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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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Sovereign Award Finalists Announced

The Jockey Club of Canada is has announced the finalists for the 2021 Sovereign Awards, which honor Canada's champions and recognizes their outstanding achievements in Canadian Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding. The winner of each category, along with Canada's Horse of the Year for 2021, will be announced during the 47th Annual Sovereign Award Ceremony that will be held on the evening of Thursday, Apr. 14, 2022 Universal Eventspace in Vaughan, Ontario. Tickets can also be purchased online here. The 2021 Media Awards finalists, the winner of the Award for Outstanding Groom and this year's E. P. Taylor Award and Special Sovereign Award winners will be announced on or before Feb. 15.

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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Book Review: ‘Run With A Mighty Heart’ Brings Light To A Dark Time

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the province of Ontario in 2020, it hit the professional sports world with a cruel reality. Spectators could not be present, putting events, millions of dollars, and jobs in jeopardy. Public health restrictions particularly impacted the horse racing industry to stop the spread of this awful virus. For horse racing grooms, trainers, jockeys, racetrack officials, and owners, the onset of COVID-19 brought in a frustrating period of uncertainty and, for many who rely on the industry, a feeling of despair.

Out of this darkness lay a story of perseverance and triumph, both human and equine. Jennifer Morrison's Run with a Mighty Heart is just that. The book explains how a one-eyed horse overcame his visual impairment to win Canada's most heralded race. Mighty Heart provided a win to ownership connections beset by tragedies, a company making a herculean effort to have the show go on, and to thousands of fans around the country who needed encouragement during a time when there wasn't much to celebrate

It also shines a light on how the Woodbine thoroughbred racing community came together to fight back against the pandemic and continue the grand tradition of hosting the historic Queen's Plate against the toughest of odds during a pandemic. But, as they would say in racing parlance, pulling it all off was a 99-1 long shot.

Likewise, Morrison's splendid book is an account of how some human beings who endure crushing personal losses might ultimately find luck and triumph if they choose to keep living. For example, Mighty Heart's owner Larry Cordes suffered through tragedy when his wife, daughter, and son-in-law succumbed to cancer and later setbacks as a Thoroughbred owner when horses were injured or died before they could reach their potential.

While it may be her first book, Morrison's deep experience as a sports reporter and her knowledge of the people and players who make Woodbine successful shines through the narrative. Decades of research, conversations, handicapping races and understanding the challenges facing horses and the people who care for them inform this captivating story. In addition, the book contains exciting accounts and insights from Mighty Heart's trainer, Hall of Famer Josie Carroll and her supporting cast on the horse's rise from an awkward beginning to the apogee of Canadian racing.

Run with a Mighty Heart also serves as a tribute to the people from all walks of life who get up while most of the population sleeps to provide care for horses. To be sure, there is a lot that goes into the preparation for race day. Horse racing might be the “Sport of Kings,” but the people behind it who make a day at the track an enjoyable one for the betters, fans, and enthusiasts come from all social classes. Still, all share a joint determination, attention to detail, and a sense of purpose. It's about the horses, but everyone matters- from hot walker to groom, trainer to the owner and the staff, officials and executives at the racetrack.

Morrison doesn't forget about the horses. Documenting Mighty Heart's rise, Morrison carefully outlines the various physical and health curveballs thrown at these majestic but fragile creatures. For example, a horse may have excellent breeding, but exposure to parasites can make them sick, or a bout of colic could end their life. Likewise, Mighty Heart's frolicking in the paddock with other horses caused the young colt to lose an eye. These athletes work hard day in and day out, and their journey is often as complicated and uncertain as the road travelled by those who care for them.

Run with a Mighty Heart should be required reading for all Thoroughbred horse racing fans. It is an uplifting tale of our capacity to endure the most complex challenges life throws at us to continue our way of life, great traditions, and recreational pursuits. Run with a Mighty Heart is also a lively story of resilience, endurance, and hope. This book tells a story a lot of people need right now.

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Fearless Makes Bold Move To Take Harlan’s Holiday At Gulfstream Park

Facing a field that included Mighty Heart, the reigning Canadian Horse of the Year, jockey Luis Saez made a bold move for the lead on the backstretch at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., and never relinquished the front, winning the Grade 3 Harlan's Holiday by a length.

Out of the gate, Mighty Heart established a one-length lead early, with Blue Steel and Fearless stalking down the backstretch. With early fractions of :24.38 and :47.76, Saez sent Fearless to the lead as they approached the far turn, putting a head in front of Mighty Heart as they rounded into the far turn.

Into the stretch, Fearless increased his lead to two lengths as South Bend rallied on the outside, passing Mighty Heart inside the last furlong to take second. At the wire, the margin of victory was four lengths. Blue Steel, Twenty Twice, and Eye of the Jedi rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.19. Find this race's chart here.

Fearless paid $3.20, $2.40, and $2.10. South Bend paid $4.00 and $2.80. Mighty Heart paid $2.60.

Bred in Kentucky by Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust, Fearless is by Ghostzapper out of the Street Cry (IRE) mare And Why Not. Owned by Repole Stable, the 5-year-old gelding is trained by Todd Pletcher. Consigned by Elite Agent, he was purchased by West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stables, for $205,000 at the July 2021 Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age Sale. With his win in the G3 Harlan's Holiday, Fearless has two wins in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in 11 starts and career earnings of $576,550.

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