Mighty Heart Repeats as Canadian Horse of the Year
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Mighty Heart last April at Keeneland
Fan-favorite Mighty Heart was named Canadian Horse of the Year April 14 during the 47th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony, the second consecutive year he has been awarded the prize. Larry Cordes' popular one-eyed horse brought home the hardware for champion main track male as well Thursday evening.
"I've been in this business 45 years. It took 40 years of many ups and many, many downs, but five years ago, maybe six years ago, I won the Valedictorian with Turkish," Cordes said. "Exciting? Absolutely. And then comes along Mighty Heart. And in two years, he's won four Sovereign Awards: 3-year-old champion (male) and Horse of the Year in 2020, and today, older horse on dirt and Horse of the Year again. I can't expect any more of him, yet he's the type of horse that wants to run. He loves to run.
"We as people… can learn a lot from our fellow four-legged friends. Mighty Heart, despite his handicap, has prevailed."
(L-R): Glenn Sikura, chief steward of the Jockey Club of Canada, presents the Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year to Larry Cordes, owner and breeder of Mighty Heart
The evening ceremony began with awards issued to Will Wong for outstanding photograph, Hayley Morrison for outstanding writing, and Woodbine Entertainment for outstanding audio visual/digital broadcast. Denzil Fonseca was honored as outstanding groom, and owner/breeder Ivan Dalos received the E. P. Taylor Award of Merit.
Among equines, Mrs. Barbara was voted as champion 2-year-old filly, God of Love as champion 2-year-old male, Munnyfor Ro as champion 3-year-old filly, and Frosted Over as champion 3-year-old male.
Avie's Empire took home the award as outstanding broodmare, while Sam-Son Farm was honored as outstanding breeder.
Champion female sprinter went to Amalfi Coast , while Pink Lloyd secured the prize as male sprinter.
Jockey Rafael Hernandez celebrates a victory from Pink Lloyd in his final career start in the 2021 Kennedy Road Stakes at Woodbine
Awarded the Sovereign Award as outstanding apprentice was Mauricio Malvaez, and Kazushi Kimura took top jockey honors.
Jolie Olimpica was champion female turf horse, Town Cruise in the male turf division.
Skygaze was the Sovereign Award-winning main track female.
Mark Casse and Live Oak Plantation, who regularly teamed together in 2021, won Sovereign Awards for trainer and owner, respectively.
Live Oak Plantation, owned by Charlotte Weber, won its first Sovereign Award for outstanding owner in 2020 and had an even more lucrative season with its Canadian starters in 2021. Live Oak, located in Ocala, won 19 races from 68 starters, including seven stakes races, accomplishments that led Live Oak to finish ahead of Gary Barber and Godolphin in Sovereign Award voting.
Mark Casse's Canadian stable excelled in 2021, winning 27 stakes races and 110 races. His Canadian barn, assisted by David Adams and Kathryn Sullivan, earned more than $6.5 million.
Four of Casse's trainees—God of Love, Mrs. Barbara, Frosted Over, and Skygaze—were honored as 2021 champions.
The Horse of the Year vote was close, with Mighty Heart prevailing 63-55 over now-retired sprinter Pink Lloyd, the 2017 Horse of the Year in Canada. Town Cruise was third.
Trained by Josie Carroll for owner/breeder Cordes, Mighty Heart won the Autumn Stakes (G2) and the Dominion Day Stakes (G3) at Woodbine last year on Tapeta, in addition to the Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs on dirt. He also hit the board in the Seagram Cup Stakes (G3) at Woodbine and traveled to Mountaineer Park, where he ran second in the West Virginia Governor's Stakes (G3). He ended his year by heading to Gulfstream Park, where finished third in the Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3). Mighty Heart is currently stabled at Keeneland, where he is expected to make his season debut.
The Ontario-bred son of Dramedy compiled a 3-2-2 record in eight starts in 2021 with earnings of $377,361.