Canadian HOY Pink Lloyd Cleans Up at Sovereign Awards

Entourage Stable's Pink Lloyd swept a trio of awards April 19 at The Jockey Club of Canada's 43rd annual Sovereign Awards ceremony, topped by a Horse of the Year trophy.

The Old Forester  gelding went undefeated in eight starts as a 5-year-old last year for trainer Robert Tiller, launched by his Jacques Cartier Stakes score on Opening Day of the Woodbine meet and capped by a Nov. 25 victory in the Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) at the Toronto oval. Pink Lloyd is in to defend his Jacques Cartier title Saturday when the 2018 meet opens at Woodbine.

Pink Lloyd received 150 votes for Horse of the Year, edging out Ami's Mesa (82) and Holy Helena (40).

Champion older male and champion male sprinter titles also went to Pink Lloyd, who was bred in Ontario by John Carey out of the Great Gladiator mare Gladiator Queen. His other 2017 victories came in the New Providence Stakes, Achievement Stakes, Vigil Stakes (G3), Shepperton Stakes, OLG/OR Kenora Stakes Presented by HBPA of Ontario, and Overskate Stakes, good for single-season earnings of $512,636. 

Pink Lloyd (142 votes) outranked Melmich (108) and Gigantic Breeze (38) in the voting for older male and secured the male sprinter title (180) over Ikerrin Road (82) and Yorkton (25).

Eurico Rosa Da Silva, an intricate part of Pink Lloyd's magical season, was named outstanding jockey. Da Silva won a remarkable 34 stakes races in 2017. One of the biggest victories of the year came when he rode American invader Bullards Alley to a 42-1 upset in the Pattison Canadian International Stakes (G1T). Other stars ridden by Eurico include Sovereign Award finalists Dixie Moon, Melmich, and Mr. Havercamp. Eurico also did Canada proud when he won Japan's World All-Star Jockey Challenge in August. He concluded the season with 203 wins from 826 starts, with earnings of $8,529,985.

While Ami's Mesa was edged for Horse of the Year honors, the Sky Mesa  filly took home both champion female sprinter and champion older female titles. Ivan Dalos of Tall Oaks Farm bred and raced Ami's Mesa, who is trained by Josie Carroll. As a 4-year-old last year, Ami's Mesa won the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (G2), Seaway Stakes (G3), and Ontario Matron Stakes (G3). Her dam, the Victory Gallop mare Victorious Ami, was named outstanding broodmare.

Victorious Ami's four winning foals are led by Ami's Mesa, who earned $703,003 in 2017. Victorious Ami's third foal, Ami's Holiday , won the 2014 Breeders' Stakes and 2013 Grey Stakes (G3) and earned over $817,000. The mare also produced stakes-placed Victory Exchange and has a 2-year-old colt by Into Mischief  and a yearling colt by Flatter .

Tall Oaks also bred champion male turf horse Johnny Bear, who races for Colebrook Farms and Bear Stables. Trained by Ashlee Brnjas, Johnny Bear counts the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G1T) and OLG/OR Halton Stakes Presented by Tipperary Equestrian among his five wins from 11 starts last year. Champion female turf horse was Starship Jubilee, whose wins for Kevin Attard and Soli Mehta included the Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) and Nassau Stakes (G2T)

Another Tall Oaks Farm-bred, Channel Maker, was named champion 3-year-old male. The English Channel  gelding is campaigned by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott for Joey Gee Thoroughbreds, Wachtel Stable, and Gary Barber. He won the Breeders' Stakes in 2017.

On a night when Adena Springs was named outstanding breeder for the 12th time, their Ghostzapper  filly Holy Helena was named champion 3-year-old filly. Trained by James Jerkens, Holy Helena defeated males in the Queens Plate Stakes and won the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser. She earned $770,593 from six starts and three wins in 2017.

Frank Stronach's Adena Springs had eight individual Canadian-bred stakes winners in 2017, including Holy Helena. Shaman Ghost , another Stronach offspring of Ghostzapper, had a big year racing in the U.S. with victories in the Santa Anita Handicap Presented by San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino (G1) and Pimlico Special Handicap (G3). Other Canadian-bred stakes winners from Adena Springs include grade 3 winner Shakhimat and 2-year-old stakes winner Glamanation. Adena Springs wrapped up the season with 39 winners from 68 starters in Canada, with $5,827,530 in earnings.

Champion 2-year-old male was Admirality Pier, the Display Stakes winner campaigned by Barbara Minshall for Hoolie Racing Stable and Bruce Lunsford. Champion 2-year-old filly was Wonder Gadot, who won the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) and Mazarine Stakes (G3) for Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse.

Mark Casse's stable had another strong season in Canada, with 96 winners and purse earnings of $5.397 million, resulting in his 10th Sovereign Award and seventh straight as outstanding trainer for the Indiana native. The season highlight for Team Casse was champion turf male World Approval's win in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T), the second consecutive Woodbine Mile winner for Casse after champion turf female Tepin's 2016 score. Casse's runners won 18 stakes in 2017.

Outstanding owner was Chiefswood Stable, nominated for the first time. Robert and Mark Krembil's operation had purse earnings of over $2.2 million in 2017, the most in the stable's history. Stars for the Krembil family in 2017 included Tiz a Slam, a finalist for 2017 champion 3-year-old male, and Yorkton, a nominee in the male sprinter category.

The outstanding groom award went to Alfredo Ramos. Born in Nicaragua, Ramos has made a name for himself as one of Woodbine's most dedicated grooms, a job he started soon after arriving in Canada in the late 1980s. His early jobs came with trainers Rod Wright, Rita Schnitzler, and Tino and Kevin Attard. In 2008, he joined the high-profile stable of Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield.

The outstanding apprentice jockey award went to Rey Williams, a Barbados native who was Canada's leading apprentice jockey in 2017 with 41 victories at Northlands Park and Century Downs in Alberta. A bettor's favorite with more than 50% of his mounts finishing in the top three, Rey was the sixth-leading rider at the Northlands. Rey rode Mister Jangles to a 7-1 upset win in the $50,000 Red Diamond Express Stakes Sponsored by Red Diamond Stables and orchestrated another big win with Piper Rose in the $50,000 Alberta Oaks Sponsored by True North Holding Inc.

The media award for outstanding photograph went to Dave Landry, the media award for outstanding writing went to Perry Lefko of the Toronto Star, and the media award for outstanding digital audio/visual & broadcast went to Horse Racing Alberta.

The inaugural Jockey Club of Canada Award was presented to Tyson Lautenschlager at the School of Media Studies and Information Technology, Humber Institute of Advanced Technology and Advanced Learning. Michael Eisen was named outstanding handicapper, and a special Sovereign Award was bestowed to Sam Lima.

As an enthusiastic horse owner, horseplayer and longtime member of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (Ontario), Lima is one of the most recognizable faces at Woodbine and a tireless supporter of the sport. He has led the Toronto Thoroughbred Racing Club, a fun group for fans with monthly meetings and track and farm trips since 1972.