SOVEREIGN AWARDS NIGHT – a great evening to see everyone again after a long, long winter. The champions of 2014 were crowned! LEXIE LOU PHOTO BY MICHAEL BURNS (the birthday boy!)
OH WHAT A NIGHT! LEXIE LOU THE QUEEN OF 2014
LEXIE LOU was honoured as HORSE OF THE YEAR, CHAMPION 3-YEAR-OLD FILLY AND TURF FEMALE OF 2014 on a night when the theme was welcome back everyone to the year coming up and celebrate a year of great performances.
It was great to see a wide range of owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys and a lot of fans who attended the ceremony which began promptly at 7 p.m. and was hosted with flair by JASON PORTUONDO.
LEXIE LOU was the star of the show and trainer Mark Casse and his wife Tina and son Colby wrere there to accept the awards for the daughter of Sligo Bay.
HORSE OF THE YEAR – LEXIE LOU 156 POINTS, CALGARY CAT 30, DECEPTIVE VISION 21
Casse became emotional when he talked about longtime staff member Mike Anderson, who passed away recently, as he accepted awards for a litany of horses he trained including CONQUEST TYPHOON (138 points, Conquest Tsunami 84, Decision Day 24, Phil’s Cocktail 13) and CONQUEST HARLANATE (164 points, Brooklynsway 72, London Tower 21, Mississpiip Delta 11) , both owned by Ernie Semersky and Dory Newell.
3YO FILLY – LEXIE LOU 157 points, Executive Allure 35, Paladin Bay 25, Sweater Weather 25
TURF FEMALE – LEXIE LOU 122 points, deceptive Vision 102, Executive Allure 15, Royal Fury 11
3-YEAR MALE – HEART TO HEART (English Channel) 108 points, Ami’s Holiday 93, Coltimus Prime 65, Florida Won 12
OUTSTANDING TRAINER – MARK CASSE, for the 6th time in the last 8 years, 9th title overall.
151 points, Brian Lynch 33, Josie Carroll 27, Greg Tracy 26
TURF MALE – DYNAMIC SKY (Sky Mesa), owned by John Oxley, trained by Mark Casse
139 points, Heart to Heart 65 Sharp Sensation 24 Excaper 22
The boys – PATRICK HUSBANDS and MARK CASSE – Michael Burns photo
JOCKEY – PATRICK HUSBANDS 145 POINTS, Luis Contreras 48, Eurico Rosa da Silva 42, Rico Walcott 24
OWNER – JOHN OXLEY 93 points, Gary Bsrber 61, Sam-Son 51 Conquest 50
BREEDER – SAM-SON FARMS – 9th win..
93 points, Adena Springs 74, paradox Farm 64, William Sorokolit 12
OLDER MALE – LUKES ALLEY (Flower Alley) 115 points, Calgary Cat 77, Sky Captain 31, Sharp sensation 21
Eugene Melnyk accepted this award and praised trainer Josie Carroll, jockey Luis Contreras and his team at Winding Oaks
OLDER FEMALE – STRUT THE COURSE (Strut the Stage) 141 points, Hillaby 92, Spring in the Air 14, Silent Star 10
JOHN UNGER said “he could not believe he would ever have a horse as beautiful and wonderful” as Strut the Course. trained by Barbara Minshall to her championship season
other awards:
JOCKEY CLUB OF CANADA AWARD – JEFFREY SEHL, at the schooll of Media Studies and information Technology, Humber Institute if Advanced Technology
OUTSTANDING BROODMARE – EYE OF THE SPHYNX – by Smart Strike – Queen of Egypt, by Vice Regent
Points – 107
Star Guest 48; Cruising Kris 36, Uproar 35
OUTSTANDING APPRENTICE JOCKEY – SHEENA RYAN
146 points
Damario Bynoe 56
Erick Smilovksy 48
Nick Webb 16
CINDY PIERSON DULAY – won her first Sovereign for her Photograph of Big Bazinga.
MEDIA AWARDS – CINDY PIERSON DULAY – PHOTO of Big Bazinga that appeared on THOROUGHBLOG nd horse-races.net; DAVE BRIGGS – writing and SCOTT JAGOW, TV
