With less than two weeks until the opening day of the 67th WOODBINE Thoroughbred season on April 22, the Canadian racing community will gather this Thursday, April 13 to celebrate the 2022 stars.
The 48th SOVEREIGN AWARDS, presented by the Jockey Club of Canada, will be handed out at the Universal Eventspace just north of Woodbine. The cocktail reception begins at 5 p.m.
The highlights of the evening include the presentation of the E.P. Award of Merit to Alberta horseman DALE SAUNDERS, multiple champion trainer and winner of over 2,100 races, and the HORSE OF THE YEAR Award. The three finalists for the HOY trophy will be announced Thursday evening.
The most significant honour for a Canadian racehorse (any horse that started at least three times in Canada, two-year-olds only need to make two starts in Canada) figures to come down to a pair of gals – probable three-year-old filly champion MOIRA and multiple finalist LADY SPEIGHTSPEARE.
Moira, of course, was an amazing story in Canadian racing last year as she trounced the boys in the Queen’s Plate after winning the Woodbine Oaks easily. She was the first major winner for the newly-created X-Men Racing, headed by Donato Lanni, and that fun group of Canadians shared ownership of Moira with Madaket Racing and SF Bloodstock.
Her trainer KEVIN ATTARD might be able to win his first-ever Sovereign Award, which would end an 11-year reign by Mark Casse.
Lady Speightspeare, owned and bred in Kentucky by Charles Fipke and trained by Roger Attfield, is up for three awards: Champion Older Mare Main Track, Female Turf and Female Sprinter. She then ended her campaign with a brilliant run when third in the Filly & Mare Turf at the Breeders Cup, a Grade 1 event.
Two grooms will be honoured (see below) during the evening as well.
2022 Sovereign Awards Finalists
The finalists in each of the following categories are listed in alphabetical order.
Champion Two-Year-Old Female
Cairo Consort
Last Call
Renegade Rebel
Champion Two-Year-Old Male
Philip My Dear
Poulin in O T
Velocitor
Champion Three-Year-Old Female
Moira
Sister Seagull
Souper Hoity Toity
Champion Three-Year-Old Male
Hall of Dreams
Ironstone
Sir for Sure
Champion Older Main Track Female
Infinite Patience
Lady Speightspeare
Our Flash Drive
Champion Older Main Track Male
Soy Tapatio
War Bomber (Ire)
Who’s the Star
Champion Female Turf Horse
Fev Rover (Ire)
Lady Speightspeare
Moira
Champion Male Turf Horse
Filo di Arianna (Brz)
Philip My Dear
Ready for the Lady
Sir for Sure
Champion Female Sprinter
Hazelbrook
Lady Speightspeare
Our Flash Drive
Champion Male Sprinter
Arzak
Filo di Arianna (Brz)
Lucky Score
Outstanding Broodmare
Cosa Rara
Count to Three
Include Katherine
Outstanding Breeder
Adena Springs
Sam-Son Farm
Tall Oaks Farm
Outstanding Owner
Schickedanz, Bruno
Ulwelling, Al and Bill
X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and SF Racing LLC
Outstanding Trainer
Attard, Kevin
Carroll, Josie
Casse, Mark E.
Outstanding Apprentice Jockey
Jones, Slade
Prescod, N’Rico
Santo, Kimal
Outstanding Jockey
Hernandez, Rafael Manuel
Husbands, Patrick
Kimura, Kazushi
Wilson, Emma-Jayne
Horse of the Year
The Horse of the Year finalists will be announced during the 48th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony.
Listed in alphabetical order, the Media finalists are:
Digital Audio/Visual and Broadcast Category:
Peter Gross – Down The Stretch Podcast 146
Horse Racing Alberta – The Canadian Derby Feature – Above and Beyond
Woodbine Entertainment Group – The Queen’s Plate
Photograph Category:
Allan de la Plante – The Catch
Lisa Thompson – Belcarra Park
Julie Wright – On Cloud Nine – 2022 EP Taylor Champions
Writing Category:
Ivan Bigg – Brandon Greer’s Quiet Success
Dave Briggs – Why Can’t Horse Racing Partake in Ontario’s Sports Betting Boom
Ron Gierkink – Queen’s Plate Feature Sunday Aug. 7
Chris Lomon – Mike Keogh: Canada’s Gentleman Horseman Calls it a Career
George Williams – Derby Winner has a Manitoba Mother
Along with the awards listed below, trainer Dale “Colonel” Saunders from Alberta will be presented with the 2022 E.P. Taylor Award of Merit, a lifetime achievement award honouring those who have made significant contributions to the Thoroughbred industry in Canada and accomplished outstanding individual achievements in Canadian Thoroughbred racing and breeding. With 2,177 wins from 12,915 starts and $17.4 million in earnings, Saunders has achieved as much as any other trainer in Alberta. His passion for Thoroughbred racing was bred into him, with his father and his cousins all keen horsemen and avid thoroughbred breeders and owners. Dale has won countless stakes races and was Alberta Trainer of the Year in 1983, 1985, 1987 – 1989, 1996 – 1999 and 2013. He was also honoured in 2012 as the Horseperson of the Year at the Alberta Thoroughbred Awards.
Amber Hutchinson and Ricardo Nichalson will be presented with the 2022 Outstanding Groom Award sponsored by OLG. Hutchinson, a 16-year employee of trainer Mike Doyle, is described by Doyle as dependable, diligent, cheerful, unfailingly kind, and having earned the respect of her coworkers. Nichalson has worked for trainer Ian Black since Black opened his stable 19 years ago. Known for his race day outfits which are catered to match each owners’ silks and the saddlecloth colour, “Ricky” has groomed such horses as multiple graded stakes winners Seductively and Southdale.
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