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Mighty Heart Named Horse of the Year in Canada

Dramedy colt took home two Sovereign Awards April 15 during virtual ceremony.

Mighty Heart wins the 2020 Queen's Plate Stakes at Woodbine

Mighty Heart wins the 2020 Queen's Plate Stakes at Woodbine

Michael Burns

Lawrence Cordes' homebred Mighty Heart took home the award for Canadian Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male April 15 during The Jockey Club of Canada's 46th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the ceremony was held via virtual presentation Thursday night with the top three finalists in each category decided by online ballot. 

Bred in Ontario out of the City Place mare Emma's Bullseye, the son of Dramedy won two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown, taking the Sept. 12 Queen's Plate at Woodbine and wheeling back to win the Sept. 29 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie for trainer Josie Carroll. Mighty Heart went into the Queen's Plate a maiden winner, having graduated at third asking in July at Woodbine. He has three wins and a third from eight starts, and in 2020 brought home earnings of CA$922,870 (US$696,779). Racing fans in the United States will get to see him in action April 17 at Keeneland, where the colt is entered in an $85,000 allowance optional claiming event going 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

"His ability and what he's shown the racing public, I believe will inspire other people to try and do the same thing," Cordes said. "Anything's possible and that's part of the story of Mighty Heart now. It's something people dream about, having a racehorse and getting into a position like we're in, and it can happen. When I bred the mare, I was hoping to get a filly that would come out of the Distorted Humor line but to come up with the colt who has achieved what he has achieved has been almost too much. Last summer was a real bright spot and this evening was icing on the cake. During this tough time of COVID-19, he's been an inspiration. It gave us a lift during the pandemic. If you really look at it, what more could you ask for than to bring people's spirits up? I'm absolutely thrilled about the whole thing."

Mighty Heart had some competition in the Horse of the Year category, winning by 95 votes over 2017 Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd (78), while Silent Poet received 30 votes. Mighty Heart carried champion 3-year-old male by a larger margin, winning with 149 votes over Belichick (78) and Shirl's Speight (31). 

Toronto Ontario October 19, 2020.Woodbine Racetrack. Breeders' Stakes contender Mighty Heart, trainer Josie Carroll(blue windbreaker, grey sweater), jockey Daisuke Fukumoto, owner Larry Cordes (brown leather jacket),Jennifer Perrin (red check jacket carrots,owner Larry Cordes grandaughter).Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales winner Mighty Heart attempt to capture the Canadian Triple Crown at Woodbine on October 24, 2020 at Woodbine Racetrack. Michael Burns Photo
Photo: Michael Burns
(L-R): Josie Carroll, Daisuke Fukumoto, and owner Larry Cordes with Mighty Heart at Woodbine

Carroll also trained Curlin's Voyage to champion 3-year-old female honors. Racing for Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing, the Curlin  filly won the Fury Stakes and the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, taking home CA$447,000 ($335,627). She took home the title with 83 votes, edging Merveilleux (76) and Artie's Princess (72).

Artie's Princess found her own hardware when she took home the champion female sprinter title with 133 votes over Lady Grace (45) and Boardroom (38). Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's homebred We Miss Artie filly counted the Bessarabian Stakes (G2) and the Ruling Angel Stakes among her three wins in 2020 for trainer Wesley Ward, with earnings of CA$260,220 ($197,608).

Pink Lloyd was not shut out at the ballot box, as the indefatigable Old Forester gelding took home his seventh Sovereign Award and was named champion male sprinter for the fourth year in a row. Trained by Robert Tiller for Entourage Stable, Pink Lloyd completed his 8-year-old season with victories in the Vigil Stakes (G3), Bold Venture Stakes (G3), Shepperton Stakes, and Jacques Cartier Stakes (G3). He earned CA $357,600 ($268,387) in 2020, pushing his career earnings from 33 starts to CA$2,089,430 ($1,594,842). Pink Lloyd won champion male sprinter with 142 votes over Silent Poet (95) and Not So Quiet (35).

It was a huge night for "Team Pink Lloyd" as well, with Rafael Hernandez taking home honors as outstanding jockey and Michelle Gibson named outstanding groom. Hernandez partnered with Pink Lloyd upon the retirement of the gelding's longtime rider Eurico Rosa Da Silva. Born in Puerto Rico, Rafael won a meet-leading 17 stakes races among his 129 wins in Canada in 2020, earning himself the riders' title at Woodbine for the year. He held a steady 20% win average throughout the meet. His biggest win came in the E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) when he guided the Chad Brown-trained Etoile to victory by a neck, while his other wins included three graded stakes aboard Pink Lloyd and the Autumn Stakes (G2) and Eclipse Stakes (G2) on Skywire. Hernandez took the Sovereign Award by 145 votes over Justin Stein (82) and Patrick Husbands (13).

Gibson learned everything she could about riding and horse care when she attended riding school in Caledon. She began to work with top circuit show jumpers and was soon traveling throughout the United States to major horse shows. She wanted to leave traveling behind when her son Devin was born in 2001, so she got her first job with Thoroughbreds at Woodbine.

Gibson has worked for Hall of Fame trainer Robert Tiller for almost 10 years and works as Pink Lloyd's groom. She likes to have plenty of time to get her horses ready and is at the barn at 3:30 a.m. each morning. She believes her strengths as a groom come from her meticulous work habits and ability to multi-task. She is grateful that she gets to work at what she loves.

"The horses are my therapy; they keep me sound and they keep me sane," she said.

PInk Lloyd (with Michelle Gibson primary caretaker)<br>
at Woodbine.
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Michelle Gibson with Pink Lloyd at Woodbine

Trainer Mark Casse continued his domination of Canadian racing, taking home his 13th Sovereign Award. In 2020, his trainees won 93 races from 482 starts, 17 of which were stakes races, and his starters earned over CA$5.3 million in purses. Those numbers all exceeded his 2019 totals despite a shortened 2020 season at Woodbine due to COVID-19. Leading the charge of stakes winners in Canada for Casse was Summer Stakes (G1T) winner Gretzky the Great , two-time graded stakes winner Skywire, and Not So Quiet, a two-time stakes winner. Casse had several other juvenile stakes winners on his roster in 2020, including Cup & Saucer Stakes winner Master Spy and Display Stakes winner Helium, who is now a contender for the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Casse was a narrow winner of the title by 120 votes over Josie Carroll (100) and Kevin Attard (50).

Mack Casse       @  Marck Casse Training Center in Ocala Fl. Mar 9 2020<br>
©Joe DiOrio/Winningimages.biz
Photo: Joe DiOrio
Mark Casse at Casse Training Center

Skywire was named champion older main track male on the merits of his two grade 2 wins. Racing for Gary Barber and Lucio Tucci, the Afleet Alex gelding was also runner-up in the Durham Cup Stakes (G3) and Seagram Cup Stakes (G3) while collecting earnings of CA $321,980 ($242,929). He won with 116 votes over Pink Lloyd (94) and Mr. Ritz (24).

Gretzky the Great took home champion 2-year-old male honors after winning the Summer Stakes and the Soaring Free Stakes. Racing for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber, the Nyquist  colt earned CA$354,500 ($272,205). He was a dominant winner of his category, with 152 votes over Ready to Repeat (46), Stephen (27), and Master Spy (27).

Jockey Kazushi Kimura guides Gretzky the Great to victory in the $250,000 dollar Summer Stakes, win and your in the Breeders's Cup.Gretzky the Great is owned by Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Mark Casse. Michael Burns Photo
Photo: Michael Burns
Gretzky the Great wins the 2020 Summer Stakes at Woodbine

Champion 2-year-old female honors went to Charles Fipke's homebred Natalma Stakes (G1T) winner Lady Speightspeare, a Speightstown  filly trained by Roger Attfield. Lady Speightspeare earned CA$146,394 ($146,394) and 148 votes, easily clear of rivals Dreaming of Drew (54) and Alda (39).

The award for champion older main track female went to Live Oak Plantation's homebred Souper Escape, winner of the Seaway Stakes (G3) and Trillium Stakes (G3) for trainer Michael Trombetta. The Medaglia d'Oro filly earned CA$200,950 ($150,898) in 2020. She was a dominant victor in her category, winning by 142 votes over Painting (52) and Summer Sunday (32).

Charlotte Weber's Florida-based Live Oak, which has produced and raced top Thoroughbreds since the early 1990s, was named outstanding owner. Live Oak horses trained by Casse and Trombetta closed the season with purse earnings of more than CA$1.1 million, placing Live Oak third on the leading owners list. Along with Souper Escape, the farm also campaigned the King Edward Stakes (G2T) winner March to the Arch, also runner-up in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T), Durham Cup Stakes (G3) winner Salute With Honor, and filly Souper Sensational, who won the Glorious Song Stakes as a 2-year-old. Live Oak was named leading owner with 124 votes over Sam-Son Farm (51) and Gary Barber (35).

Sam-Son was honored with a special Sovereign Award as the outstanding Thoroughbred breeding and racing operation's story comes to an end. Founded in 1972 by Ernie and Liza Samuel, Sam-Son is currently undergoing a dispersal of all its racing and breeding stock. 

Sam-Son enjoyed their first of five Queen's Plate victories in 1988 with Regal Intention. Sam-Son also bred and raced nine Woodbine Oaks heroines, starting with Classy 'n Smart in 1984. The brilliant Dance Smartly, a daughter of Classy 'n Smart, became the 1991 Canadian Triple Crown winner. Dance Smartly went on to win the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs, becoming the first Canadian-bred to win a Breeders' Cup race. Dance Smartly continued her legacy in the breeding shed, producing Queen's Plate winners Dancethruthedawn and Scatter the Gold.

In 1991 Ernie Samuel was presented the Man of the Year award by The Jockey Club of Canada. This honor affirmed his greatest joy and that of his family, their cherished broodmares and their breeding program. After he passed away in 2000, Sam-Son was managed by his daughter Tammy Samuel-Balaz until her own passing in 2008. The farm's breeding and racing operation was then overseen by farm manager David Whitford and racing manager Tom Zwiesler under the leadership of Mark Samuel, Kim Samuel, and Rick Balaz.

Sam-Son has been the recipient of an impressive four Eclipse Awards and 84 Sovereign Awards. Since its inception the operation has bred and raced 44 graded stakes winners, including 37 classic winners and 14 grade 1 winners.

A 10-year-old granddaughter of Dance Smartly, Danceforthecause, was honored as the year's outstanding broodmare. Although Sam-Son's daughter of Giant's Causeway never made it to the races, she is off to a spectacular start as a producer. From three named foals, her two starters are both graded stakes winners: Rideforthecause won the Canadian Stakes Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T) and Say the Word won the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes Presented by Pattison (G1T). The mare was a $925,000 purchase by Gainesway Farm from the 2021 Keeneland January Breeding Stock Sale. She has a 2019 filly by Distorted Humor and a 2020 filly by Street Sense . Danceforthecause edged Include Katherine (62) and Count to Three (59) with 75 votes.

Say the Word continued the family tradition as he took home champion male turf horse honors. Campaigned by Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm, the More Than Ready gelding earned the Sovereign Award on the merits of his Northern Dancer score while earning CA$298,490 ($242,516) for trainer Phil D'Amato. He won with 111 votes over Silent Poet (79) and Count Again (74).  

Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson guides Sam Son Farm's Say the Word to victory in the $300,000 dollar Northern Dancer Stakes.Say the Word is trained by Gail Cox. Michael Burns Photo
Photo: Michael Burns
Say the Word wins the 2020 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine

Augustin Stable's homebred Theodora B., winner of the Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) and TVG Stakes, was named champion female turf horse. The Michael Dickinson-trained Ghostzapper  mare earned CA$455,940 ($426,852) and edged her competition by just a few votes, getting 90 over Rideforthecause (88), while Elizabeth Way checked in with 47. 

Ivan Dalos and his Tall Oaks Farm was once again prominent on the leading breeders' list in Canada and the United States, as Channel Maker, a son of English Channel out of 2018 outstanding broodmare In Return, turned in another stellar campaign in 2020. Winning the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) and Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) and finishing third in the Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) and the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Keeneland, the Bill Mott trainee earned the 2020 Eclipse Award for champion male turf horse. Dalos also bred and raced stakes winner Court Return, winner of the Eternal Search Stakes, second in the E. P. Taylor, and third in the Canadian Stakes, as well as graded stakes-placed Avie's Samurai and Avie's Flatter. Tall Oaks led Canadian breeders in earnings with more than CA$2.2 million in purses, and won the Sovereign Award with 103 votes over Sam-Son Farm (93) and Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. (48).

The outstanding apprentice award went to Mauricio Malvaez. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Malvaez grew up spending time working with racehorses. He began his career as a jockey in 2019 and completed his first full season as an apprentice in 2020, quickly making an impression. However, it was his superb front-running ride on Real Grace, trained by Shelley Brown, to win the Canadian Derby (G3) for owners Shelley Brown, Jean McEwan, Bette Holtman, and Bernell B. Rhone that put his name in the headlines. His 16 wins led all apprentice riders in Canada in 2020, with earnings of CA$210,888 ($210,888). Malvaez earned 154 votes over Nikki Alderson (60) and Edgar Zenteno (59).  

In the media awards categories, Will Wong was awarded outstanding photograph for his image of Mambointheforest published Sept. 27 by Ontario Racing. Chris Lomon received the award for outstanding writing for his piece The Pep-Talking Groom, Willy, and a Queen's Plate Crown, published Sept. 18 by Ontario Racing. Outstanding digital audio/visual & broadcast went to Santino Di Paola for Dear Horse Racing, which aired June 8 on the Paulick Report.