Canadian Horse of the Year
The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honour given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honour in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing.[1]
Part of the Sovereign Awards program since 1975, it is similar to the Eclipse Award for American Horse of the Year honours given in the United States.
The original eligibility rules stipulated that the winner be a Canadian-bred horse that did its "best running" in Canada. In 1964, the rule was altered for Northern Dancer, who was a Canadian-bred but whose most notable wins came in the United States when he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.[2] Eventually the requirement that the horse be a Canadian-bred was also dropped. The current rules simply require that the horse have raced at least three times in Canada during the given year (two times for two-year-olds).[3]
Records
Most wins:
- 2 - L'Enjoleur (1974, 1975)
- 2 - Overskate (1978, 1979)
- 2 - Chief Bearhart (1997, 1998)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 6 - Gordon J. McCann (1951, 1952, 1954, 1958, 1963, 1968)
Most wins by an owner:
- 8 - Sam-Son Farm (1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004)
Honourees
Year | Horse | Age | Trainer | Owner |
---|---|---|---|---|
1951 | Bull Page | 4 | Gordon J. McCann | E. P. Taylor |
1952 | Canadiana | 2 | Gordon J. McCann | E. P. Taylor |
1953 | King Maple | 2 | John Hornsby | Mrs. Gordon McMacken |
1954 | Queen's Own | 3 | Gordon J. McCann | E. P. Taylor |
1955 | Ace Marine | 3 | Yonnie Starr | Larkin Maloney |
1956 | Canadian Champ | 3 | John Passero | William R. Beasley |
1957 | Hartney | 6 | Patrick MacMurchy | Col. Kenric R. Marshall |
1958 | Nearctic | 4 | Gordon J. McCann | Windfields Farm |
1959 | Wonder Where | 3 | Yonnie Starr | Larkin Maloney & Conn Smythe |
1960 | Victoria Park | 3 | Horatio Luro | Windfields Farm |
1961 | Hidden Treasure | 4 | John Passero | William R. Beasley |
1962 | Crafty Lace | 3 | J. D. Mooney | Jeremy M. Jacobs |
1963 | Canebora | 3 | Gordon J. McCann | Windfields Farm |
1964 | Northern Dancer | 3 | Horatio Luro | Windfields Farm |
1965 | George Royal | 4 | Donald Richardson | E. C. Hammond & R. W. Hall |
1966 | Victorian Era | 4 | Lou Cavalaris Jr. | Windfields Farm |
1967 | He's A Smoothie | 4 | Warren Beasley | William R. Beasley |
1968 | Viceregal | 2 | Gordon J. McCann | Windfields Farm |
1969 | Jumpin Joseph | 3 | Warren Beasley | Warren Beasley |
1970 | Fanfreluche | 3 | Yonnie Starr | Jean-Louis Levesque |
1971 | Lauries Dancer | 3 | James C. Bentley | Helen G. Stollery |
1972 | La Prevoyante | 2 | Yonnie Starr | Jean-Louis Levesque |
1973 | Kennedy Road | 5 | Charlie Whittingham | Helen G. Stollery |
1974 | L'Enjoleur | 2 | Yonnie Starr | Jean-Louis Levesque |
1975 | L'Enjoleur | 3 | Yonnie Starr | Jean-Louis Levesque |
1976 | Norcliffe | 3 | Roger Attfield | Norcliffe Stable |
1977 | L'Alezane | 2 | Yonnie Starr | Jean-Louis Levesque |
1978 | Overskate | 3 | Gil Rowntree | Stafford Farms |
1979 | Overskate | 4 | Gil Rowntree | Stafford Farms |
1980 | Glorious Song | 4 | Gerry Belanger | Frank Stronach & Nelson Bunker Hunt |
1981 | Deputy Minister | 2 | Bill Marko | Kinghaven Farms & Centurion Farm |
1982 | Frost King | 4 | Bill Marko | Bill Marko & Ted Smith |
1983 | Travelling Victor | 4 | Robert G. Anderson | Russell & Lois Bennett |
1984 | Dauphin Fabuleux | 2 | James E. Day | Sam-Son Farm |
1985 | Imperial Choice | 3 | James E. Day | Sam-Son Farm |
1986 | Ruling Angel | 3 | James E. Day | Sam-Son Farm |
1987 | Afleet | 3 | Phil England | Richard R. Kennedy & Taylor Made Farms |
1988 | Play the King | 5 | Mark Frostad | Kinghaven Farms |
1989 | With Approval | 3 | Roger Attfield | Kinghaven Farms |
1990 | Izvestia | 3 | Roger Attfield | Kinghaven Farms |
1991 | Dance Smartly | 3 | James E. Day | Sam-Son Farm |
1992 | Benburb | 3 | Phil England | Knob Hill Stable |
1993 | Peteski | 3 | Roger Attfield | Earle I. Mack |
1994 | Alywow | 3 | Phil England | Kinghaven Farms |
1995 | Peaks and Valleys | 3 | James E. Day | Pin Oak Stable |
1996 | Mt. Sassafras | 4 | Barbara J. Minshall | Minshall Farms |
1997 | Chief Bearhart | 4 | Mark Frostad | Sam-Son Farm |
1998 | Chief Bearhart | 5 | Mark Frostad | Sam-Son Farm |
1999 | Thornfield | 4 | Phil England | Knob Hill Stable |
2000 | Quiet Resolve | 5 | Mark Frostad | Sam-Son Farm |
2001 | Win City | 3 | Robert P. Tiller | Frank Di Giulio Jr. |
2002 | Wake At Noon | 5 | Abraham R. Katryan | Bruno Schickedanz |
2003 | Wando | 3 | Michael Keogh | Gus Schickendanz |
2004 | Soaring Free | 5 | Mark Frostad | Sam-Son Farm |
2005 | A Bit O'Gold | 4 | Catherine Day Phillips | The Two Bit Racing Stable |
2006 | Arravale | 3 | Macdonald Benson | Robert Costigan |
2007 | Sealy Hill | 3 | Mark Casse | Melnyk Racing Stables |
2008 | Fatal Bullet | 3 | Reade Baker | Bear Stables Ltd. |
2009 | Champs Elysees | 6 | Robert J. Frankel | Prince Khalid Abdullah |
2010 | Biofuel | 3 | Reade Baker | Brereton C. Jones |
2011 | Never Retreat | 6 | Chris Block | Team Block |
2012 | Uncaptured | 2 | Mark Casse | John C. Oxley |
2013 | Up With The Birds | 3 | Mark Frostad | Sam-Son Farm |
2014 | Lexie Lou | 3 | Mark Casse | Gary Barber |
2015 | Catch A Glimpse | 2 | Mark Casse | Gary Barber, Windways Farm, James Michael |
2016 | Caren | 3 | Michael De Paulo | Robert Marzilli |
2017 | Pink Lloyd | 5 | Robert P. Tiller | Entourage Stable |
2018 | Wonder Gadot | 3 | Mark Casse | Gary Barber |
2019 | Starship Jubilee | 6 | Kevin Attard | Blue Heaven Farm |
2020 | Mighty Heart | Lawrence Cordes |
References
- ^ Ron Mitchell (April 9, 2016). "Catch a Glimpse, Casse Top Sovereign Awards". The Blood-Horse.
- ^ Lennox, Muriel (1995). Northern Dancer : legend and legacy. Toronto: Beach House Books. p. 114. ISBN 0-9699025-0-6. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ^ "Sovereign Award Voting" (PDF). www.jockeyclubcanada.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- Sovereign Awards at The Jockey Club of Canada