Lexie Lou honored as Canada's Horse of the Year
Apr 11, 2015 19:14:20 GMT -5
Post by Evelyn on Apr 11, 2015 19:14:20 GMT -5
This is for you RG!
Lexie Lou honored as Canada's Horse of the Year
Brisnet
Queen's Plate and Woodbine Oaks heroine Lexie Lou (Sligo Bay) was honored as Canada's Horse of the Year Friday evening at Woodbine as the Jockey Club of Canada held its 40th annual Sovereign Awards in Toronto, Canada.
More than 300 guests were in attendance to celebrate with the finalists and the newly crowned champions of Thoroughbred racing in Canada for 2014.
Lexie Lou, who closed out her sophomore season with a second to U.S. Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the Hollywood Derby (G1), easily beat out the other finalists in the Canadian Horse of the Year category, garnering 156 votes to Calgary Cat's (Cowtown Cat) 30 and Deceptive Vision's (A.P. Indy) 21. She was also honored as Canada's champion turf female and champion three-year-old filly.
Champion older male went to Lukes Alley (Flower Alley), who was three-for-four in 2014 including scores in the Autumn S. (Can-G2) and Durham Cup S. (Can-G3). Strut the Course (Strut the Stage) took home the title of champion older female after a successful four-year-old campaign that saw her win the Maple Leaf S. (Can-G3) and Classy 'n Smart S. as well as place in the Victoriana S. at Woodbine.
A Sovereign Award as champion turf male awaited Dynamic Sky (Sky Mesa) following a 2014 season that began at Keeneland before shipping to Woodbine. At the Toronto track he recorded placings in the Northern Dancer Turf (Can-G1), Canadian International (Can-G1), Nijinsky S. (Can-G2) and Singspiel S. (Can-G3), but returned to the United States for his four-year-old finale, a nice win in the Red Smith H. (G3) at Aqueduct.
Heart to Heart (English Channel) was named champion three-year-old male after taking home successive trophies in the Jefferson Cup (G3) and Commonwealth Turf S. (G3) at Churchill Downs and the Better Talk Now S. at Saratoga in 2014. The bay colt also placed in the Toronto Cup at Woodbine prior to his three-race win streak.
Calgary Cat may not have been voted Horse of the Year, but the gelding still earned the Sovereign Award as champion male sprinter. In 2014 the chestnut triumphed in both the Kennedy Road S. (Can-G2) and Bold Venture S. (Can-G3) while placing in the Nearctic S. (Can-G2). Hillaby (Distorted Humor) was named champion female sprinter after going 5-4-0-0 in 2014, including a score in the Bessarabian S. (Can-G2).
Conquest Stables hit pay dirt when two of their campaigners -- Conquest Typhoon (Stormy Atlantic) and Conquest Harlanate (Harlan's Holiday) -- were honored as Canada's champion two-year-olds of 2014. The former took home the title in the two-year-old male category after winning both the Summer S. (Can-G2) at Woodbine and Cecil B. DeMile S. (G3) at Del Mar last year while placing in the Grey S. (Can-G3) and Clarendon S., also in Toronto. Conquest Harlanate prevailed in the two-year-old filly division when going 4-3-0-1 last year while racking up scores in the Natalma S. (Can-G2) and Mazarine S. (Can-G3) at Woodbine.
Eye of the Sphynx (Smart Strike) was nominated as outstanding broodmare in 2010, but was honored for 2014 instead. The mare hails from the powerful breeding program of Sam-Son Farm and was Canada's champion three-year-old filly of 2004 after winning the Woodbine Oaks, Selene S. (G2) and Fury S.
As a broodmare, Eye of the Sphynx has surpassed her racing career as she has produced a champion, a graded stakes and another stakes winner from just five foals to race. Her first foal was Eye of the Leopard (A.P. Indy), who won the 2009 Queen's Plate and was named Canada's champion three-year-old colt for that year. Her next foal was dual stakes winner Hotep (A.P. Indy), and in 2014, her daughter Deceptive Vision (A.P. Indy) was one of the year's top grass mares, winning the Canadian S. (G2).
Mark Casse earned a seventh outstanding trainer Sovereign Award after his barn continued its reign at Woodbine in 2014 with an eighth consecutive title by wins and ninth title overall. Casse has been named outstanding trainer six times in the last eight years, including the last three seasons, and achieved a new goal in 2014 when he won his first Queen's Plate with Lexie Lou. The Indianapolis-born Casse sent out the winners of 21 stakes races in Canada, 93 winners from 476 starters and the earners of over $7.1 million. Several of his stakes winners from the year were Sovereign Award nominees
Sam-Son Farm near Milton, Ontario, has won the Sovereign Award as outstanding breeder eight times, including in 2013, and the famed Canadian farm was coming off another strong season with its homebreds. Horses bred by the farm earned more than $3.1 million in 2014, which included 38 winners of 62 races. There were 14 stakes horses bred by Sam-Son in 2014 and seven of them were stakes winners.
Oklahoma oilman John C. Oxley earned his third consecutive outstanding owner Sovereign Award following another finish atop the Woodbine owner's standings. Oxley won 30 races from 151 starts and his horses earned over $1.5 million.
Patrick Husbands was named outstanding jockey after winning his seventh Woodbine riding title in 2014, coming back from a serious ankle injury that caused him to miss four months in 2013. Originally from Barbados, the Brampton, Ontario, resident, won 170 races from 676 mounts including 21 stakes races. His mounts collected more than $10.6 million in earnings, the second-highest total of Husbands' Canadian career which began in 1998.
The crowning moment of Husbands' 2014 campaign came when he guided Lexie Lou to win the Queen's Plate. It was the first Plate win for trainer Mark Casse, a longtime friend and client for Husbands.
Sheena Ryan was honored as outstanding apprentice jockey after being a two-time nominee in the category. Ryan put up more big numbers in 2014 before she graduated to journeyman jockey status. The Saskatchewan-born rider had her first full season at Woodbine and won 37 races from 320 mounts, a solid 12 percent win rate, before she lost her apprentice bug on September 8. Ryan collected purse earnings of over $1.2 million.
In the media category, Cindy Pierson Dulay was honored with a Sovereign Award for outstanding photo for her shot of Big Bazinga flipping in the paddock before running off prior to last year's Spiral S. (G3). David Briggs was awarded the Sovereign for outstanding writer for his article "Ontario's Cautionary Tale," and Scott Jagow garnered the outstanding audio/visual and broadcast Sovereign Award for his four-part video series entitled "Woodbine Diaries."
The annual Jockey Club of Canada Award was presented to Jeffrey Sehl at the School of Media Studies and Information Technology, Humber Institute of Advanced Technology and Advanced Learning in Toronto on February, 26 2015. This monetary award is presented to a student entering their final year of study, who has exemplified outstanding leadership inside and out of the classroom; who has showcased exceptional knowledge of sport and sport issues with special consideration given to those who have reported on issues relating to Canadian Thoroughbred coverage.
The Sovereign Awards are Canada's premier awards for Thoroughbred racing and breeding, with both the owner and breeder of each champion horse being recognized with a Sovereign Award Trophy for first time winners or a Gold Sovereign Coin for those who have won a trophy previously.
In an effort to promote equal opportunity in determining the winners for 2014 in the 17 race award and three media award categories, the voting began January 2, 2015, allowing for statistics for the entire year to be considered. The Jockey Club of Canada announced the top four finalists in each category as determined by the online ballots of 40 knowledgeable voters. The media category awards were determined by the Professors of Humber School of Media Studies and Information Technology, in Toronto. Three finalists were announced in the three media categories.
Lexie Lou honored as Canada's Horse of the Year
Brisnet
Queen's Plate and Woodbine Oaks heroine Lexie Lou (Sligo Bay) was honored as Canada's Horse of the Year Friday evening at Woodbine as the Jockey Club of Canada held its 40th annual Sovereign Awards in Toronto, Canada.
More than 300 guests were in attendance to celebrate with the finalists and the newly crowned champions of Thoroughbred racing in Canada for 2014.
Lexie Lou, who closed out her sophomore season with a second to U.S. Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the Hollywood Derby (G1), easily beat out the other finalists in the Canadian Horse of the Year category, garnering 156 votes to Calgary Cat's (Cowtown Cat) 30 and Deceptive Vision's (A.P. Indy) 21. She was also honored as Canada's champion turf female and champion three-year-old filly.
Champion older male went to Lukes Alley (Flower Alley), who was three-for-four in 2014 including scores in the Autumn S. (Can-G2) and Durham Cup S. (Can-G3). Strut the Course (Strut the Stage) took home the title of champion older female after a successful four-year-old campaign that saw her win the Maple Leaf S. (Can-G3) and Classy 'n Smart S. as well as place in the Victoriana S. at Woodbine.
A Sovereign Award as champion turf male awaited Dynamic Sky (Sky Mesa) following a 2014 season that began at Keeneland before shipping to Woodbine. At the Toronto track he recorded placings in the Northern Dancer Turf (Can-G1), Canadian International (Can-G1), Nijinsky S. (Can-G2) and Singspiel S. (Can-G3), but returned to the United States for his four-year-old finale, a nice win in the Red Smith H. (G3) at Aqueduct.
Heart to Heart (English Channel) was named champion three-year-old male after taking home successive trophies in the Jefferson Cup (G3) and Commonwealth Turf S. (G3) at Churchill Downs and the Better Talk Now S. at Saratoga in 2014. The bay colt also placed in the Toronto Cup at Woodbine prior to his three-race win streak.
Calgary Cat may not have been voted Horse of the Year, but the gelding still earned the Sovereign Award as champion male sprinter. In 2014 the chestnut triumphed in both the Kennedy Road S. (Can-G2) and Bold Venture S. (Can-G3) while placing in the Nearctic S. (Can-G2). Hillaby (Distorted Humor) was named champion female sprinter after going 5-4-0-0 in 2014, including a score in the Bessarabian S. (Can-G2).
Conquest Stables hit pay dirt when two of their campaigners -- Conquest Typhoon (Stormy Atlantic) and Conquest Harlanate (Harlan's Holiday) -- were honored as Canada's champion two-year-olds of 2014. The former took home the title in the two-year-old male category after winning both the Summer S. (Can-G2) at Woodbine and Cecil B. DeMile S. (G3) at Del Mar last year while placing in the Grey S. (Can-G3) and Clarendon S., also in Toronto. Conquest Harlanate prevailed in the two-year-old filly division when going 4-3-0-1 last year while racking up scores in the Natalma S. (Can-G2) and Mazarine S. (Can-G3) at Woodbine.
Eye of the Sphynx (Smart Strike) was nominated as outstanding broodmare in 2010, but was honored for 2014 instead. The mare hails from the powerful breeding program of Sam-Son Farm and was Canada's champion three-year-old filly of 2004 after winning the Woodbine Oaks, Selene S. (G2) and Fury S.
As a broodmare, Eye of the Sphynx has surpassed her racing career as she has produced a champion, a graded stakes and another stakes winner from just five foals to race. Her first foal was Eye of the Leopard (A.P. Indy), who won the 2009 Queen's Plate and was named Canada's champion three-year-old colt for that year. Her next foal was dual stakes winner Hotep (A.P. Indy), and in 2014, her daughter Deceptive Vision (A.P. Indy) was one of the year's top grass mares, winning the Canadian S. (G2).
Mark Casse earned a seventh outstanding trainer Sovereign Award after his barn continued its reign at Woodbine in 2014 with an eighth consecutive title by wins and ninth title overall. Casse has been named outstanding trainer six times in the last eight years, including the last three seasons, and achieved a new goal in 2014 when he won his first Queen's Plate with Lexie Lou. The Indianapolis-born Casse sent out the winners of 21 stakes races in Canada, 93 winners from 476 starters and the earners of over $7.1 million. Several of his stakes winners from the year were Sovereign Award nominees
Sam-Son Farm near Milton, Ontario, has won the Sovereign Award as outstanding breeder eight times, including in 2013, and the famed Canadian farm was coming off another strong season with its homebreds. Horses bred by the farm earned more than $3.1 million in 2014, which included 38 winners of 62 races. There were 14 stakes horses bred by Sam-Son in 2014 and seven of them were stakes winners.
Oklahoma oilman John C. Oxley earned his third consecutive outstanding owner Sovereign Award following another finish atop the Woodbine owner's standings. Oxley won 30 races from 151 starts and his horses earned over $1.5 million.
Patrick Husbands was named outstanding jockey after winning his seventh Woodbine riding title in 2014, coming back from a serious ankle injury that caused him to miss four months in 2013. Originally from Barbados, the Brampton, Ontario, resident, won 170 races from 676 mounts including 21 stakes races. His mounts collected more than $10.6 million in earnings, the second-highest total of Husbands' Canadian career which began in 1998.
The crowning moment of Husbands' 2014 campaign came when he guided Lexie Lou to win the Queen's Plate. It was the first Plate win for trainer Mark Casse, a longtime friend and client for Husbands.
Sheena Ryan was honored as outstanding apprentice jockey after being a two-time nominee in the category. Ryan put up more big numbers in 2014 before she graduated to journeyman jockey status. The Saskatchewan-born rider had her first full season at Woodbine and won 37 races from 320 mounts, a solid 12 percent win rate, before she lost her apprentice bug on September 8. Ryan collected purse earnings of over $1.2 million.
In the media category, Cindy Pierson Dulay was honored with a Sovereign Award for outstanding photo for her shot of Big Bazinga flipping in the paddock before running off prior to last year's Spiral S. (G3). David Briggs was awarded the Sovereign for outstanding writer for his article "Ontario's Cautionary Tale," and Scott Jagow garnered the outstanding audio/visual and broadcast Sovereign Award for his four-part video series entitled "Woodbine Diaries."
The annual Jockey Club of Canada Award was presented to Jeffrey Sehl at the School of Media Studies and Information Technology, Humber Institute of Advanced Technology and Advanced Learning in Toronto on February, 26 2015. This monetary award is presented to a student entering their final year of study, who has exemplified outstanding leadership inside and out of the classroom; who has showcased exceptional knowledge of sport and sport issues with special consideration given to those who have reported on issues relating to Canadian Thoroughbred coverage.
The Sovereign Awards are Canada's premier awards for Thoroughbred racing and breeding, with both the owner and breeder of each champion horse being recognized with a Sovereign Award Trophy for first time winners or a Gold Sovereign Coin for those who have won a trophy previously.
In an effort to promote equal opportunity in determining the winners for 2014 in the 17 race award and three media award categories, the voting began January 2, 2015, allowing for statistics for the entire year to be considered. The Jockey Club of Canada announced the top four finalists in each category as determined by the online ballots of 40 knowledgeable voters. The media category awards were determined by the Professors of Humber School of Media Studies and Information Technology, in Toronto. Three finalists were announced in the three media categories.
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