Page 14 - January 2009 The Game

14 The Game, January 2009 2008 Sovereign Award Winners Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
Former Jockey Club of Canada President, Michael Byrne (third from left) presents the connections of Fatal Bullet with the award for Horse of the Year. From left to right: regular rider Eurico Rosa Dasilva (who himself was a nominee for Outstanding Jockey); Mrs. Dion; Michael Byrne; Danny Dion of Bear Stables;Trainer Reade Baker and his wife Janis Maine.
Robert King Jr. of the Jockeys’ Bene t Association of Canada presents Janine Stianson with the award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey.
HBPA Vice President, Bill Diamant (left) presents Mark Casse with the Sovereign for OutstandingTrainer.
Barry Anderson presents Jockey Patrick Husbands with the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Jockey
Michael Burns Photos
The 34th Annual Sovereign Awards, hosted by the Jockey Club of Canada and held December 12 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto, was another exciting night of rsts and repeats as some very familiar faces ascended the stage while others accepted awards for the rst time.
The 47-year-old has ranked in the top four at the Toronto oval the past eight seasons.
A relative newcomer to the business Danny Dion and his Bear Stables had a terri c night taking home not only Horse of the Year honours with Fatal Bullet but three other awards as well. Named Outstanding Owner for 2008, Bear Stables’ horses accounted for 39 winners from 189 starts in Canada.
This was Sovereign win number six for Jockey Patrick Husbands who recorded his fth Woodbine riding title, second consecutive, as he won 166 races at Woodbine.
South of the border, the out t made a name for itself, too, taking a pair of Grade 3 events, the Kentucky Cup Sprint with Fatal Bullet, winner
of the Sovereign Award for top sprinter, and the Kentucky Cup Distaff with Bear Now, winner of the Sovereign Award for top older female.
The 35-year-old won nine stakes at the Toronto oval, including the Grade 2 Nijinsky with Seaside Retreat, and led the colony in several categories, including: purse earnings ($9,433,918), allowance wins (46), two-year-old wins (72) and route scores (61).
Also in 2008 Bears Artiste won the Alberta Oaks and a Three-year-old Filly Sales
Also a familiar sight at the podium is Mrs. Frank Stronach and her son Andy who accepted the award representing Adena Springs for Outstanding Breeder in 2008.
Stakes event at Northlands Park. Broken Hearted took the Northlands Oaks.
Adena Springs, Outstanding Breeder
At Woodbine, Bear Stables nished third in wins, with 25, and also recorded $1,434,772 in purse earnings. The stable boasted a 21 per cent win average and a 53 per cent in-the-money average.
This year’s Sovereign represents the fourth consecutive year they have won in this category. It’s the eighth overall win in the category for Stronach, whose rst
Fatal Bullet secured his Horse of the Year honour by winning six of his eight starts and racked up $719,130 in earnings. The Reade Baker trainee won his rst added-money event on July 20 in the Bold Venture. The Florida-bred son of Red Bullet also won a listed dash at Presque Isle Downs and the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Sprint at Turfway Park. The gelding completed his strong campaign with
breeder Sovereign came in 1984. They also won the award from 1997 to 1999.
a runner-up nish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, nishing 1 3/4 lengths behind Midnight Lute.
Other notables include Sugar Swirl, a four-time stakes winner and Harlem Rocker, who took the Prince of Wales Stakes the second jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown series.
Also new this year was an apprentice from the West was named the Outstanding Apprentice for 2008.
Below is a list of the other winners announced during the evening:
Assiniboia Downs standings, courtesy of 58 wins.
Van Lear Rose
A native of Lethbridge, Alberta, Stianson posted 152 top-three nishes at Assiniboia, along with $486,021 in purse earnings.
CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE
Her win average was 17.9 per cent and in-the- money average was 47 per cent.
Ginger Brew
On May 3, she made history by winning the rst four races at the oval, including the opener aboard Cascadian Buck, in the 50th anniversary year at Assiniboia. She partnered Punchmeoutabuck for the fourth consecutive score.
Not Bourbon
This was the third consecutive year that Mark has won the award, a feat which has not been achieved by any other trainer.
Rahy’s Attorney
In 2008 Mark recorded his second consecutive trainer’s title at Woodbine courtesy of 75 wins, 17 ahead of his nearest competitor.
Fatal Bullet
The Indianapolis native led the way in numerous categories, including wins, seconds, thirds, purse earnings, two-year-old wins, three-year-old wins and route wins.
Matt Waples
Casse also saddled nine stakes winners at Woodbine, including the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes with March eld (this year’s champion top older male on the main track) and the Grade 2 Nijinsky with Seaside Retreat ( rst runner-up for top male turf horse).
Beverley Smith
Husbands, who has 1,860 career wins as of December 9, also led the way in win and in-the- money averages, 20.5 per cent and 51.5 per cent, respectively.
From 147 starters, Adena Springs produced 84 winners in 2008. Ginger Brew won the Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser. The lly also took the Calder oaks. Buffalo Man won three stakes, two graded, including the Appleton.
Janine Stianson was a force on the Western racing scene, nishing third in the
Kathie’s Colleen
OUTSTANDING BROODMARE
CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY
Mine That Bird
CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY
CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD MALE
CHAMPION OLDER FEMALE MAIN TRACK
Bear Now
The familiar faces were trainer Mark Casse and Jockey Patrick Husbands who were named Outstanding Trainer and Outstanding Jockey for 2008 respectively.
March eld
CHAMPION OLDER MALE MAIN TRACK
CHAMPION SPRINTER
Fatal Bullet
CHAMPION MALE TURF HORSE
CHAMPION FEMALE TURF HORSE
Callwood Dancer
HORSE OF THE YEAR
OUTSTANDING PHOTOGRAPH
OUTSTANDING FILM/VIDEO/BROADCAST
Horse Racing Alberta & WhiteIron Productions
OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER STORY
OUTSTANDING FEATURE STORY
Peter Gross
With Information provided by Woodbine Media Department
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12/18/08 7:59:05 AM