ARRAVALE (Arch) parlayed Grade 1 wins in both Canada and the United States
into Horse of the Year honors, it was announced during the Sovereign Awards
ceremony presented Saturday evening at the InterContinental Toronto Centre,
Toronto, Canada. The three-year-old miss was also named champion female turf
horse, earning 236 votes and easily beating out Ambitious Cat (Storm Cat) (56
votes) and Strike Softly (Smart Strike) (55 votes).
Arravale began her sophomore season late, taking the June 11 Alywow S. at
Woodbine before heading southwest to try her luck in the American Oaks
Invitational S. (G1) at Hollywood Park. After a third-place finish in that
event, the Mac Benson charge remained in California and next showed up in the
Del Mar Oaks (G1), scoring by 1 1/2 lengths. She returned to Woodbine to take on
her elders in the Canadian S. (Can-G2) two back, running second that day, before
earning a length victory in the E. P. Taylor S. (Can-G1) over a star-studded
cast. For the year, the dark bay lass racked up a 5-3-1-1 mark and $971,160 in earnings.
SKY CONQUEROR (Sky Classic) scored in the Northern Dancer Breeders’ Cup Turf
(Can-G2) and King Edward Breeders’ Cup S. (Can-G2) this year to earn the title
of champion male turf horse, following in the hoofsteps of his sire, who
received the same honor in 1991 and 1992. The four-year-old also ran third by a
neck in the Connaught Cup S. (Can-G3) and most recently filled that same spot in
the Canadian International S. (Can-G1). This is the first Sovereign Award winner
for both owner William Sorokolit Sr. and trainer Darwin Banach.
SHILLELAGH SLEW (Chief Seattle) became the first Sovereign horse for trainer
Mike DePaulo and owner Dr. David James when named the champion three-year-old
male. Off-the-board only once this year, the dark bay colt captured the Canadian
Derby (Can-G3) and Ontario Derby (Can-G3) by a combined 13 3/4 lengths in his
past two starts. Also this season, he ran second in the Prince of Wales S.
before being promoted to first via disqualification and was third in the
Breeders’ S. KIMCHI (Langfuhr) was honored as champion three-year-old filly for
winning the first two legs of Canada’s Triple Tiara. Upsetting the Woodbine Oaks
by 1 3/4 lengths, she proved that race was no fluke with an easy 1 1/4-length
score in the Bison City S. at Fort Erie. The Mark Casse trainee was unable to
complete the triple, but still managed to finish a nice fourth in the Wonder
Where S. on the turf.
Voting was close for champion two-year-old filly, but eventually CATCH THE
THRILL (A.P. Indy) took the honors with 115 votes compared to 107 votes for
Sealy Hill (Point Given). Breaking her maiden in her second try, an allowance at
Woodbine in late August, Catch the Thrill dropped her next start in the grassy
Natalma S. (Can-G3). She quickly rebounded with a 2 1/4-length victory in the
Princess Elizabeth S. on Woodbine’s Polytrack, and added a second in the Ontario
Lassie S. to her record most recently for trainer Mark Frostad. LEONNATUS ANTEAS
(Stormy Atlantic) put together an undefeated season to garner champion
two-year-old male honors. The Kevin Attard-trained chestnut tried stakes company
in his career debut, taking the Vandal S., before adding the Cup and Saucer S.
over Woodbine’s turf and switching back to the Polytrack to capture the
Coronation Futurity. Not only did he give Attard his first Sovereign winner, but
Leonnatus Anteas also also became the division’s first undefeated winner of the
Award.
All seven of TRUE METROPOLITAN’s (Proud and True) wins in 2006 came in either
stakes or graded events, more than enough for the Terry Jordan charge to be
named champion older male horse. Among those wins were victories in the B.C.
Premiers H. (Can-G3) and Woodbine Slots Cup S. (Can-G3). The dark bay
four-year-old also placed in three other black-type races, including the
Valedictory S. and Redekop B.C. Cup Classic H., and finished off-the-board only
once this year, that coming in an allowance/optional claimer in his 2006 debut.
FINANCINGAVAILABLE (Kiridashi) never ran worse than second by a neck from eight
starts this year, and was honored for that accomplishment by earning champion
older female honors. Just as True Metropolitan gave owner Bob Cheema and his
trainer their first Sovereign Award winner, Financingavailable did the same with
her owner, K.K. Sangara, and trainer, Lorne Richards. The gray five-year-old
mare added five stakes wins to her record, including the Bessarabian S. and
Algoma S., and just missed in the Royal North S. (Can-G3) and Ballade S.
JUDITHS WILD RUSH (Wild Rush) retained his crown as Canadian champion
sprinter for 2006 and earned his third Sovereign Award overall on Saturday
night, having also been named Canadian champion two-year-old colt in 2003.
Winner of the Vigil S. (Can-G3) for the second straight year, the five-year-old
also captured the Jacques Cartier S. and placed in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt
Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) at Saratoga and Deputy Minister H. (G3) at Gulfstream Park
for trainer Reade Baker.
Only five votes separated DREAM SMARTLY (Smarten) and runner-up Braverelle
(Brave Shot [GB]) for outstanding broodmare honors. Dream Smartly earned the
Award for producing multiple stakes winner Main Executive (Bold Executive) and
Blonde Executive (Bold Executive), who was 2004 Canadian champion sprinter.
Other Award winners on the evening were Todd Kabel, who earned his sixth
Sovereign as outstanding jockey; Emma-Jayne Wilson, named outstanding apprentice
jockey for a second-straight year; Mark Casse, honored as outstanding trainer
after saddling the most stakes winners (11) at Woodbine; Sam-Son Farms,
outstanding owner for the eighth time; and Adena Springs, back-to-back
outstanding breeder.