Sovereign Awards Finalists Announced

The Jockey Club of Canada is pleased to announce that the E. P. Taylor Award of Merit will be presented to Roger Attfield during the 50th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony on the evening of Thursday, April 24, 2025 in Woodbridge, Ontario. Selected unanimously by the Jockey Club of Canada's Stewards, the E. P. Taylor Award of Merit is a lifetime achievement award honouring those who have made significant contributions to the thoroughbred industry in Canada and accomplished outstanding individual achievements in Canadian thoroughbred racing and breeding. An honoured member of both the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Mr. Attfield has experienced decades of success, including having trained three Canadian Triple Crown winners in Izvestia, With Approval, and Peteski, and is a well-respected ambassador for Canadian horse racing and breeding. The Jockey Club of Canada is pleased to announce that there will be two winners of the Special Sovereign Award; both Emma-Jayne Wilson and Moira will be recognized during the 50th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony. Selected unanimously by the Jockey Club of Canada's Stewards, the Special Sovereign Award recognizes a particular achievement within a given year. The honour is being bestowed upon Emma-Jayne for surpassing Julie Krone's purse earnings record and continuing to be a bold ambassador for Canadian horse racing, and Moira for her outstanding achievements on the race course and in the sales ring in 2024. The Jockey Club of Canada is proud to present Victor James with the 2024 Outstanding Groom Award sponsored by OLG and Ian Dick with the Outstanding Off-track Worker Award. Both Victor and Ian are spoken of very highly by their nominators, Josie Carroll and Colleen Dalos, respectively. With over twenty-five years as a groom for trainer Josie Carroll, Victor James exhibits outstanding loyalty and dedication. Groom for champions such as Ami's Gizmo, Serenading, and Tyson, Victor has also overseen the running of trainer Josie Carroll's barn. A veteran of the thoroughbred racing scene in Ontario, Ian Dick has been the manager of Buttigieg Training Centre for many years after taking a position there as assistant manager in 2013. Some of the outstanding runners which have benefited from his time and care include Paramount Prince, Patches O'Houlihan, and Pink Lloyd. The Jockey Club of Canada is also pleased to announce the finalists for the 2024 Sovereign Awards and 2024 Media Sovereign Awards categories. 2024 Sovereign Awards Finalists The finalists in each of the following categories are listed in alphabetical order. Champion Two-Year-Old Female Aristella Nitrogen Souper Supreme Champion Two-Year-Old Male Dream On He's Not Joking Scorching Champion Three-Year-Old Female Avana Caitlinhergrtness Kin's Concerto Stormcast Champion Three-Year-Old Male August Rain Dresden Row My Boy Prince Champion Older Main Track Female Big Hug Elysian Field Fashionably Fab Champion Older Main Track Male Apprehend Paramount Prince Wicked Django Champion Female Turf Horse Fev Rover (Ire) Full Count Felicia Stormcast Champion Male Turf Horse Cruden Bay Filo Di Arianna (BRZ) Patches O'Houlihan Champion Female Sprinter Gal in a Rush Play the Music Stormcast Champion Male Sprinter Filo Di Arianna (BRZ) My Boy Prince Patches O'Houlihan Outstanding Broodmare Dancing Allstar Executive Affair Platinum Steel Outstanding Breeder Adena Springs Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. Chiefswood Stables Limited Outstanding Owner Barber, Gary Chiefswood Stables Limited Schickedanz, Bruno Outstanding Trainer Attard, Kevin Carroll, Josie Casse, Mark E. Outstanding Apprentice Jockey Aebly, Fraser Moran, Pietro Vives, Sofia Outstanding Jockey Civaci, Sahin Hernandez, Rafael Manuel Husbands, Patrick Horse of the Year The Horse of the Year finalists will be announced during the 50th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony. Judging for the Media Awards is performed by media professionals within the industry selected from across North America and the United Kingdom. Listed in alphabetical order, the Media finalists are: Digital Audio/Visual and Broadcast Category Peter Gross -- Podcast Episode 233 Horse Racing Alberta -- Women in Thoroughbred Racing Goh Iromoto -- The Long Run Photograph Category Skip Dickstein -- Magnificent Moira, Winner's Jubilation Barbara D. Livingston -- Moira Mary Jane Sibbitt -- Right Way/Wrong Way Writing Category Mike McIntyre -- Resolve and Reinvention at a Gallop Jennifer Morrison - Trials, Tears and Canada's Queen of Racing Joe Nevills - 'She Means Everything': Attard Team Says A Long, Short Goodbye To Moira At Fasig-Tipton November Sale The winner of each category, along with Canada's Horse of the Year for 2024, will be announced during our milestone the 50th Annual Sovereign Awards Ceremony on the evening of Thursday, April 24, 2025 at Paramount Eventspace in Woodbridge, Ontario. Please call or email us for more information and to reserve your tickets today! Tickets can also be purchased online at: https://jockeyclubcanada.com/online-payments/.