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Mighty Heart Doubles Up as Canadian Horse of the Year

Canada's 2020 Horse of the Year Mighty Heart (Dramedy) took home the same honors for the 2021 season at the 47th Annual Sovereign Awards, hosted by The Jockey Club of Canada Thursday at the Universal Eventspace just outside of Toronto. A homebred for Larry Cordes, Mighty Heart won the GII Autumn S. and GIII Dominion Day S. in Canada, as well as the Blame S. at Churchill Downs. The popular one-eyed 4-year-old had won the same award last year on the strength of his victories in the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales S. The Josie Carroll-trained Mighty defeated Pink Lloyd (Old Forester) for Horse of the Year honors by a margin of 63 votes to 55 votes. Town Cruise (Town Prize) was third in the voting with 34. Mighty Heart was also named Champion Older Main Track Male.

Robert Tiller's Pink Lloyd, the now-retired Entourage Stables campaigner, added to his long list of accomplishments and was named Champion Male Sprinter for the fifth consecutive year. Pink Lloyd was the Canadian Horse of the Year in 2017 and had also previously been Champion Older Dirt Male and Champion Older Horse.

The Brandon Evan Greer-owned and -trained Town Cruise was named Champion Male Turf Horse after winning the GI Woodbine Mile S.

Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse was named Outstanding Trainer for the 11th straight year and for the 14th time overall. His 27 Canadian stakes wins in 2021 were a personal record and his list of champions continues to grow with an additional four champions in 2021: God of Love (Cupid) was named Champion 2-Year-old Male, Mrs. Barbara (Bodemeister) was named Champion 2-Year-Old Female, Frosted Over (Frosted) was named Champion 3-Year-Old Male, and Skygaze (American Pharoah) was named Champion Older Main Track Female.

Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation, who sends a number of horses to Casse, won its second straight Sovereign Award for Outstanding Owner with 19 Canadian wins and more than $1.4 million in earnings. Outstanding Breeder honors went to Sam-Son Farm, which led Canadian breeders in purse earnings with just over $2.6 million. Sam-Son has been a major player in Canadian racing for more than 50 years. It was the iconic farm's ninth outstanding breeder Sovereign Award. The Outstanding Groom award went to Denzil Fonseca, who has been a part of the Woodbine backstretch for 40 years. He has been with trainer Mike Doyle for the last 14 of those years.

Other equine awards went to Munnyfor Ro (Munnings) for Champion 3-Year-Old Female, Amalfi Coast (Tapizar) as Champion Female Sprinter, and Jolie Olimpica (Drosselmeyer) as Champion Female Turf Horse. Avie's Empire (Empire Maker) was named Canadian Broodmare of the Year. The 14-year-old unraced mare has produced 2018 2-year-old champion Avie's Flatter (Flatter), who won the GII Nearctic S. and GII Connaught Cup S. in 2021, as well as SW Avie's Mineshaft (Mineshaft) and GSP Avie's Mesa (Sky Mesa).

The Sovereign Award for Outstanding Jockey went to wunderkind Kazushi Kimura, who was a first-time nominee after only his fourth season riding in Canada. He had already won the Sovereign Award as Outstanding Apprentice twice, as well as an Eclipse Award for the same honor in the U.S. His 19% win rate in 2021 included 140 victories and over $5.1 million in purses. Boxer-turned-jockey Mauricio Malvaez won Outstanding Apprentice for the second consecutive year with a total of 28 victories and over $470,000 in earnings for the season.

Ivan Dalos, proprietor of Tall Oaks Farm, was recipient of the E. P. Taylor Award of Merit. Tall Oaks won its first Sovereign for Outstanding Breeder in 2018 and repeated the honor in 2020. It was his mare, Avie's Empire, who took home the aforementioned Outstanding Broodmare award. His broodmare band numbers more than three dozen with many a part of several generations of breeding by Dalos.

The final Sovereign Awards bestowed Thursday included Outstanding Photograph to Will Wong for his image entitled “Welcome Back,” Outstanding Writing to Hayley Morrison for the story “New Races, New Faces: How I Fell for The Fort,” which appeared on the Canadian Thoroughbred website, and Outstanding Audio Visual/Digital Broadcast to Woodbine Entertainment for airing of The Queen's Plate.

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Canadian Derby Winner Real Grace Named Alberta’s 2020 Horse Of The Year

The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Alberta Division) hosted the 47th Annual Alberta Thoroughbred Awards in a virtual format on May 20th, 2021, led by Horse of the Year Real Grace.

Real Grace, a Mineshaft gelding, won two of nine starts in 2020, highlighted by an 18-1 upset victory in the Grade 3 Canadian Derby at Century Mile. Earlier in the season, he also won the Derby Trial Stakes at Assiniboia Downs.

The gelding started his 2020 campaign at Tampa Bay Downs after selling as a unraced racing-age prospect at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. Winter Mixed Sale in January. He raced twice in Florida, including a second-place effort in a maiden special weight for owner and trainer Bernell Rhone. He then shipped north to Canterbury Park for another second-place effort, this time with additional owners Shelley Brown, Jean McEwan, and Bette Holtman.

Real Grace then went north of the border for the remainder of his campaign and raced for trainer Shelley Brown, starting at Assiniboia Downs in Manitoba, where he broke his maiden in the Derby Trial Stakes. He then finished fifth in the Manitoba Derby.

The remainder of the gelding's season was spent at Century Mile in Alberta. He debuted with a win in the Count Lathum Handicap, and later found the highlight of his season in the Canadian Derby, Alberta's biggest race.

In addition to taking home Horse of the Year honors, Real Grace also earned the title as Alberta's champion 3-year-old male.

Bred in Kentucky by Peter Johnson, Real Grace is out of the stakes-winning Yes It's True mare True Way of Grace.

Following is a complete list of winners from the Alberta Thoroughbred Awards.

The H.B.P.A. Trophy
Champion Claimer: Something About Me
Trainer: Allen Goodsell
Owner: Carter Goodsell
Breeder: Paul Treasure & Harry Bettis
Ch. F. 4., by Boos – Justbluffin (Pine Bluff)
2020: 9 Starts – 5 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds – $39,424
Winner: Allowance Optional Claiming, Claiming

The Century Downs Racetrack and Casino Trophy
Champion Sprinter: Stone Carver
Trainer: Tim Rycroft
Owner: Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd.
Breeder: T/C Stable, LLC
B. G. 5., by Birdstone – Vermilion Sea (Boundary)
2020: 7 Starts – 1 wins – 3 second – 0 thirds – $42,290
Winner: Journal Handicap (BT)

The Dwight McLellan Memorial Trophy
Champion 2-Year-Old Filly: She Likes to Party
Trainer: Greg Tracy
Owner: Don Danard
Breeder: Lou Neve
B. F. 2., by Maclean's Music – Gone to Party (All Gone)
2020: 4 Starts – 3 wins – 0 second – 0 thirds – $81,000
Winner: Princess Margaret Stakes, Freedom of the City Stakes (BT)

The Rocky Mountain Turf Club Trophy
Champion 2-Year-Old Colt: Bang On*
Trainer: Craig Smith
Owner: True North Stables Ltd.
Breeder: Running Fawcett Thoroughbreds Ltd.
B. C. 2., by Commissioner – Next Big Nothin' (Forest Wildcat)
2020: 5 Starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 thirds – $59,264
Winner: Birdcatcher Stakes (BT)

The Dave Kapchinsky Memorial Trophy
Champion 3-Year-Old Filly: Pearl of Knowledge*
Trainer: Karline Kingston
Owner: Don Danard & Jim Juris
Breeder: Starline Thoroughbreds
B. F. 3., by Cape Canaveral – Lil Missknowitall (Kafwain)
2020: 6 Starts – 2 wins – 2 second – 1 thirds – $54,760
Winner: Alberta Oaks

Sponsored by Bar None Ranches Ltd.
Champion 3-Year-Old Colt: Real Grace
Trainer: Shelley Brown
Owner: Shelley Brown, Jean McEwan, Bette Holtman, Bernell Rhone
Breeder: Peter Johnson
B. G. 3., by Mineshaft – True Way of Grace (Yes It's True)
2020: 9 Starts – 2 wins – 3 second – 0 thirds – $89,162
Winner: Derby Trial Stakes, Canadian Derby (G3)

The Moore Equine Veterinary Centre Ltd. Trophy
Champion Older Mare: Sunburst
Trainer: Barbara Heads
Owner: Russell & Lois Bennett
Breeder: Mr. & Mrs. R J Bennett
Ch. F. 4., by Sungold – Tierra Del Feugo (Finality)
2020: 4 Starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 thirds – $70,560
Winner: Redtail Landing Handicap, Northlands Distaff Handicap (Listed)

The Century Mile Racetrack and Casino Trophy
Champion Older Horse: Go Away
Trainer: James Brown
Owner: Kirk Sutherland
Breeder: Lynch Bages Ltd.
B. G. 4., by Scat Daddy – Elbow (Woodman)
2020: 11 Starts – 3 wins – 3 second – 3 thirds – $80,980
Winner: Don Getty Handicap (BT)

The Ted Connor Memorial Trophy
Champion Alberta-bred: Maskwecis*
Trainer: Ron K Smith
Owner: Jim & Carole Barker, Red Ron Farms
Breeder: Doug Oberg
B. G. 3., by Jimmy Creed – Maidstone (Aptitude)
2020: 5 Starts – 3 wins – 0 second – 1 thirds – $57,760
Winner: Western Canada Handicap, Beaufort Stakes

The Horse Racing Alberta Trophy
Horse of the Year: Real Grace
Trainer: Shelley Brown
Owner: Shelley Brown, Jean McEwan, Bette Holtman, Bernell Rhone
Breeder: Peter Johnson
B. G. 3., by Mineshaft – True Way of Grace (Yes It's True)
2020: 9 Starts – 2 wins – 3 second – 0 thirds – $89,162
Winner: Derby Trial Stakes, Canadian Derby (G3)

Sponsored by the H.B.P.A.
Leading Apprentice Jockey: Mauricio Malvaez
Starts: 191 – Wins: 16 – Seconds: 27 – Thirds: 16
Earnings $280,625

Canadian Sovereign Apprentice Jockey, Mauricio Malvaez, was the top apprentice last season at Century Mile with 16 wins including a victory in the biggest race in Alberta, the Grade 3 Canadian Derby/

The Lou Davies Memorial Trophy
Leading Jockey: Rico Walcott
Starts: 204 – Wins: 68 – Seconds: 39 – Thirds: 38
Earnings $820,968

Rico Walcott returned to the track last season after a health battle sidelined him in 2019. This award becomes the ninth Leading Jockey title for Rico in the past ten years.

The H.B.P.A. Trophy
Leading Trainer: Tim Rycroft
Starts: 237 – Wins: 42 – Seconds: 38 – Thirds: 46
Earnings $646,551

Tim Rycroft earned the third Leading Trainer title for the third consecutive year with Rycroft trained horses earning over $640,000 and 42 wins last season. The top runner for Tim in 2020 was the multiple stakes placed Alberta bred runner, Saveitforarainyday.

The C.T.H.S. Trophy
Leading Breeder: Highfield Investment Group
Starts: 74 – Wins: 16 – Seconds: 4 – Thirds: 7
Earnings: $290,736

The Leading Breeder goes to Highfield Investment Group for a season that saw horses bred by Highfield earn over $290,000 with 16 wins. The top Highfield-bred horse last season was Jasper Shine, out of their multiple stakes winning mare, Golden Made.

The Jockey Club of Canada Trophy
Leading Owner: Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd.
Starts: 130 – Wins: 23 – Seconds: 25 – Thirds: 23
Earnings: $417,781

The Leading Owner title was awarded to Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. for back to back awards in this category. Horses owned by Riversedge earned over $400,000 with 23 wins. The leading earners for Riversedge last season include Stone Carver, Bareback Jack and Dad's Legacy.

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Sovereign Awards: Mighty Heart Voted Canada’s Horse Of The Year

The Jockey Club of Canada hosted the 46th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony through a virtual presentation on Thursday evening, April 15, 2021.

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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Canadian Horse of the Year Goes to Mighty Heart

Dual Canadian Classic winner Mighty Heart (Dramedy), a homebred for Lawrence Cordes, was named Canadian Horse of the Year at the 46th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony held Thursday evening. It marked the second year in a row Canada's championship awards were held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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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