Sovereign Award Finalists Announced

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Photo: Michael Burns

Inglorious is one of the Sovereign Award Finalists in the 3-year-old filly category.

The Jockey Club of Canada will host its 37th Annual Sovereign Awards Ceremony to honor the Canadian Champions of 2011 April 5, on the third floor of Woodbine. 

Woodbine Entertainment Group will join in the celebration as they get ready to kick-off their 2012 Live Thoroughbred meet on Friday, April 6.

This cocktail-attire celebration will include a welcome back reception, a buffet-style gourmet dinner, and magical entertainment along with the evening’s feature event, the presentation of the Sovereign Award Trophies to Canada’s Racing Champions of 2011 and Canada’s Horse of the Year.

Tickets are each $250 plus applicable taxes (tables of 10 are $2,500) and must be reserved in advance by contacting The Jockey Club of Canada at 416-675-7756 or emailing: jockeyclub@bellnet.ca

In an effort to promote equal opportunity in determining the winners of the 17 race award categories, the voting began Jan. 1, 2012, allowing for statistics for the entire year to be considered. The finalists and eventual winner were determined using a computerized points system based on each voter’s first, second, and third choice in each category.

The 2011 Sovereign Award Finalists, listed alphabetically in each category, are:

Champion Two-Year-Old Filly:
Hard Not to Like
Northern Passion
Tu Endie Wei

Champion Two-Year-Old Male:
Excaper
Maritimer
Prospective

Champion Three-Year-Old Filly:
Inglorious
Marketing Mix
Smart Sting

Champion Three-Year-Old Male:
Freedoms Traveller
Moonshine Mullin
Pender Harbour

Champion Older Female:
Ariana D
Embur's Song
Stars to Shine

Champion Older Male:
Don Cavallo
Fifty Proof
James Street

Champion Turf Female:
Marketing Mix
Miss Keller
Never Retreat

Champion Turf Male:
Musketier  
Pender Harbour
Stormy Lord

Champion Female Sprinter:
Atlantic Hurricane
Classic Alley Kat
Embur's Song

Champion Male Sprinter:
Essence Hit Man
Gypsy Ring
Signature Red

Outstanding Broodmare:
Embur Sunshine
Noble Strike
Rahy’s Hope

The three finalists for Horse of the Year honors will be announced on the evening of the awards ceremony.

Outstanding Breeder:
Adena Springs
Arosa Farms
Gardiner Farms Ltd.

Outstanding Owner: (There was a tie in one of the top three finalists positions)
Bear Stables Ltd.
Donver Stable
Melnyk Racing Stables Inc.
Glen Todd and Patrick Kinsella

Outstanding Trainer:
Roger Attfield
Reade Baker
Mark Casse

Outstanding Apprentice Jockey:
Ryan Pacheco
Betty-Jo Williams
Scott Williams

Outstanding Jockey:
Luis Contreras
Patrick Husbands
Emma-Jayne Wilson

Media Award Categories:
The judging for the 2011 media categories was performed by the journalism professors at Humber, School of Media Studies & Information Technology, in Toronto, Ontario.

Outstanding Newspaper Story:
--Allan Besson, “Hard work no problem, Mon,” published in the Winnipeg Free Press, Aug. 26, 2011
--Keith McCalmont, “Emma’s great Excaper,” published on Woodbineentertainment.com, Nov. 2, 2011
--Beverley Smith, “Rahy’s Attorney goes out as a Contender,” published in the Globe and Mail and theglobeandmail.com, Aug. 16, 2011

Outstanding Feature Story:
--Peter Gross, “Fern Chretien’s Stretch Drive,” published in Down the Stretch, April 2011
--Jennifer Morrison, “Glorification,” published in Canadian Thoroughbred, August/September 2011
--Beverley Smith, “Training Daze and Casse Ready” (Two-part Series), published in the Globe and Mail and theglobeandmail.com, Sept. 14 and Oct. 1, 2011

Outstanding Photograph:
--David J. Landry, “Filly Wins! Oaks and Plate,” Published in Canadian Thoroughbred August/September 2011
--Janis Maine, “Stallion at Attention,” Published on horse-canada.com/thoroughblog, Oct. 23, 2011,
--Erika Rusnak, “Bunny,” Published on horse-canada.com/thoroughblog, May 12, 2011

Outstanding Film/Video/Broadcast:
--The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Celebrating Northern Dancer’s 50th Birthday. Broadcast on Score Television Network, Sept. 18, 2011
--Horse Racing Alberta & Whiteiron Productions, 2011 Canadian Derby. Broadcast on Canadian Television Network, Aug. 20, 2011
--Sport of Kings. Broadcast on Shaw TV, Oct. 7, 2011

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