Selected unanimously by the Jockey Club of Canada's Stewards, the Special Sovereign Award recognizes a particular achievement within a given year. The honor is being bestowed upon McKenzie for becoming the oldest trainer to saddle a winner in Canada, doing so at the age of 96 on June 23, 2023.

Also that evening, Michelle Armata will be presented with the 2023 Outstanding Groom Award and Jennifer Buck with the inaugural Outstanding Off-Track Worker Award.

The Jockey Club of Canada has also named the finalists for the 2023 Media Sovereign Awards categories.

Listed in alphabetical order, the Media finalists are:

Digital Audio/Visual and Broadcast Category

• Santino Di Paola – Chasing Dreams in the King's Plate
• TAXI – Ontario Racing UNFILTERED- Episode 5: The Kings Plate UNFILTERED
• Woodbine Entertainment Group – Secretariat The Last Race

Photograph Category

• Patricia Burns – Rain Runnin
• Allan de la Plante – Holding Back Disaster
• Jason Halstead – A Kiss for Commando

Writing Category

• Mark Colley – It was the greatest race in Canadian history. Fifty years later, Secretariat's legacy is still felt
• Jennifer Morrison – Cat's Long Way Home
• Curtis Stock – The Turcottes

Judging for the Media Awards is performed by media professionals within the industry selected from across North America.

The post Special Sovereign To Be Awarded By The Jockey Club Of Canada, Media Finalists Named appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Champion 2-year-old Female: Living Magic (Justify), Tripolina (Constitution), Witwatersrand (Connect)

Champion 2-year-old Male: Babbo (Kantharos), My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince), Two Ghosts (Ghostzapper)

Champion 3-year-old Female: Elysian Field (Hard Spun), Fashionably Fab (Silent Name {Jpn}), Solo Album (Curlin)

Champion 3-year-old Male: Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman), Patches O'Houlihan (Reload), Touch'n Ride (Candy Ride {Arg})

Champion Older Main Track Female: Il Malocchio (Souper Speedy), Infinite Patience (Sungold), Millie Girl (Hard Spun)

Champion Older Main Track Male: Treason (Constitution), Tyson (Tapit), Wolfie's Dynaghost (Ghostzapper)

Champion Female Turf Horse: Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}), Moira (Ghostzapper), Our Flash Drive (Ghostzapper)

Champion Male Turf Horse: Lucky Score (Lookin At Lucky), My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince), Palazzi (Pioneerof the Nile)

Champion Female Sprinter: Fashionably Fab (Silent Name {Jpn}), Loyalty (Hard Spun), Our Flash Drive (Ghostzapper)

Champion Male Sprinter: Dream Shake (Twirling Candy), Lucky Score (Lookin At Lucky), Patches O'Houlihan (Reload)

Outstanding Broodmare: Game (Fr) (Montjeu {Ire}), Mendocino Beano Smart Strike), Sunday Affair (A.P. Indy)

Outstanding Breeder: Adena Springs, Anderson Farms Ont. Inc, Chiefswood Stables Limited, Sam-Son Farm, Sean Fitzhenry

Outstanding Owner: Gary Barber, Chiefswood Stables Limited, Bruno Schickedanz

Outstanding Trainer: Kevin Attard, Mark E. Casse, Martin Drexler

Outstanding Apprentice Jockey: Fraser Aebly, Amanda Vandermeersch, Sofia Vives

Outstanding Jockey: Sahin Civaci, Rafael Manuel Hernandez, Kazushi Kimura

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Two days later, David Anderson, a prominent Ontario-based breeder who owns Anderson Farms and serves on the boards of three key Thoroughbred organizations in Canada, told TDN that Woodbine's tactics are, in his opinion, a coordinated effort to hamper Fort Erie's operations, and that some of those detrimental decisions are being funded by money that is supposed to be earmarked for Thoroughbred-industry improvement in Ontario.

Anderson also warned that some of Woodbine's purse allocation strategies for the 2023 meet that starts Apr. 22–namely the reduction of maiden special weight (MSW) purses from $126,000 (Canadian) to $111,600 to purportedly bolster the money offered for low-level claiming races-could result in “the biggest mass exodus of Ontario bred horses” out of the province.

“There's no reason on earth why Woodbine should be running $5,000 claimers and competing against Fort Erie,” Anderson said. “I mean, it's just never been that way. And there's enough room in the province for an A track and a B track. But they're just trying to snuff out their competition. And the horsemen don't want it. The government doesn't want it. It's just Woodbine upper brass, just… I don't know what the proper word is for it.”

“I have a significant investment in the game,” Anderson said. “I'm one of the bigger breeders in Canada, and I sit on all these industry boards. Ontario Racing. I sit on the board of the HBPA in Ontario. I sit on the board of the Jockey Club of Canada. I'm on every single industry board,  committee [and] subcommittees that there are. And no one is willing to step up and speak out against Woodbine because of the bully tactics and the dictatorship that [WEG chief executive officer Jim] Lawson's been running.

“They're afraid he's going to take away stalls from them on the backside; he's going to exercise private-property rights and kick them off the grounds,” Anderson continued. “I mean, it's just a complete totalitarian regime over there. And I don't want to sit here and make the article a complete bashing of Woodbine. We've got so many things that are fantastic that are going on [in Ontario]. Unfortunately, we're on this island up there that the tail wags the dog, and Woodbine is the mothership. And with the stroke of the pen, they can take one of our programs basically illegally and take those funds and redirect it or reallocate it into a program that they want to do that bolsters their profits.”

Anderson articulated other specific criticisms in his Apr. 20 interview, such as Woodbine's “no return” shipping policy for horses that leave the grounds to race at Fort Erie. He also echoed concerns about an allegation that surfaced in Fort Erie's formal grievance: the recent rescheduling of the Canadian Triple Crown series, which he alleged works to Woodbine's advantage and against both Fort Erie and the best interests of Ontario's overall racing industry.

TDN on Friday emailed Woodbine's communications director, Jamie Dykstra, requesting an interview with Lawson (or any other company executive) to give Woodbine the chance to get its side of the story about Anderson's complaints on the record.

In response, Dykstra wrote that no interview would be forthcoming. He attached a fact sheet about purses and a prepared statement that Woodbine had issued earlier in the week about Fort Erie's grievance.

That press release stated: “The assertions made by Fort Erie Race Track are baseless and without merit and we will vigorously and confidently defend ourselves if requested by the Canadian Trade Commission or any other regulatory authority. We are very proud of the vital role we play in supporting the strength, success and growth of the Ontario horse racing industry. We are very much looking forward to starting our 2023 meet this Saturday. We will have no further comment on this matter at this time.” 

'How are we improving the breed?'

Anderson underscored how the province's racing industry should be operating from a solid starting point instead of dealing with infighting between Ontario's two Thoroughbred tracks.

“I sit on the board of Ontario Racing, which governs all of the racing in Ontario. It's a government-appointed board that administers all of the funds for Thoroughbred racing, Standardbred racing, and Quarter Horse racing. And there's subcommittees on that board. One of them is the Thoroughbred Improvement Program, or TIP.

“We have a mare purchase program that we've been promoting quite heavily,” Anderson said. “We've brought in well over 300 brand-new, pregnant mares into the province in the last three years, which has been much needed in our province. We were actually [up] double digits in live foals, in mares bred, in new stallions in our province, which is greater than any jurisdiction in North America. So there's lots of great points here that we've [put] into place.”

Anderson said that during the same time frame, TIP ushered in a program that had increased MSW purses at Woodbine to $126,000 by the end of the 2022 meet.

“And it's been crazy-successful for Ontario breds. Ontario bred yearlings in the last three years are up 68% average at the sales. People are buying Ontario-bred yearlings because they want to run in this program. Breeders are buying better mares, breeding to better stallions because they're able to sell their yearlings for more money. And ultimately, it's because of the program.”

But Anderson said he was dismayed when Woodbine's first 2023 condition book got released, and MSW purses had been slashed from $126,000 to $111,600.

“Once these owners that have bought yearlings last fall and the fall before and are expecting to run for those purses find out about it, they're going to leave,” Anderson said.

“[And] the fact is, it's government money,” Anderson continued. “This program was set up by TIP. It's worked and it is working, and [Woodbine] can't just take the money and go and put it where they want to put it. They can take their other purse account money and go and do with it whatever they want, or they actually have to negotiate it with the HBPA. But they're not even doing that. There's zero negotiations with the HBPA. I sit on that board. I sit on the liaison committee. I know exactly what's gone on. It's zero.

“How are we improving the breed by taking money from our upper-echelon horses and putting it into $5,000 claimers?” Anderson said. “They're leveraging those government dollars to bolster their own coffers.”

Photo courtesy Fort Erie

'I can't sit back and watch'

Anderson said he is hoping that a planned regime change at Woodbine could bring about a new sense of cooperation. On Apr. 11, WEG announced that Lawson will be stepping down from his role as CEO this fall after 15 years at the track in various management positions, although it is expected that Lawson will be associated with Woodbine in a “senior role” that will be defined at a later date.

“Jim Lawson has finally stepped down, which is going to be hopefully a very positive move for the horse industry in Ontario,” Anderson said. “The problem is there's no one to take over. There's no one currently in upper management at Woodbine that knows the mane from the tail. And we've got to put the feelers out there across North America or the world and try and find somebody that can step in and take on that role.

“The horsemen are the stakeholders of Woodbine,” Anderson said. “It's a not-for-profit. We are the stakeholders and these guys at Woodbine and their board, quite frankly, have to be accountable and there has to be governance. And now that Jim's stepped down, there has to be a proper executive search done for a proper CEO that understands horse racing.”

Anderson said that for years, Woodbine “always ran with Fort Erie as a sister track.” But that mindset has been quashed.

“If you couldn't break your maiden at Woodbine, you drove 40 minutes down the road and you broke your maiden at Fort Erie and came back,” Anderson said. “If you had a well-bred filly that couldn't win at Woodbine, but you wanted to get a win under her belt, you'd run down there and do it. And when David Willmot ran the place [until retiring in 2012], he understood that. He's a breeder. He is an owner, he got it. Now they've put this rule in, if you leave Woodbine and go run at Fort Erie, you can't come back.

“When I was a kid growing up back in the '70s, the lowest claiming rank at Woodbine was $6,250,” Anderson said. “It's now $5,000 at Woodbine. They have become a B track, but on purpose. They don't want good horses.”

“And here we are, struggling as much as we can to get better horses and build our industry,” Anderson said. “And we've got this mothership doing the opposite, and they don't get it. They want to run $5,000 claimers because they're 12-horse fields. They pay out a $20,000 purse, and they get big pari-mutuel wagering out of it. Yet in the last 15 years, we've had $4 million in purse increases on a $70 million contract. I mean, it's nothing. You look at every racetrack around North America over the last 15 years, and tell me how much their purses have gone up.

“Woodbine, it's a different mindset,” Anderson summed up. “And as a horseman and as a person, I'm in a position where I can stand up to these guys. I can let them have it. What are they going to do to me? Kick me off the grounds, take my box away? I've known Jim for 20-plus years. My father sat on the board of Woodbine for 35 years. I mean, I've been going to that place since I was a kid, and I absolutely love it. It's home to me. [But] I can't sit back on behalf of all the horse people in Canada and watch this happen. They have to be accountable. And kudos to Fort Erie for actually taking it to court.”

Anderson's sister, Jessica Buckley, was the Senior Vice President of Standardbred and Thoroughbred Racing at Woodbine, but resigned last June.

The post Anderson: Woodbine’s ‘Bully Tactics’ Could Result In ‘Mass Exodus’ Of Ontario-Breds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The finalists in each of the following categories are listed in alphabetical order.

Champion Two-Year-Old Female: Cairo Consort (Cairo Prince), Last Call (English Channel), Renegade Rebel (Nyquist).

Champion Two-Year-Old Male: Philip My Dear (Silent Name {Jpn}), Poulin in O T (Reload), Velocitor (Mor Spirit).

Champion Three-Year-Old Female: Moira (Ghostzapper), Sister Seagull (Hard Spun), Souper Hoity Toity (Uncle Mo).

Champion Three-Year-Old Male: Hall of Dreams (Lemon Drop Kid), Ironstone (Mr Speaker), Sir for Sure (Sligo Bay {Ire}).

Champion Older Main Track Female: Infinite Patience (Sungold), Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), Our Flash Drive (Ghostzapper).

Champion Older Main Track Male: Soy Tapatio (Not This Time), War Bomber (Ire) (War Front), Who's the Star (Tonalist).

Champion Female Turf Horse: Fev Rover (Ire (Gutaifan {Ire})), Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), Moira (Ghostzapper).

Champion Male Turf Horse: Filo di Arianna (Brz) (Drosselmeyer), Philip My Dear (Silent Name {Jpn}), Ready for the Lady (More Than Ready), Sir for Sure (Sligo Bay {Ire}).

Champion Female Sprinter: Hazelbrook (Bayern), Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), Our Flash Drive (Ghostzapper).

Champion Male Sprinter: Arzak (Not This Time), Filo di Arianna (Brz) (Drosselmeyer), Lucky Score (Lookin At Lucky).

The full list of categories and finalists can be viewed here.

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Directly from the The Jockey Club's Board of Stewards are the following changes:

1). The trophy recipient for the divisional horse awards shall be the owner of the horse as of its last start in the award year and, if the owner is not also the breeder, the breeder listed on the Jockey Club Certificate of Registration may receive a trophy as well.

2). The owner of the Outstanding Broodmare at the end of the award year shall be the only recipient of that award and trophy.

An Outstanding Groom award–not a sanctioned Sovereign Award–is also presented with the awards. Again, from the Board of Stewards:

3). Nominators must hold a valid Thoroughbred license in the province of Ontario.

Nominators were previously restricted to licensed trainers and assistant trainers. The nomination period for the Outstanding Groom award is now open through Dec. 11.

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Finalists in each category follow. Champion Two-Year-Old Female: Diabolic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Moira (Ghostzapper), Mrs. Barbara (Bodemeiser); Champion Two-Year-Old Male: God of Love (Cupid), Grafton Street (War Front), Ironstone (Mr Speaker); Champion Three-Year-Old Female: Lorena (Souper Speedy), Munnyfor Ro (Munnings), Our Flash Drive (Ghostzapper); Champion Three-Year-Old Male: Artie's Storm (We Miss Artie), Frosted Over (Frosted), Haddassah (Air Force Blue), Uncharacteristic (Texas Wildcatter); Champion Older Main Track Female: Amalfi Coast (Tapizar), Infinite Patience (Sungold), Skygaze (American Pharoah); Champion Older Main Track Male: Mighty Heart (Dramedy), Pink Lloyd (Old Forester), Sir Winston (Awesome Again); Champion Female Turf Horse: Amalfi Coast, Jolie Olimpica (Brz) (Drosselmeyer), Our Flash Drive; Champion Male Turf Horse: Avie's Flatter (Flatter), Silent Poet (Silent Name {Jpn}), Town Cruise (Town Prize); Champion Female Sprinter: Amalfi Coast, Lorena, Our Secret Agent (Secret Circle); Champion Male Sprinter: Avie's Flatter, Pink Lloyd, Souper Stonehenge (Speightstown); Outstanding Broodmare: Avie's Empire (Empire Maker); Include Katherine (Include), Sunday Affair (A.P. Indy); Outstanding Breeder: Adena Springs, Sam-Son Farm, Tall Oaks Farm; Outstanding Owner: Gary Barber, Godolphin, LLC, Live Oak Plantation; Outstanding Trainer: Kevin Attard, Josie Carroll, Mark E. Casse; Outstanding Apprentice Jockey: Michael David, Mauricio Malvaez, Edgar Zenteno; Outstanding Jockey: Rafael Manuel Hernandez, Patrick Husbands, Kazushi Kimura, Justin Stein.

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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)

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Over the past five decades, Sam-Son Farm, a Canadian Thoroughbred breeding and racing operation founded in 1972 by Ernie and Liza Samuel, has been the recipient of four Eclipse Awards, 13 Hall of Fame Awards and 84 Sovereign Awards. Since its inception, Sam-Son Farm has enjoyed five Queen's Plate winners, eight Woodbine Oaks winners and 60 graded stakes winners.

Also to be recognized at this year's virtual awards, Michelle Gibson will receive the 2020 Outstanding Groom Award. Currently employed by Robert Tiller, she is the groom of 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year, Pink Lloyd.

Additionally, the finalists for the 2020 Sovereign Awards Media categories were announced Thursday. This year's entries were evaluated by media professionals within the industry selected from across North America. A 4-2-1 points system was used to determine the first, second and third place finalists in each category.

Digital Audio/visual and Broadcast Category:

• Santino Di Paola – Dear Horse Racing
• Horse Racing Alberta – Canadian Derby Year of the Mask
• Woodbine Entertainment Group – The Queen's Plate

Photograph Category:

• Rusty Barton – The Race Goes on a Year Without Fans
• Michael Burns – Training Before Dawn
• Lisa M. Thompson – One Rider Two Horses
• Will Wong – Mambointheforest

Writing Category:

• Muriel Lennox – Northern Dancer: A virile stable genius
• Chris Lomon – The Pep-Talking Groom, Willy, and a Queen's Plate Crown
• Bruce McDougall – Riding for Freedom

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The GI Northern Dancer S., GIII Eclipse S., GII Nijinsky S. and the GII Play the King S. have all been placed on hold and will not be held in 2021.

Additionally, the following races have had a change to their age requirement for 2021: the GII Nassau S., GII Royal North S., GIII Dominion Day S. GIII Royal North S., GIII Vigil S., GIII Ontario Matron S., GIII Seaway S., and GIII Trillium S. all change from three year olds and up to four year olds and up. The GIII Hendrie S. changes from four year olds and up to three year olds and up.

The Committee reviewed the North American Race Committee (NARC) figures and the Race Quality Scores (RQS) for all of the graded stakes races in Canada. Last year was recognized as an anomalous year due to the global pandemic. The committee is fully aware of the possibility that some effects of the pandemic may continue in the future.

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Finalists in each category follow. Champion 2-year-old female: 'TDN Rising Star' Alda (Munnings), Dreaming of Drew (Speightster), and 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown); champion 2-year-old male: Gretzky the Great (Nyquist), Master Spy (Silent Name {Jpn}), 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 'TDN Rising Star' Shirl's Speight (Speightstown); champion older main track female: Painting (Distorted Humor), Souper Escape (Medaglia d'Oro), and Summer Sunday (Silent Name {Jpn}); champion older main track male: Mr Ritz (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Pink Lloyd (Old Forester), and Skywire (Afleet Alex); champion female turf horse: Elizabeth Way (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Rideforthecause (Candy Ride {Arg}), and Theodora B. (Ghostzapper); champion male turf horse: Count Again (Awesome Again), Say the Word (More Than Ready), and Silent Poet (Silent Name {Jpn}); champion female sprinter: Artie's Princess, Boardroom (Commissioner), and Lady Grace (Kantharos); and champion male sprinter: Not So Quiet (Silent Name {Jpn}), Pink Lloyd, and Silent Poet.

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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