ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Biofuel, who was perfect in her four stakes starts here at Woodbine Racetrack last year and placed in Grade 1 stakes in two appearances in New York, was honored as Canada’s 2010 Horse of the Year at the Sovereign Awards ceremony on Friday evening. A crowd of 350 was on hand as the 36th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony was held at Woodbine for the first time since 1996 and was moved to the April 1 date by the Jockey Club of Canada. Three finalists in each of 16 categories, excepting horse of the year, had been announced back in January following the on-line voting by 38 voters across Canada. To be eligible for consideration, horses 3 years old and up must have made at least three starts in Canada during the 2010 season. The minimum number of starts for 2-year-olds was two. Owned and bred by Brereton C. Jones and trained by Reade Baker, the Kentucky-bred Biofuel also was the runaway winner of the 3-year-old filly title. “From the start of the year, our goal was to have the best horse in Canada,” said Baker. “I thought she deserved it.” Eurico Rosa da Silva, who rode Biofuel in each of her six outings, also was in the spotlight as he won the outstanding rider award for the first time. Da Silva also was the regular rider of Big Red Mike, honored as the top 3-year-old male on the strength of his victories in the Plate Trial and Queen’s Plate. Roger Attfield also found himself squarely in the spotlight as he earned his second straight award and eighth overall as outstanding trainer. Attfield won 13 stakes at Woodbine and eight more in the United States last year. His stable stars included Miss Keller, the champion female turf horse; Impossible Time, champion older female; and Sand Cove; champion older male. Miss Keller also was the runner-up in the horse of the year balloting. Her stablemates Mekong Melody and Perfect Shirl were the other female turf horse finalists. “It was a great year,” said Attfield, with a nod to assistants Nancy Sullivan, Sarah Sullivan, and Suzanne Lorimer.” Omar Moreno was the evening’s other Sovereign Award repeater, in the apprentice jockey category. Moreno also captured the Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice for 2010. Adena Springs, the Eclipse Award winner in the breeder category, took home the equivalent Sovereign honor for the fifth time in the last six years and the eighth time overall. Sam-Son Farm, another perennial Canadian powerhouse, was honored as outstanding owner for the 10th time and was represented by divisional winner Grand Adventure, trained by Mark Frostad, in the male turf category. Other divisional winners were Hollywood Hit, trained by Terry Jordan, in the male sprinter category; Indian Apple Is, conditioned by Bob Tiller, in the female sprint division; Delightful Mary, trained by Mark Casse, 2-year-old filly; and Madman Diaries, conditioned by Wesley Ward, 2-year-old male. Destroy, owned by the Jim Dandy Stable of Mel Lawson, won the Sovereign Award as outstanding broodmare and the late Bob Anderson, a prominent breeder and owner, was honored with a special Sovereign Award. Awards also were presented in four media categories with Bev Smith of Toronto’s Globe and Mail honored for feature story; Perry Lefko of “Down the Stretch” for newspaper story; Tod Marks, for his photograph which appeared in “Canadian Thoroughbred”; and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for its Queen’s Plate telecast. Sovereign Awards Point Totals Horse of the Year Biofuel 95 Miss Keller 58 Grand Adventure 26 Two-Year-Old Filly Delightful Mary 99 Wyomia 64 Roxy Gap 40 Two-Year-Old Male Madman Diaries 146 Blue Laser 43 Rockin Heat 21 Three-Year-Old Filly Biofuel 144 Free Fee Lady 50 Roan Inish 48 Three-Year-Old Male Big Red Mike 97 No Hesitation 51 Hotep 46 Older Female Impossible Time 122 Hooh Why 50 Simply Splendid 27 Older Male Sand Cove 99 Stunning Stag 78 Southdale 60 Turf Female Miss Keller 134 Mekong Melody 44 Perfect Shirl 32 Turf Male Grand Adventure 105 Rahy’s Attorney 63 Windward Islands 34 Female Sprinter Indian Apple Is 72 Sugar Again 42 Hooh Why 39 Male Sprinter Hollywood Hit 128 Essence Hit Man 54 Smokey Fire 32 Jockey Eurico Rosa Da Silva 120 Patrick Husbands 71 Chantal Sutherland 46 Apprentice Jockey Omar Moreno 143 Ryan Pacheco 57 Brian Cheyne 20 Trainer Roger Attfield 136 Mark Casse 58 Reade Baker 17 Owner Sam-Son Farm 92 Melnyk Racing Stable 53 Bear Stable 38 Breeder Adena Springs 99 Sam-Son Farm 54 Eugene Melnyk 51 Broodmare Destroy 94 Eye of the Sphynx 60 Enchanted Spell 34