The 2006 Sovereign Awards, Canadian Thoroughbred racing's version of the Eclipse Awards, were handed out at the HotelIntercontinental Toronto Centre on December 16. To qualify, equine nominees must have made three starts in Canada, while human nominees need ten starts in this country. This differs significantly from the U.S. Eclipse Awards, where many European-based horses have won championships off of just one start. Winners receive a trophy depicting St. Simon, an undefeated colt who raced in England in the 1880's and then went on to an illustrious career at stud.
The night belonged to Arravale and owner Robert Costigan. After capturing the Sovereign Award for Champion Female Turf Horse, the 3-year-old Macdonald Benson trainee was named Canada's Horse of the Year for 2006. She earned $1,050,000 this year, including Grade 1 wins in the Del Mar Oaks and E.P. Taylor Stakes. She was also third in the American Oaks (G1) at Hollywood and second in the Canadian (G2) at Woodbine.
Champion Older Male winner True Metropolitan was the second place finisher in Horse of the Year voting. The Florida-bred captured 7 of his 10 Western Canadian starts, all stakes, before trainer Terry Jordan shipped him east for a crack Woodbine's toughest older runners. The rugged son of Proud and True's four-length victory in the Woodbine Slots Cup (G3) legitimized his western credentials and put him in line for this award. With the 1 1/8-mile victory, the Bob Cheema gelding boosted his 2006 earnings to $402,340.
Champion Male Turf Horse winner Sky Conqueror was the third place finisher in Horse of the Year voting. The four-year-old Bill Sorokolit homebred was a fast-closing third in the Connaught Cup on May 28. It was in July that the chestnut colt was at his best, capturing the King Edward Breeders' Cup (G2) and the inaugural running of the Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf (G2). The Ontario-bred was also a troubled third in the Pattison Canadian International (G1). Trained by Darwin Banach, Sky Conqueror is a son of Sky Classic, the champion turf horse of 1991.
Outstanding Trainer Mark Casse continues to make his mark as one of Canada's most distinguished conditioners. This year he saddled the most stakes winners at Woodbine (11) and led the way in purse earnings ($4,271,164), both career-high numbers. Casse sent out 24 2-year-old winners, to lead the category for the ninth consecutive year and his 17 turf wins was five better than his nearest competitor. Among his stakes winners was Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, Kimchi. After upsetting the Labatt Woodbine Oaks in first jewel of the Triple Tiara, the Manitoba-bred managed to take the Labatt Bison City Stakes at Fort Erie before losing in the Wonder Where Stakes on turf.
A familiar name in the Outstanding Owner category, Sam-Son Farm took home that award for the eighth time. Once again, Sam-Son topped the $2 million mark in purse earnings, under the watchful eye of trainer Mark Frostad. Among their stakes winners this year were Strike Softly, and Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Catch The Thrill. She won two races, including the rich Princess Elizabeth Stakes. The bay also finished second in the Ontario Lassie Stakes and out of the money only once in five starts.
Shillelagh Slew traveled far and wide to win the Sovereign Award for Champion Three-Year-Old Male for trainer Mike DePaulo and owner David James. After finishing fifth in the Queen's Plate, the Quebec-bred son of Chief Seattle was placed first in the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie and then third in the Breeders' Stakes, third jewel of the Triple Crown. He went west and won the Canadian Derby (G3) at Northlands Park in Edmonton and the Ontario Derby (G3) at Woodbine.
Leonnatus Anteas did it all in 2006 for Knob Hill Stable and the estate of the late Steve Stavro, and took home the Sovereign for Champion Two-Year-Old Male. The colt scored over three surfaces, the inner dirt track in the Vandal Stakes, the E.P. Taylor Turf Course in the Cup and Saucer Stakes and the Coronation Futurity over Polytrack. The Kevin Attard-trainee also won at the three different distances.
Financingavailable was named Champion Older Female. The Lorne Richards-trained daughter of Kiridashi was brilliant from June to November, capturing five stakes races at distances ranging from seven furlongs to 1 1/16 miles and earning $490,000. The 5-year-old grey won over dirt, turf, and Polytrack and was was never worse than second in eight starts.
Champion Sprinter Judith's Wild Rush won two stakes races in 2006, the Jacques Cartier and the Vigil, for trainer Reade Baker and Tenenbaum Racing Stables. The five-year-old Wild Rush grey repeated as the champion after venturing south to the United States three times where he was an impressive second in the Vanderbilt Breeders' Cup (G2) at Saratoga.
Dream Smartly was named Outstanding Broodmare. The 14-year-old only raced once, but has produced two of the fastest, most determined runners to compete at Woodbine, full siblings Blonde Executive and Main Executive. Blonde Executive won four stakes between 2003 and 2004, including the Duchess (G3), and won a Sovereign Award herself as champion sprinter. This year, Main Executive has performed brilliantly, scoring in the New Providence and Kennedy Road Stakes.
Jockey Todd Kabel is the Outstanding Jockey in Canada for the fourth straight year. He enjoyed another stellar season in the saddle, leading the colony once again in stakes wins. Kabel, who is nearing the 300 career stakes wins milestone, hasn't seen his win percentage dip below 17% since 1992.
Last year's Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, Emma-Jayne Wilson, was a repeat winner in 2006. This year she took her second consecutive Woodbine riding title. The 25-year-old, who became the first woman to capture the Toronto oval title and had 9 stakes wins, including the Durham Cup (G3) with Barracuda Boy. She lost her "bug" on August 7 and had continued to win even without the weight advantage.
Adena Springs (Frank Stronach) was once again named Outstanding Breeder for the sixth time. In 2006, Adena leads all Canadian breeders in starters (127), winners (70) and purse earnings ($4,222,287).
