Soaring Free, Sam-Son Top Sovereign Awards

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Sam-Son Farm and its homebred Soaring Free took home top honors when the Sovereign Awards were presented by The Jockey Club of Canada at the annual awards dinner Friday night in Ontario.

A 5-year-old gelded son of Smart Strike   owned and bred by Sam-Son, Soaring Free was voted Canada's Horse of the Year and champion male turf horses on the basis of a 2004 campaign in which he won six of eight starts and earned $1,113,862. Trained by Mark Frostad, Soaring Free won the Atto Mile (Can-I), Play the King Handicap (Can-III), Scotts Highlander Handicap (Can-III), and Ontario Jockey Club Stakes, all at Woobdine, and Keeneland's Shakertown Stakes (gr. IIIT). A Bit O'Gold, the champion 3-year-old male, was runner-up to Soaring Free for Horse of the Year honors.

In addition to being voted outstanding owner honors, Sam-Son, the racing and breeding entity founded by the late Ernie Samuel, also took home a sixth Sovereign Awards as outstanding breeder. The Stronach Stable of Frank Stronach finished second in the outstanding owner category and Stronach's Adena Springs Farm was runner-up for top breeder honors.

2004 SOVEREIGN AWARDS, ANNOUNCED BY THE JOCKEY CLUB OF CANADA:

OUTSTANDING JOCKEY: Todd Kabel

OUTSTANDING APPRENTICE JOCKEY: Corey Fraser

OUTSTANDING TRAINER: Robert Tiller

OUTSTANDING OWNER: Sam-Son Farms

OUTSTANDING BREEDER: Sam-Son Farms

OUTSTANDING BROODMARE: Annasan

CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY: Simply Lovely

CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE : Wholelottabourbon

CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY: Eye of the Sphynx

CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD MALE: A Bit O'Gold

CHAMPION OLDER FEMALE: One for Rose

CHAMPION OLDER MALE HORSE: Mobil

CHAMPION SPRINTER: Blonde Executive

CHAMPION MALE TURF HORSE: Soaring Free

CHAMPION FEMALE TURF HORSE: Inish Glora

HORSE OF THE YEAR: Soaring Free

OUTSTANDING PHOTOGRAPH: David Landry

OUTSTANDING FILM/VIDEO/BROADCAST: Woodbine Entertainment Group

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER STORY: Paul Wiecek

OUTSTANDING FEATURE STORY: Darryl Kaplan

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