontario Racing Website

Outstanding Writing:
CHRIS LOMON
The Pep-Talking Groom, Willy, and a Queen's Plate Crown
Published, September 18, 2020; Ontario Racing website

Outstanding Digital Audio/Visual & Broadcast:
SANTINO DI PAOLA
Dear Horse Racing
Aired, June 8th, 2020; Paulick Report website
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZyQdLfDZW4

Outstanding Groom Award: Michelle Gibson
Michelle learned everything she could about riding and horse care when she attended riding school in Caledon. She began to work with top circuit show jumpers and was soon travelling throughout the United States to major horse shows. When her son Devin was born in 2001, Michelle wanted to leave travelling behind and she checked in at Woodbine racetrack where she got her first job with Thoroughbreds.

Michelle has worked for Hall of Fame trainer Robert Tiller for almost 10 years and she is the groom of Pink Lloyd, the 2017 Horse of the Year, a six-time Sovereign Award winner. Michelle, who likes to have lots of time to get her horses ready and is at the barn at 3:30 a.m. each morning, believes her strengths as a groom come from her meticulous work habits and ability to multi-task. Humbled by receiving the Sovereign Award, Michelle is grateful that she gets to work at what she loves. “The horses are my therapy, they keep me sound and they keep me sane.”

Champion Older Main Track Male: SKYWIRE
Trainer: Mark E. Casse
Owner: Gary Barber and Lucio Tucci
Breeder: William D. Graham
B. G. 5, by Afleet Alex – Meandering Stream (Gone West)
2020: 8 Starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds – $321,980
Winner: Autumn S. (G2), Eclipse S. (G2)

Skywire (116), Pink Lloyd (94), Mr. Ritz (24)

Champion Older Main Track Female: SOUPER ESCAPE
Trainer: Michael J. Trombetta
Owner: Live Oak Plantation
Breeder: Live Oak Stud
Dk. b or b F. 4, by Medaglia d'Oro – Cry and Catch Me (Street Cry*Ire)
2020: 7 Starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third – $200,950
Winner: Seaway S. (G3), Trillium S. (G3)

Souper Escape (142), Painting (52), Summer Sunday (32)

Champion Three-Year-Old Male: MIGHTY HEART
Trainer: Josie Carroll
Owner: Lawrence Cordes
Breeder: Lawrence Cordes
B. C. 3, by Dramedy – Emma's Bullseye (City Place)
2020: 8 Starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third – $922,870
Winner: Prince of Wales S., Queen's Plate, MSW

Mighty Heart (149), Belichick (78), Shirl's Speight (31)

 Champion Three-Year-Old Female: CURLIN'S VOYAGE
Trainer: Josie Carroll
Owner: Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. (J. G. Sikura) and Windsor Boys Racing
Breeder: Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc.
F. 3, by Curlin – Atlantic Voyage (Stormy Atlantic)

2020: 6 Starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third – $447,000
Winner: Fury S., Woodbine Oaks 

Curlin's Voyage (83), Merveilleux (76), Artie's Princess (72)

Outstanding Apprentice Jockey: MAURICIO MALVAEZ
Starts 191; Wins 16; Seconds 27; Thirds 16
Earnings $210,888; Stakes Wins 1

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Mauricio Malvaez grew up spending time working with racehorses. Mauricio began his career as a jockey in 2019 and completed his first full season as an apprentice in 2020 quickly making an impression. However, it was his superb front-running ride on Real Grace, trained by Shelley Brown, to win the Grade 3 Canadian Derby, for owners Shelley Brown, Jean McEwan, Bette Holtman and Bernell B. Rhone that put Mauricio's name in the headlines. Mauricio's 16 wins led all apprentice riders in Canada in 2020.

Mauricio Malvaez (154), Nikki Alderson (60), Edgar Zenteno (59) 

 Outstanding Jockey: RAFAEL HERNANDEZ
Starts 637; Wins 129; Seconds 99; Thirds 77
Earnings $5,463,126; Stakes Wins 17

Born in Puerto Rico, Rafael won a meet-leading 17 stakes races among his 129 wins in Canada earning himself the riders title at Woodbine for 2020. He held a steady 20% win average throughout the meet. Rafael's biggest win came in the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor Stakes when he guided Etoile (Fr), trained by Chad Brown, to preserve victory in the $600,000 race winning by a neck. Rafael's other achievements include three graded stakes wins aboard champion Pink Lloyd and Skywire, winner of the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes, Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes.

Rafael Hernandez (145), Justin Stein (82), Patrick Husbands (13)

Outstanding Trainer: MARK CASSE
Starts 482; Wins 93; Seconds 86; Thirds: 51

Earnings $5,385,935; Stakes Wins 17

In 2020, Mark's trainees won 93 races from 482 starts, 17 of which were stakes races. His starters earned over $5.3 million in purses. Those numbers all exceeded his 2019 totals despite a shortened 2020 season at Woodbine. Leading the charge of stakes winners in Canada for Mark was Grade 1 Summer Stakes winner Gretzky the Great, two-time graded stakes winner Skywire, and Not So Quiet, a two-time stakes winner. Mark had several other juvenile stakes winners on his roster in 2020 including Cup & Saucer Stakes winner Master Spy and Grade 3 Display Stakes winner Helium.

Mark Casse (120), Josie Carroll (100), Kevin Attard (50)

Champion Male Sprinter: PINK LLOYD
Trainer: Robert P. Tiller
Owner: Entourage Stable
Breeder: John Carey
Ch. G. 8, by Old Forester – Gladiator Queen (Great Gladiator)
2020: 5 Starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third – $357,600
Winner: Vigil S. (G3), Bold Venture S. (G3), Shepperton S., Jacques Cartier S. (G3)

Pink Lloyd (142), Silent Poet (95), Not So Quiet (35)

Champion Female Sprinter: ARTIE'S PRINCESS
Trainer: Wesley Ward
Owner: Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey
Breeder: Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey
B. F. 3, by We Miss Artie – Stormkeeper (Stormy Atlantic)
2020: 4 Starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds – $260,220
Winner: Bessarabian S. (G2), Ruling Angel S., ALW

Artie's Princess (133), Lady Grace (45), Boardroom (38)

Special Sovereign Award: SAM-SON FARM
Sam-Son Farm, a Canadian thoroughbred breeding and racing operation, was founded in 1972 by Ernie and Liza Samuel. The red and gold colours of Sam-Son Farm enjoyed their first of five Queen's Plate victories in 1988 with Regal Intention.

Sam-Son also bred and raced nine Woodbine Oaks heroines starting with Classy 'n' Smart in 1984. The brilliant Dance Smartly, a daughter of Classy 'n' Smart, became the 1991 Canadian triple crown winner. Following this incredible feat, Dance Smartly went on to win the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs becoming the first Canadian-bred to win a Breeders Cup race.  Sam-Son's beloved Dance Smartly continued her legacy in the breeding shed producing Queen's Plate winners Dancethruthedawn and Scatter the Gold.

In 1991 after which Sam-Son's horses established a world record earning more than $6.8 million in purses, Ernie was presented the Man of the Year award by The Jockey Club of Canada. This honour affirmed Ernie's greatest joy and that of his family, their cherished broodmares and their breeding program.

After Ernie passed away in 2000 Sam-Son was managed by his daughter Tammy Samuel-Balaz until her own passing in 2008. Today the farm's breeding and racing operation is overseen by farm manager David Whitford and racing manager Tom Zwiesler under the leadership of Mark Samuel (CEO), Kim Samuel and Rick Balaz (President).

Celebrating almost 50 years in the thoroughbred breeding and racing business, Sam-Son has been the recipient of an impressive four Eclipse awards, 13 Hall of Fame Awards and 84 Sovereign Awards. Since its inception Sam-Son has bred and raced 44 Graded Stakes winners including 37 Classic winners and 14 Grade 1 winners.

Outstanding Breeder: TALL OAKS FARM
Starters 44; Winners 19
Earnings $2,231,813
Starts 206; Wins 28; Seconds 26; Thirds 25

Ivan Dalos and his Tall Oaks Farm was once again prominent on the leading breeders list in Canada and the United States. Channel Maker, a son of English Channel out of Ivan's 2018 Outstanding Broodmare In Return, had another stellar racing campaign in 2020. Winning the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes, the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes and finishing third in the Grade 2 Bowling Green Stakes and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland earning the gelding the 2020 Eclipse Award for Champion Turf Male. Dalos bred and raced stakes winner Court Return, winner of the Eternal Search Stakes, second in the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor Stakes and third in the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes as well as, graded stakes placed Avie's Samurai and Avie's Flatter. Tall Oaks led Canadian breeders in earnings with over $2.2 million in purses.

Tall Oaks Farm (103), Sam-Son Farm (93), Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. (48)

 Outstanding Broodmare: DANCEFORTHECAUSE
M. 2011 by Giant's Causeway – Dancethruthestorm (Thunder Gulch)
3 Foals, 2 Starters, 2 Winners, 2 Graded Black-Type Winners
Progeny Earnings $760,518

A granddaughter of the great Dance Smartly, Danceforthecause bred by Sam-Son Farm never made it to the races but she is off to a spectacular start in her broodmare career. The daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch has had two starters and both are graded stakes winners. Rideforthecause winner of the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes and Say the Word who won the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes at Woodbine and finished third in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar and the Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes. The mare is now owned by Gainesway Farm. She was purchased by Gainesway at the 2021 Keeneland January sale. Danceforthecause has 2019 foal by Distorted Humor and a 2020 foal by Street Sense.

Danceforthecause (75), Include Katherine (62), Count to Three (59)

Champion Two-Year-Old Male: GRETZKY THE GREAT
Trainer: Mark E. Casse
Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber
Breeder: Anderson Farms Ont. Inc.
B. C. 2, by Nyquist – Pearl Turn (Bernardini)
2020: 5 Starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds – $354,400
Winner: Summer S. (G1), Soaring Free S., MSW

Gretzky the Great (152), Ready to Repeat (46), Stephen (27), Master Spy (27)

Champion Two-Year-Old Female: LADY SPEIGHTSPEARE
Trainer: Roger L. Attfield
Owner: Charles E. Fipke
Breeder: Charles E. Fipke
Ch. F. 2, by Speightstown – Lady Shakespeare (Theatrical*Ire)
2020: 2 Starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds – $146,394
Winner: Natalma S. (G1), MSW

Lady Speightspeare (148), Dreaming of Drew (54), Alda (39)

Champion Male Turf Horse: SAY THE WORD
Trainer: D'Amato Philip
Owner: Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm
Breeder: Sam-Son Farm
Dk. b. or b. G. 5, by More Than Ready – Danceforthecause (Giant's Causeway)
2020: 7 Starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 2 thirds – $298,490
Winner: Northern Dancer S. (G1), ALW/OC

Say the Word (111), Silent Poet (79), Count Again (74)

Champion Female Turf Horse: THEODORA B.
Trainer: Michael W. Dickinson
Owner: Augustin Stable
Breeder: Augustin Stables
Dk. b. or b. M. 5, by Ghostzapper – Dyna Waltz*GB (Dynaformer)
2020: 6 Starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds – $455,940
Winner: TVG S., Dance Smartly S. (G2), ALW/OC

Theodora B. (90), Rideforthecause (88), Elizabeth Way (47)

Outstanding Owner: LIVE OAK PLANTATION
Starts 47; Wins 14; Seconds 9; Thirds 4
Earnings $1,146,408; Stakes Wins 5

Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation and Stud, in Florida, has produced and raced top racehorses since the early 1990s. Charlotte's horses, trained by Mark Casse and Michael Trombetta, closed the season with purse earnings of over $1.1 million placing her third on the leading owners list. The Live Oak stars of 2020 include Souper Escape, a multiple graded stakes winner with victories in the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes and Grade 3 Trillium Stakes. The farm also campaigned the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes winner March to the Arch, the Grade 3 Durham Cup Stakes winner Salute With Honor and 2-year-old filly Souper Sensational, who won the Glorious Song Stakes. 

Live Oak Plantation (124), Sam-Son Farm (51), Gary Barber (35)

Horse of The Year: MIGHTY HEART
Trainer: Josie Carroll
Owner: Lawrence Cordes
Breeder: Lawrence Cordes
B. C. 3, by Dramedy – Emma's Bullseye (City Place)
2020: 8 Starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third – $922,870
Winner: Prince of Wales S., Queen's Plate, MSW

Mighty Heart (95), Pink Lloyd (78), Silent Poet (30)

The post Sovereign Awards: Mighty Heart Voted Canada’s Horse Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trained by Josie Carroll, Mighty Heart began his sophomore campaign in July with a maiden special weight victory at Woodbine, then went on to capture the Sept. 12 Queen's Plate S. and the Sept. 29 Prince of Wales S. The one-eyed fan favorite also earned the champion 3-year-old male honor.

Josie Carroll also trained the winner of the champion 3-year-old female title in Curlin's Voyage (Curlin). Running for the partnership of Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing, Curlin's Voyage won both the Woodbine Oaks and the Fury S.

Champion older main track male honors went to the Gary Barber and Lucio Tucci runner Skywire (Afleet Alex), who won the GII Autumn S. and the GII Eclipse S. Live Oak homebred Souper Escape (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of both the GIII Seaway S. and the GIII Trillium S., took home the champion older main track female award.

The Sovereign for champion 2-year-old colt was awarded to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber's Gretzky the Great (Nyquist), winner of the GI Summer S. and Soaring Free S., while champion 2-year-old filly honors went to Charles E. Fipke's homebred Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), who captured the GI Natalma S.

The title of champion male turf horse went to GI Northern Dancer S. winner Say the Word (More Than Ready), an Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm colorbearer. Augustin Stables homebred Theodora B. (Ghostzapper), who won the GII Dance Smartly S. and the TVG S., took home the champion female turf award.

Always popular, the 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd (Old Forester), who had also previously been named champion male sprinter three times, as well as champion older dirt male and champion older horse, was back to add another championship title to his resume with a fourth consecutive champion male sprinter honor. The Entourage Stable champ added four of his 23 total black-type victories in 2020: the GIII Vigil S., the GIII Jacques Cartier S., the GIII Bold Venture S., and the Shepperton S. Artie's Princess (We Miss Artie), a homebred for Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, captured the GII Bessarabian S., the Ruling Angel S., and the champion female sprinter award.

The final equine award given at the Sovereigns is outstanding broodmare, which went to Danceforthecause (Giant's Causeway). The 10-year-old mare has produced two graded winners from two starters, including Grade I winner Say the Word, whose champion male turf horse award would be announced just moments after Danceforthecause's honor. The mare also produced GII Canadian S. winner Rideforthecause (Candy Ride {Arg}), who finished second by a narrow margin in voting for the evening's champion female turf horse award. Danceforthecause was sold by Sam-Son Farm at the Keeneland January sale to Gainesway Farm for $925,000.

Trainer Mark Casse earned his 12th Sovereign Award for outstanding trainer. His trainees won 93 Canadian races in 2020–17 in stakes events–and earned over $5.3 million. Among his runners were aforementioned champions Gretzky the Great and Skywire. Outstanding jockey went to Rafael Hernandez, whose 129 wins in 2020 contributed to his earnings of over $5.4 million. Among his regular mounts were champions Pink Lloyd and Skywire. The Sovereign for apprentice jockey went to Mauricio Malvaez, whose 16 scores topped all apprentices in Canada for 2020. Among his victories was his first black-type win, which took place in the GIII Canadian Derby aboard Real Grace (Mineshaft).

Live Oak Plantation was named outstanding owner with earnings of over $1.1 million. Among Live Oak's best runners of 2020 was champion Souper Escape. Outstanding breeder honors went to Tall Oaks Farm, which led Canadian breeders in purse earnings with $2.2 million. The outstanding groom award went to champion Pink Lloyd's groom Michelle Gibson. She has been a part of Hall of Fame trainer Robert Tiller's operation for almost 10 years.

As had been previously announced, Sam-Son Farm was honored with a special sovereign award. Outstanding photograph went to Will Wong for his work entitled Mambointheforest, which was published on the Ontario Racing website; outstanding writing was awarded to Chris Lomon for “The Pep-Talking Groom, Willy, and a Queen's Plate Crown,” also published on the Ontario Racing website; and Santino di Paola won the outstanding digital audio/visual and broadcast award for his work called Dear Horse Racing, which was published on YouTube by Woodbine.

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Finalists in each category follow.

Champion 2-year-old female: Alda (Munnings), Dreaming of Drew (Speightster), and Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown)

Champion 2-year-old male: Gretzky the Great (Nyquist), Master Spy (Silent Name), Ready to Repeat (More Than Ready), and Stephen (Constitution)

Champion 3-year-old female: Artie's Princess (We Miss Artie), Curlin's Voyage (Curlin), and Merveilleux (Paynter)

Champion 3-year-old male: Belichick (Lemon Drop Kid), Mighty Heart (Dramedy), and Shirl's Speight (Speightstown)

Champion older main track female: Painting (Distorted Humor), Souper Escape (Medaglia d'Oro), and Summer Sunday (Silent Name)

Champion older main track male: Mr Ritz (Oasis Dream), Pink Lloyd (Old Forester), and Skywire (Afleet Alex)

Champion female turf horse: Elizabeth Way (Frankel), Rideforthecause (Candy Ride), and Theodora B. (Ghostzapper)

Champion male turf horse: Count Again (Awesome Again), Say the Word (More Than Ready), and Silent Poet (Silent Name)

Champion female sprinter: Artie's Princess (We Miss Artie), Boardroom (Commissioner), and Lady Grace (Kantharos)

Champion male sprinter: Not So Quiet (Silent Name), Pink Lloyd (Old Forester), and Silent Poet (Silent Name)

The outstanding broodmare category includes Count to Three (Red Ransom), Danceforthecause (Giant's Causeway), and Include Katherine (Include).

Horse of the Year finalists will be announced and a winner anointed at the ceremony.

Finalists for outstanding breeder are Anderson Farms Ont., Inc, Sam-Son Farm, and Tall Oaks Farm; while outstanding owner is between Gary Barber, Live Oak Plantation, and Sam-Son Farm. Kevin Attard, Josie Carroll, and Mark Casse are up for outstanding trainer. The outstanding jockey honored will be either Rafael Manuel Hernandez, Patrick Husbands, or Justin Stein; and outstanding apprentice jockey is a three-way battle between Nikki Alderson, Maurcio Malvaez, and Edgar Zenteno.

Media award finalists will be announced later this month and crowned at the ceremony. Also announced later in February will be the winner of the outstanding groom award and a special Sovereign Award winner.

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Raced by John G. Sikura and Windsor Boys Racing and trained by Josie Carroll, Curlin's Voyage compiled an enviable record as a juvenile, being on the board five times in six starts including three wins, a second and a third.

Named Champion Two-Year-Old Filly in Canada, Curlin's Voyage validated her championship form at three with a convincing victory in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks.

She retires with earnings of $536,056 and will be bred to Three-Time Champion Sire Tapit for the 2021 breeding season.

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Jockey Rafael Hernandez worked out the winning trip aboard the Kevin Attard trainee, who was rated mid-pack along the rail early in the 1 1/4-mile turf test for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada.

Leaving from the inside post on the turn of the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, She's a Dream assumed command with Justleaveitalone just to her outside before crossing in front as the field moved down the backstretch.

Justleaveitalone clocked an opening quarter in :24.99, half-mile in :50.89 and three-quarters in 1:16.60 with She's a Dream pressing the pace in second and Merveilleux, racing without blinkers here, behind the leaders and poised to make a move on the final turn.

Hernandez tipped Merveilleux outside coming into the stretch approaching the one-mile mark in 1:41:16, and the Paynter–Breech Inlet filly took off to score by three lengths. The winning time was 2:05.34 over a firm course.

Closing from the backfield, Gun Society finished second and the Josie Carroll-trained Curlin's Voyage, who was the 2-1 favorite after winning the Woodbine Oaks and finishing fifth in the Queen's Plate, was third. She's a Dream edged out Justleaveitalone for fourth by a half-length.

Sansa's Vow, the Attard-trained 3-1 second choice Afleet Katherine, Forty Zip, Ballrooms of Mars and Beyond Mybudget completed the order of finish.

“We've been having a rough meet with this one,” noted Hernandez. “I was impressed with the performance and we had a clean trip today.”

Hernandez said his filly was relaxed in the first turn and all the way down the backside.

“Turning for home, you switch and I said, 'Come on baby, keep it up, we have to do it!'”

Sent postward as the 5-1 third choice on the toteboard, Merveilleux paid $13.80 to win.

Bred in Ontario by Mike Carroll, Merveilleux showed her potential as a youngster finishing a close second in both the Princess Elizabeth Stakes and Ontario Lassie to complete her 2-year-old campaign in 2019.

She won her June 21 sophomore debut before contesting a trio of stakes events, including the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, where she finished a game third despite traffic trouble, and ending up sixth in the Queen's Plate.

“She's been hard luck,” said Attard. “We've always liked her a lot. We thought heading into the Oaks we had the right kind of horse and even heading into the Plate with her we were really excited. Unfortunately, things haven't gone her way. It's been a tough season for the Ulwellings to boot, so it's just kind of the way the cards stack up and everything lined up our way today and she just had a good trip and ran to our expectations.”

Despite Merveilleux being pulled up in her only other grass race, when making her first career start in July 2019, Attard wasn't concerned about the surface change attributing the initial result to hot weather and noting the filly skimmed over the turf last weekend in her latest work.

Merveilleux now sports a career record reading 3-3-1 from 10 starts with earnings climbing over $550,000.

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Set at the distance of about 1 1/4 miles, the Wonder Where drew sophomore stars Curlin's Voyage, winner of the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser (first jewel in the series), and Afleet Katherine, who was runner-up in the Oaks and runner-up in the second jewel, the Bison City Stakes, on September 12.

A bay daughter of Afleet Alex, Afleet Katherine, trained by Kevin Attard, arrives at the Wonder Where off that silver effort in the Bison City, a 1 1/16-mile test over the Woodbine main track.

Sent off as the 4-5 choice, Afleet Katherine hopped leaving the gate before jockey Justin Stein settled her mid-pack in the eight-horse race. Hustled from the rail and sent two-wide into the final turn, she rallied gamely, but crossed the wire 4 3/4 lengths behind winner Mizzen Beau.

Bred and owned by Terra Racing Stable, the Ontario-bred will now make a return to the grass, the surface in which she contested her first two races.

Both efforts came over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course and both resulted in trips to the winner's circle.

Dismissed at 29-1 in her career bow on July 5, Afleet Katherine rallied impressively to win by a neck at seven furlongs over “firm” going. She followed it up 20 days later with another late burst to win by a head at the same distance and on the same ground.

“She got up in the nick of time both times,” said Attard, who is seeking his first Wonder Where crown. “She's shown she's a decent filly and we've been looking forward to this race for a while now.”

Which one of her wins stood out?

“I think the second race was the more impressive of the two because in that one she looked like she was backing up, going to be out of the picture, just kind of not fire. But she turned it around and won. First time out, I thought she was overlooked. She comes from a decent family and her half-sibling [Amalfi Coast, scheduled to run in Friday's Sweet Briar Too Stakes] had a great year last year. I thought that deserved a little respect, but it is what it is. She's just a big filly and has a little bit of attitude. She was a little immature and green to start, but she's come a long way and developed over time. You look at her record and it speaks for itself.”

The conditioner is also represented by Merveilleux.

A daughter of Paynter, owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, Merveilleux has a record of 2-3-1 from nine starts. She was third in the Woodbine Oaks and sixth in the Queen's Plate.

“I will say she has had three rough trips in a row, and I love her,” said Al Ulwelling. “She looked very comfortable working on grass in her last work. We are going to have her more forwardly placed this race as we feel she will encounter less trouble. From that point on, it's up to her.”

Attard's stakes weekend kicks off on Saturday when Clayton goes postward in the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, final jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.

The son of Bodemeister, third in the Queen's Plate and second in the Prince of Wales, will look to play spoiler in Mighty Heart's bid to become the first Crown winner since Wando in 2003.

“He's here in the third leg of the series now. I thought he ran a great race in the Prince of Wales and we're hoping he goes one better this time.”

In the Wonder Where, Afleet Katherine will once again face Curlin's Voyage, the chestnut daughter of Curlin who fashions a record of 5-2-1 from 10 starts.

A four-time stakes winner, the Josie Carroll trainee finished fifth to Mighty Heart (also trained by Carroll) in the Queen's Plate on September 12.

Owned by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing, Curlin's Voyage will be testing the turf for the first time under racing terms.

The filly breezed over the Woodbine turf on October 17, travelling five furlongs in 1:03 flat.

Ballrooms of Mars, Beyond Mybudget, Forty Zip, Gun Society, Justleaveitalone and Sansa's Vow and She's a Dream round out the Wonder Where field.

The race is named in honor of the champion filly Wonder Where, Canada's 1959 Horse of the Year and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee.

First post on the 11-race card is 1:10 p.m. The Wonder Where goes as race eight.

Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE $250,000 WONDER WHERE STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer 

1 – She's a Dream – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
2 – Justleaveitalone – David Moran – Nicholas Gonzalez
3 – Gun Society – Kazushi Kimura – Roger Attfield
4 – Beyond Mybudget – Jerome Lermyte – Mark Casse
5 – Merveilleux – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
6 – Curlin's Voyage – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll
7 – Afleet Katherine – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
8 – Ballrooms of Mars – Steven Bahen – Catherine Day Phillips
9 – Sansa's Vow – Daisuke Fukumoto – Josie Carroll
10 – Forty Zip – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Shug McGaughey

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“We’ve always thought very highly of her after her 2-year-old debut,” said Carroll of Curlin’s Voyage, who won last season’s GIII Mazarine S. and Ontario Lassie S. against Ontario bred fillies. “She’s a very uncomplicated filly and does everything you ask of her.”

Prior to her Oaks victory, Curlin’s Voyage won the seven-furlong Fury S. July 5. and finished runner- up in the June 13 Star Shoot S.

Also representing the fairer sex in the Queen’s Plate, Merveilleux (Paynter), runner up in both the restricted Princess Elizabeth S. and Ontario Lassie S. last season, kicked off 2020 with an allowance score at Woodbine June 21 before finishing fourth in the GIII Selene S. July 25. Most recently, she finished a troubled third in the Woodbine Oaks.

“Honestly, I just think she’s just been a very unfortunate horse this year, racing luck wise,” said trainer Kevin Attard. “Things haven’t quite gone her way. I had high expectations for her in the Oaks. She showed a lot of talent at two and we were really excited to have her. With her, we considered the Plate right from the get-go. The mile and a quarter distance is not going to be an issue for her.

He continued, “She’s just one horse that you’re hoping on that day everything goes right for her and she finally gets a clear run, no obstacles, no hurdles–that way she can prove whether she’s good enough or not and there’s no excuses. She’s doing very well and I’m quite please with her.”

Attard also saddles morningline favorite Clayton (Bodemeister). Campaigned by Donato Lanni and Daniel Plouffe, the colt is a winner of three of four lifetime starts, including his latest in a Woodbine optional claimer July 18 followed by the nine-furlong Plate Trial S. Aug. 15.

“He’s been special from the get-go,” said Attard. “He was an impressive maiden winner, so once that happened, the bell starts ringing in your head, and you’re saying, ‘Hey, maybe I’ve got a good 3-year-old here.’ He followed it up with a good race first time out this year–didn’t win but had traffic trouble–and I think he learned a lot. That was encouraging. Obviously, he’s won his last two since then and stretched out. He’s doing everything you want him to. Hopefully, he just needs to get a little bit better one more time and maybe he can put everything together.”

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