Queen's Plate victress Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d'Oro) took home top honors at Thursday night's Sovereign Awards, winning Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly in Canada for 2018. This year's honors makes three Sovereign Awards for the 'TDN Rising Star,' who won the juvenile filly category last year.
Bred by Anderson Farms, Wonder Gadot was campaigned by owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse, who took home his 10th leading trainer title in Canada Thursday night. A close second to Eclipse winner Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Kentucky Oaks, the bay was second in the Woodbine Oaks, but defeated males in both the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales S. last summer.
Two-time Grade III winner Sky Promise (Sky Mesa) was named top sophomore male and stakes winners Bold Script (Speightstown) and Avie's Flatter (Flatter) took home the juvenile titles. Bold Script's owner Chiefswood Stables was named leading owner and Avie's Flatter's owner/breeder Ivan Dalos's Tall Oaks Farm was named top breeder.
Escape Clause (Going Commando), now known as the “Assiniboia Assassin,” earned the Sovereign Award as the year's best older female and MGSW Mr Havercamp (Court Vision) was named top older male and top male turf horse. Starship Jubilee (Indy Wind) was the year's best turf female in Canada. The sprint categories went to veteran Pink Lloyd (Old Forester) and Moonlit Promise (Malibu Moon).
Eurico Rosa Da Silva's 237 wins in 2018 earned him the award for leading rider and Kazushi Kimura topped the apprentice category with 104 victories.
The E.P. Taylor Award of Merit went to Gustav Schickedanz and posthumously to the late William Graham. Schickedanz bred the likes of champion Langfuhr, GI Kentucky Oaks winner Gal in a Ruckus and GI Arlington Million victor Jambalaya. Graham, a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame who passed away this past Jan. 15, built a top breeding operation at Windhaven Farms, which has produced the likes of champions Uncaptured and Conquest Harlanate.
Full list of Sovereign Award Winners:
Horse of the Year & Ch. 3yo Female: Wonder Gadot
Ch. 3yo Male: Sky Promise
Ch. Older Male & Male Turf Horse: Mr Havercamp
Ch. Older Female: Escape Clause
Ch. Female Turf Horse: Starship Jubilee
Ch. 2yo Female: Bold Script
Ch. 2yo Male: Avie's Flatter
Ch. Male Sprinter: Pink Lloyd
Ch. Female Sprinter: Moonlit Promise
Outstanding Broodmare: In Return
Outstanding Breeder: Tall Oaks Farm
Outstanding Owner: Chiefswood Stables
Outstanding Trainer: Mark Casse
Outstanding Jockey: Eurico Rosa Da Silva
Outstanding Apprentice Jockey: Kazushi Kimura
E. P. Taylor Award of Merit: Gustav Schickedanz & William Graham
Outstanding Groom: Amanda Erwin
Outstanding Handicapper: Nick Noce
Outstanding Photograph: Santino Di Paola
Outstanding Writing: Hayley Morrison
Outstanding Digital Audo/Visual & Broadcast: HRRN
The Jockey Club of Canada Scholarship Award: Bobby Mihalik
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