2019 Sovereign Award Finalists Announced

The finalists for the 2019 Sovereign Awards honoring Canada's champions and recognizing their outstanding achievements in Canadian Thoroughbred racing and breeding were announced Jan. 29 by The Jockey Club of Canada. Only the finalists for Canadian Horse of the Year were unannounced—leaving the announcement for the ceremony.

The 45th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony, in which winners of the 12 horse categories and five human categories will be revealed, is April 16 at Universal Eventspace in Vaughan, Ontario.

As with the Eclipse Awards, Sovereign Awards usually have three finalists—though the female sprint category has four nominees this year because of a tie in the voting. 

Highlights from the list of finalists include Terra Racing's Amalfi Coast, a late-season starter who won three stakes in succession on turf and Tapeta, who is the lone three-category nominee as a finalist for 3-year-old filly, female sprinter, and female turf horse. Her trainer, Kevin Attard, is a finalist for outstanding trainer.

Global Access (3-year-old male, turf male), Pink Lloyd (older male, male sprinter) and British Columbia champion Here's Hannah (older female main track, female sprinter) are all two-time finalists.

Chiefswood Stables and Sam-Son Farms have nominations each for outstanding owner and breeder. Stronach Stables made the final three as outstanding owner, and in the breeder category, Ivan Dalos looks to repeat.

In addition to Attard, Mark Casse, and Norm McKnight are finalists for top trainer, and Eurico Rosa da Silva, Patrick Husbands, and Rafael Hernandez are the three jockey nominees.

Charles E. Fipke will be presented with the E. P. Taylor Award of Merit, and Harvey Warner will be presented with the Special Sovereign Award in recognition of their outstanding commitment and dedication to the Thoroughbred industry in Canada.

Winners of the three 2019 media awards will also be presented. The three finalists in each of the media categories will be announced on or before Feb. 15. The media awards are judged by the journalism professors at Humber, School of Media Studies & Information Technology, in Toronto.

Additionally, the winner of the award for outstanding groom, to be presented by sponsor OLG, will be announced on or before Feb. 15.

2019 Sovereign Awards Finalists

Champion 2-Year-Old Female:

Curlin's Voyage

Infinite Patience

Owlette

Champion 2-Year-Old Male:

Dotted Line

Mr. Hustle

Muskoka Gold

Champion 3-Year-Old Female:

Amalfi Coast

Desert Ride

Hidden Grace

Champion 3-Year-Old Male:

Explode

Global Access

Tone Broke

Champion Older Main Track Female:

Here's Hannah

Lift Up

She's the Berries

Champion Older Main Track Male:

Mr Ritz

Pink Lloyd

Special Forces

Champion Female Turf Horse:

Amalfi Coast

Holy Helena

Starship Jubilee

Champion Male Turf Horse:

El Tormenta

Global Access

Tiz a Slam

Champion Female Sprinter:

Amalfi Coast

Here's Hannah

Sister Peacock

Summer Sunday

Champion Male Sprinter:

Pink Lloyd

Silent Poet

Yorkton

Outstanding Broodmare:

Avie's Empire

Cumulonimble

Loving Vindication

Outstanding Breeder:

Chiefswood Stables

Sam-Son Farm

Tall Oaks Farm

Outstanding Owner:

Chiefswood Stables

Sam-Son Farm

Stronach Stables

Outstanding Trainer:

Kevin Attard

Mark E. Casse

Norman McKnight

Outstanding Apprentice Jockey:

Shavon Belle

Daisuke Fukumoto

Kazushi Kimura

Outstanding Jockey:

Eurico Rosa da Silva

Rafael Manuel Hernandez

Patrick Husbands

Horse of the Year:

Finalists to be announced during the 45th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony