The Jockey Club of Canada will send out packages to voters across Canada on Monday, January 6 for the 2019 SOVEREIGN AWARDS. Voting will begin Jan. 9, 2020 with the completed online ballot due no later than 5:00 pm (EST) on Wednesday, January 22, 2020.
The top three nominees for each category will be sent out in a press release at the beginning of February. The winner of each category will then be announced on stage during the 2019 Sovereign Awards Celebration on Thursday, April 16, 2020 at Universal Eventspace In Vaughan.
One slight change in the horse categories for voting for the 2019 season is that the Older Male and Older Female Horse category will be “Main Track Only” as opposed to including grass horses. Turf Male and Turf Female categories remain.
Here is a brief look at the contenders in each category:
2-Year-Old Filly: The juvenile filly stakes races across Canada were won by a litany of different gals and the open graded stakes races were ‘won’ by horses not eligible for the award. With an asterisk, however, as the Grade 3 Mazarine, won by Skygaze, had its resultes changed when that two-length winner was disqualified and Curling’s Voyage was placed first. When CURLIN’S VOYAGE won the Ontario Lassie Stakes late in the season with an 83 Beyer Speed Figure, that made her a two-time stakes winner in 2019.
Much respect has to go to the unbeaten filly INFINITE PATIENCE, 5 for 5 this season, 4 stakes, including the open Fantasy Stakes at Hastings Park. She won her races by a total of over 35 lengths.
2-Year-Old Colt – There were no standouts in this category and the major juvenile races, the Grade 3 Grey and Coronation Futurity, were won by horses not eligible for the Sovereign (did not make the required two starts). MUSKOKA GOLD, the Cup & Saucer Stakes on the turf, placed in both the Grey and Coronation and that makes him the colt most likely to attract a lot of the votes.
3-Year-Old Filly – Again, no dominant horse in this group. The Woodbine Oaks was won by DESERT RIDE who then came back and won the Wonder Where Stakes on turf so she will receive votes. AMALFI COAST ended the year with three straight stakes wins including the Grade 3 Bessarabia, so if voters are intrigued by horses winning open races, she will get votes. Other open stakes winners in Canada include the good BC gals AMAZONIAN and SUNBURST. HIDDEN GRACE went 7 for 7 in the west too.
SPEEDY SOUL won three stakes races and was very versatile.
3-Year-Old Colt – Since Queen’s Plate winner ONE BAD BOY is not eligible for a Sovereign Award (he did not make three starts in Canada), it looks as if GLOBAL ACCESS is going to get a lot of attention from voters with three Grade 3 wins in Canada and the U.S, four stakes wins at several different tracks. TONE BROKE won the prince of Wales Stakes and Breeders’ and was third in the Queen’s Plate so he was certainly one of the best Canadian-breds of the season. Out west, EXPLODE was placed first in the Grade 3 Canadian Derby and had a strong season.
Older Female Main Track: Preference given to horses who won stakes races on the main track (since turf horses have their own category). BC’s HERE’S HANNAH won 5 of 6 races, all stakes, including the Grade 3 Ballerina. She was a finalist for 3yo filly in 2018.
LIFT UP won three stakes and two at Woodbine including the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes.
Older Male Main Track: Voters may lean to horses who won stakes events going ‘long’ on the main track or they could side with sprinters. There were plenty of stakes winners in this category in route races such as MR. RITZ, who also won the Presque Isle Mile, PUMPKIN RUMBLE. ARE YOU KIDDING ME and others.
PINK LLOYD, who has already won this award plus Champion Sprinter and Horse of the Year, could conceivably get the most votes for older horse again as he had another stellar season having won all seven races entered in 2019. He was declared a non-started in an eighth race.
Female Sprinter: A pair of Stuart Simon gals will take the bulk of the votes. SUMMER SUNDAY started the year with a bang with three stakes wins, 2 of them graded and she will take a lot of votes along with stablemate SISTER PEACOCK.
Male Sprinter: PINK LLOYD, amazing again this season.
Female Turf: A Grade 1 win by STARSHIP JUBLIEE, already a two-time winner in this category makes her the deserving winner of this category. She also won the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes and Sunshine Millions Turf and placed in her other four starts, all graded stakes including events at Saratoga and Churchill Downs.
Male Turf: EL TORMENTA won the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile plus the Grade 3 Connaught Cup and he was 6th beaten 4 1/2 lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1)
Horse of the Year: It comes down to STARSHIP JUBILEE and PINK LLOYD it appears. The former, in the top three in all 7 races, won a Grade 1, placed in American graded stakes, should get the edge for the top award but the popular PINK LLOYD won 6 stakes, three graded, all at Woodbine in another remarkable campaign.
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