Voters across Canada will have their ballots submitted for the 47th Sovereign Awards by Sunday, January 23 at 5 p.m., choosing the outstanding horses and humans from racing in 2021.
For the second consecutive year, track meetings were shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and last year there were a number of top equine performers who did not make the required number of starts in the country (three for all horses except for 2-year-olds who only needed two starts) and thus are not eligible for awards.
That makes voting in some categories this year extremely contentious.
Here is the ballot from yours truly and accompanying thoughts:
2-year-old filly – MRS. BARBARA (Bodemeister) won the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes and was fourth, as a maiden, in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes behind Wild Beauty and eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf winner Pizza Bianca. She was also third in the Catch a Glimpse Stakes. Mrs. Barbara defeated Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner Moira in the Mazarine. Diabolic, who won the Catch a Glimpse Stakes on turf, was fifth in the Natalma.
2-year-old colt – There are a lot of nice fellows in this category (at least a dozen different stakes winners during the year) and GOD OF LOVE was the best as this Ontario-bred son of Cupid won the Grade 3 Grey Stakes and the restricted Cup and Saucer Stakes, two of the top three races for juveniles during the Woodbine season. Of course, those who closely watch Canadian racing will also know that God of Love had a very troubled trip in the Coronation Futurity that was won by The Minkster. Ironstone was second to God of Love in the Grey Stakes and won two restricted sprint stakes with also a second in the Display Stakes.
3-year-old filly – This one is easy as MUNNYFOR RO was dominant in her 10-race campaign. The Munnings filly won the Woodbine Oaks and Wonder Where stakes, two thirds of the Triple Tiara, won the Ontario Damsel and was a solid fourth against colts in the Queen’s Plate.
3-year-old colt – The Queen’s Plate winner usually wins this category, but the 2021 Plate winner Safe Conduct only raced twice in Canada. I gave a slight nod to FROSTED OVER, a Kentucky-bred colt who won the Grade 3 Ontario Derby and then ended his short campaign with a close second-place finish against older horses in the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes, won by Sir Winston. The other graded stakes-winning sophomore of the year, Canadian Derby (G3) winner Uncharacteristic, also won the Manitoba Derby and rates respect although his Beyer Speed Figures were on the low side. Hadassah and Artie’s Storm were good stakes winners during the season.
Older Mare Main Track – SKYGAZE (American Pharoah) won the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes, the Belle Mahone Stakes and was second in the Grade 3 Ontario Matron Stakes and third in the Grade 3 Trillium Stakes. That was a very strong campaign.
Older Male Main Track – MIGHTY HEART, the 2020 Champion 3-Year-Old/Horse of the Year, had an impeccable 4-year-old campaign. The one-eyed son of Dramedy won the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes, Grade Dominion Day Stakes and the Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs. He also was second in another US journey in the Grade 3 West Virginia Governors’ Cup, third in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday at Gulfstream and second in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup.
Female Turf Horse – The major turf races for fillies and mares in Canada, the E.P. Taylor (G1), Dance Smartly (G2), Canadian Stakes (G2) and Nassau Stakes (G2) were won by three different horses and two of them are not eligible for an award based on starts made in Canada. The Nassau was won by JOLIE OLIMPICA (Brz) and I voted for her even though she was not great in her other two Canadian outings. This mare did finish third to the colts in the Grade 3 San Simeon at Santa Anita in March. Our Flash Drive won the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen and was fourth in the Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes at Belmont.
Male Turf Horse – Very difficult category. The major turf races of the season were won by a variety of horses, two of them won by Avie’s Flatter – the Grade 2 Connaught Cup and the Grade 2 Nearctic, a sprint. Olympic Runner won the Grade 2 King Edward, was second in the Connaught, second in the Canadian Turf (G3) way back in February at Gulfstream, and third in the Nearctic.
But Ontario-bred TOWN CRUISE, who stole the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, setting a slow pace after a second-place finish to Olympic Runner, got my vote, albeit hesitantly.
Female Sprinter – AMALFI COAST won two graded sprints stakes, the Grade 2 Royal North on turf and the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion on Tapeta plus she was second in the Grade 3 Hendrie Stakes and third in the Grade 3 Seaway and Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes. A case could be made for one-time stakes winner Our Secret Agent who won the Hendrie over Amalfi Coast and was second in her other three graded sprint stakes, defeating Amalfi Coast in two of those. A troubled trip in the Seaway led me to give the nod to Amalfi Coast.
Male Sprinter – PINK LLOYD. The remarkable 9-year-old ended his career with three stakes wins in five races, two of them graded. A slam dunk to win his fifth Champion Sprinter title.
HORSE OF THE YEAR: MIGHTY HEART traveled all over North America, won stakes on dirt and Tapeta, two of them graded, and had an outstanding record of 8-3-2-2 (and a fourth) while racing in six graded stakes races at Woodbine, Gulfstream, and Mountaineer. He should repeat as Horse of the Year.
As for the other categories, I vote for how well a person did with what they had in their Canadian stable, not strictly a number of wins or most purse money.
The results in some of these categories have been mystifying in recent years. Last year, 2020, Josie Carroll should have won Outstanding Trainer handily but did not. Two years ago, Kevin Attard should have won the same award and he did not. Gary Barber had a litany of champions in 2020 but was not named Outstanding Owner.
Outstanding Broodmare: Slight nod to INCLUDE KATHERINE (Amalfi Coast, graded SW plus graded stakes-placed Why Katherine and stakes-placed Chris’ Brew and Afleet Katherine) over HALO’S VERSE (graded stakes winner Halo Again, SW Inflexibility (also graded stakes-placed) and graded stakes-placed Fundamental).
Jockey – Kazushi Kimura
Apprentice jockey – Mauricio Malvaez
Owner – Gary Barber raced Frosted Over, Olympic Runner, Our Secret Agent and God of Love in partnership.
Breeder – So many to choose from. Many breeders had at least one outstanding horse in 2021 – Anderson Farms (Halo Again) , Daybar Ltd. (Munnyfor Ro), Lawrence Cordes (Mighty Heart), Terra Racing (Amalfi Coast), Bill Graham (God of Love), John Carey (Pink Lloyd), Brandon Greer (Town Cruise), Mitch Kursner (Safe Conduct), Al & Bill Ulwelling (Haddassah), etc.
But SAM-SON FARMS bred stakes winners TIO MAGICO, CURLIN’S CATCH, RIDEFORTHECAUSE and graded stakes winner in the US, MESSIER, plus graded stakes-placed SAY THE WORD, COUNT AGAIN etc.
Trainer – While Josie Carroll and Kevin Attard both deserved to win this award in 2020, 2019 respectively and both had outstanding years in 2021, this time MARK CASSE gets the nod for the award. His Canadian team prepared a gobsmacking 27 stakes winners and possibly four champions. Kevin had a big year with much smaller numbers with MunnyforRo, Prince of Wales winner Haddassahh and top mare Amalfi Coast, etc. while Josie trained Mighty Heart, the outstanding mare Boardroom, Avie’s Flatter, etc.
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