Up With the Birds, Forte Dei Marmi, Phil’s Dream are leading Sovereign Award contenders

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Jockey Club of Canada will honor the top performers of 2013 at the 39th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony Friday at Woodbine.

Grade 1 winners Up With the Birds, Forte Dei Marmi, and Phil’s Dream all could have big evenings and are leading candidates for Canadian Horse of the Year. The three finalists for Horse of the Year will be revealed during the ceremony.

Up With the Birds, who won four of his six stakes starts last season, including the Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap at Belmont Park, is a finalist in the 3-year-old male division along with Five Iron, Midnight Aria, and River Seven.

Forte Dei Marmi captured three major Woodbine turf stakes in 2013, including the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf, and is a finalist in the male turf division. Up With the Birds also is a finalist in that division, along with River Seven and Phil’s Dream.

Phil’s Dream won seven of his 10 starts during the 2013 campaign and is a finalist in the male sprinter division. He reeled off three consecutive stakes wins toward the end of the season, including a victory in the Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes. Bear No Joke, Essence Hit Man, and Herbie D are the other three finalists in the male sprinter division.

Part the Seas (older female, turf female, female sprinter) and Leigh Court (3-year-old filly, turf female, female sprinter) are the only two horses to be named a finalist in three different divisions.

Jockey Luis Contreras will be seeking his third straight Sovereign Award as a finalist in the outstanding jockey division, while trainer Mark Casse could win his third consecutive and sixth career Sovereign Award as outstanding trainer.

The Sovereign Awards ceremony will begin at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Friday and can be streamed live on Woodbine’s website.

Below is an alphabetical list of the 2013 Sovereign Award finalists in each division:

2-year-old filly – Lexie Lou, On Rainbow Bridge, Paladin Bay, Ria Antonia

2-year-old male – Ami’s Holiday, Asserting Bear, Go Greeley, Jose Sea View

3-year-old filly – Coffee Clique, Leigh Court, Nipissing, Overheard

3-year-old male – Five Iron, Midnight Aria, River Seven, Up With the Birds

Older female – Madeira Park, Moonlit Beauty, Part the Seas, Sisterly Love

Older male – Alpha Bettor, Delegation, Herbie D, Ultimate Destiny

Turf female – Leigh Court, Overheard, Part the Seas, Solid Appeal

Turf male – Forte Dei Marmi, Phil’s Dream, River Seven, Up With the Birds

Female sprinter – Goldstryke Glory, Leigh Court, Part the Seas, Youcan’tcatchme

Male sprinter – Bear No Joke, Essence Hit Man, Herbie D, Phil’s Dream

Outstanding broodmare – Captivating, Galadriel, Shebandowana, Star Guest

Outstanding breeder – Adena Springs, Chiefswood Stables Ltd., William D. Graham, Sam-Son Farm

Outstanding owner – Bear Stables Ltd., John C. Oxley, Sam-Son Farm, Tucci Stables

Outstanding trainer – Reade Baker, Mark Casse, Nicholas Gonzalez, Malcolm Pierce

Outstanding apprentice jockey – Skye Chernetz, Amie Pooli, Sheena Ryan, Tommy Wong

Outstanding jockey – Luis Contreras, Eurico Rosa Da Silva, Justin Stein, Rico Walcott

Writing category – Alex Campbell, Keith McCalmont, Beverley Smith

Digital audio/visual and broadcast category – Norm Borg, Horse Racing Alberta, Woodbine Entertainment’s Broadcast Department

Photograph category – Michael Burns Jr., Keith McCalmont, Patti Tubbs