The Jockey Club of Canada is getting ready for the 47th SOVEREIGN AWARDS, honouring the top horses, humans and media in Canadian horse racing for 2021.
Voting for the 2021 Sovereign Award Champions, done by selected media across Canada, is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 10, 2022 with the completed online ballot due no later than 5:00 pm (EST) on Sunday, January 23, 2022.
The Jockey Club of Canada is now accepting submissions for the 2021 Media Category Awards for Outstanding Writing, Photograph and Digital Audio/Visual and Broadcast. Submissions must be received by The Jockey Club of Canada office via email before 11:59 p.m. EST December 31, 2021. Please note, submissions received after this deadline will not be accepted.
To qualify for a 2021 Sovereign Award, the submissions must have appeared in a recognized public medium for the first time between the dates of January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.
Racing in Canada had shortened seasons and a smaller number of stakes races due to the second year of the COVID-19 Pandemic. A number of major stakes winners in Canada also came up short in the number of starts made in this country to qualify for a Sovereign Award, most notably Queen’s Plate winner SAFE CONDUCT, who only started twice (three starts are required for 3-year-olds and up, two starts for juveniles) in Canada in 2021.
But there were plenty of outstanding performances by horses and humans from coast to coast.
There are also some horses who still have races on their schedules before January 1 including Horse of the Year contender MIGHTY HEART, who competes in the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 18.
Here are some contenders for horse awards by category:
2-Year-Old Filly: MRS. BARBARA (lone eligible, graded stakes winner), MOIRA (Princess Elizabeth), DIABOLIC (Catch a Glimpse Stakes) plus Marie MacKay, Baksheesh, Ya Mar, Aubrieta, U Did It and Swinging Mandy are among the stakes winners.
2-Year-Old Colt: GOD OF LOVE (Grade 3 Grey, Cup & Saucer), IRONSTONE (2 stakes wins, graded stakes-placed) are top contenders along with other stakes winners The Minkster (Coronation Futurity), First Empire, Hicksy plus Grade 1 placed Grafton Street.
3-Year-Old Colt: Prince of Wales Stakes winner HADDASSAH, Grade 3 Ontario Derby winner FROSTED OVER, Grade 3 Canadian Derby and Manitoba Derby winner UNCHARACTERISTIC lead a host of sophomores including British Royalty, Avoman, Artie’s Storm, and War Bomber.
3-Year-Old Filly – MUNNYFOR RO won the Woodbine Oaks and Wonder Where Stakes plus the Ontario Damsel is favoured for this category. Others up for consideration include Il Malocchio, Lorena.
Older Male (Main Track) – He has one more start coming up in 2021 but MIGHTY HEART, double graded stakes winner and stakes winner in Kentucky, is up against Sir Winston, Greek Geek, Special Force, Pink Lloyd and Tap It to Win.
Older Female (Main Track) – This is a wide open category with western Canadian star INFINITE PATIENCE on the list with Skygaze, Art of Almost, sprinter Summer Sunday and others.
Sprint Male – PINK LLOYD is going for his fifth straight sprinter title and his rivals in this category could be Souper Stonehenge, Avie’s Flatter, Silent Poet, Not So Quiet and others.
Sprint Female -AMALFI COAST, SUMMER SUNDAY, and OUR SECRET AGENT will contend with Lorena, Infinite Patience, and others.
Turf Male – TOWN CRUISE’S win in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile will carry a lot of weight and his rivals include Avie’s Flatter, Silent Poet, March to the Arch, Olympic Runner and others.
Turf Female – Stakes-winning mares on turf in 2021 included MUNNYFOR RO, JOLIE OLIMPICA, AMALFI COAST, Our Flash Drive, and Lady War Machine.
For more information on The Jockey Club of Canada’s 47th Annual Sovereign Awards Ceremony contact Candice Dixon at 416-675-7756; email jockeyclubcanada@gmail.com
For complete Sovereign Award Media Category Rules, Submission Guidelines and Deadlines please visit The Jockey Club of Canada website or the Rules and Guidelines document.
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