Sovereign Awards: Wonder Gadot named 2018 Canadian Horse of Year

Wonder Gadot was named 2018 Canadian Horse of the Year at the 44th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony at Chateau Le Jardin in Vaughan, Ontario, on Thursday night, beating out Mr Havercamp and Pink Lloyd. The three finalists were revealed right before the winner was announced.

Wonder Gadot and Mr Havercamp won multiple Sovereign Awards for 2018. Wonder Gadot was named champion 3-year-old filly after winning the first two legs of the 2018 Canadian Triple Crown, the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes, and finishing second in the Kentucky Oaks. Mr Havercamp was named top older male and top turf male following wins in a pair of Grade 2 events and a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.

Pink Lloyd captured champion male sprinter honors for the second year in a row. The 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year, he won five stakes in 2018, including the Grade 3 Vigil, and set the Woodbine six-furlong track record in the Jacques Cartier Stakes.

Mark Casse, Wonder Gadot’s trainer, won his eighth consecutive outstanding trainer award after winning 105 races at Woodbine last season and sweeping the Canadian Triple Crown. Casse capped his sweep with Neepawa in the Breeders’ Stakes for Chiefswood Stable, which was named outstanding owner. Chiefswood Stable also raced homebred Bold Script, named champion 2-year-old filly on the strength of a 7 1/2-length win in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Woodbine in November.

Eurico Da Silva earned his fourth consecutive outstanding jockey award after winning a Woodbine meet-record 237 races despite missing the first six days of racing. Kazushi Kimura won outstanding apprentice jockey after winning 104 races at Woodbine and Fort Erie last year. Kimura finished fifth in the Woodbine jockey standings with 89 wins.

It was also a big night for owner and breeder Ivan Dalos. His homebred Avie’s Flatter was named champion 2-year-old male, while his Tall Oaks Farm was named outstanding breeder. Dalos also bred Johnny Bear and Channel Maker, both Grade 1 winners last season, which led to their dam, In Return, being named outstanding broodmare.

Two horses trained by recent Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Josie Carroll were named Canadian champions: Avie’s Flatter and Moonlit Promise, who was named top female sprinter.

A pair of horses based in Western Canada earned championship honors, as Escape Clause was named top older female and Sky Promise was champion 3-year-old male.

Starship Jubilee captured the turf female title for the second year in a row.

Media awards were presented to Santino Di Paola for outstanding photograph, Hayley Morrison for outstanding writing, and the Horse Racing Radio Network for outstanding digital audio/visual and broadcast. Amanda Erwin was named outstanding groom, while Nick Noce was awarded outstanding handicapper.

Special E.P. Taylor Awards of Merit were given to Gustav Schickedanz and the late William Graham.

Sovereign Award winners
◗ Horse of the Year: Wonder Gadot
◗ Champion 2-year-old filly: Bold Script
◗ Champion 2-year-old male: Avie’s Flatter
◗ Champion 3-year-old filly: Wonder Gadot
◗ Champion 3-year-old male: Sky Promise
◗ Champion older female: Escape Clause
◗ Champion older male: Mr Havercamp
◗ Champion female turf horse: Starship Jubilee
◗ Champion male turf horse: Mr Havercamp
◗ Champion female sprinter: Moonlit Promise
◗ Champion male sprinter: Pink Lloyd
◗ Outstanding trainer: Mark Casse
◗ Outstanding jockey: Eurico Da Silva
◗ Outstanding owner: Chiefswood Stable
◗ Outstanding apprentice jockey: Kazushi Kimura
◗ Outstanding breeder: Tall Oaks Farm
◗ Outstanding broodmare: In Return
◗ Outstanding photograph: Santino Di Paola
◗ Outstanding writing: Hayley Morrison
◗ Outstanding digital audio/visual & broadcast: Horse Racing Radio Network
◗ Outstanding groom: Amanda Erwin
◗ Outstanding handicapper: Nick Noce
◗ E.P. Taylor Award of Merit: Gustav Schickedanz & William Graham
◗ Jockey Club of Canada Scholarship Award: Bobby Mihalik