Canadian Horse of the Year

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Norcliffe, painted by Bob Demuyser (1920-2003) Norcliffe by Bob Demuyser.jpg
Norcliffe, painted by Bob Demuyser (1920-2003)

The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honour given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honour in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing. [1]

Contents

Part of the Sovereign Awards program since 1975, it is similar to the Eclipse Award for American Horse of the Year honours given in the United States.

The original eligibility rules stipulated that the winner be a Canadian-bred horse that did its "best running" in Canada. In 1964, the rule was altered for Northern Dancer, who was a Canadian-bred but whose most notable wins came in the United States when he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. [2] Eventually the requirement that the horse be a Canadian-bred was also dropped. The current rules simply require that the horse have raced at least three times in Canada during the given year (two times for two-year-olds). [3]

Records

Most wins:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Honourees

Year
Horse
Age
Trainer
Owner
1951 Bull Page 4 Gordon J. McCann E. P. Taylor
1952 Canadiana 2 Gordon J. McCann E. P. Taylor
1953 King Maple 2 John Hornsby Mrs. Gordon McMacken
1954 Queen's Own 3 Gordon J. McCann E. P. Taylor
1955 Ace Marine 3 Yonnie Starr Larkin Maloney
1956 Canadian Champ 3 John Passero William R. Beasley
1957 Hartney 6 Patrick MacMurchy Col. Kenric R. Marshall
1958 Nearctic 4 Gordon J. McCann Windfields Farm
1959 Wonder Where 3 Yonnie Starr Larkin Maloney & Conn Smythe
1960 Victoria Park 3 Horatio Luro Windfields Farm
1961 Hidden Treasure 4 John Passero William R. Beasley
1962 Crafty Lace 3 J. D. Mooney Jeremy M. Jacobs
1963 Canebora 3 Gordon J. McCann Windfields Farm
1964 Northern Dancer 3 Horatio Luro Windfields Farm
1965 George Royal 4 Donald Richardson E. C. Hammond & R. W. Hall
1966 Victorian Era 4 Lou Cavalaris Jr. Windfields Farm
1967 He's A Smoothie 4 Warren Beasley William R. Beasley
1968 Viceregal 2 Gordon J. McCann Windfields Farm
1969 Jumpin Joseph 3 Warren Beasley Warren Beasley
1970 Fanfreluche 3 Yonnie Starr Jean-Louis Levesque
1971 Lauries Dancer 3 James C. Bentley Helen G. Stollery
1972 La Prevoyante 2 Yonnie Starr Jean-Louis Levesque
1973 Kennedy Road 5 Charlie Whittingham Helen G. Stollery
1974 L'Enjoleur 2 Yonnie Starr Jean-Louis Levesque
1975 L'Enjoleur 3 Yonnie Starr Jean-Louis Levesque
1976 Norcliffe 3 Roger Attfield Norcliffe Stable
1977 L'Alezane 2 Yonnie Starr Jean-Louis Levesque
1978 Overskate 3 Gil Rowntree Stafford Farms
1979 Overskate 4 Gil Rowntree Stafford Farms
1980 Glorious Song 4 Gerry Belanger Frank Stronach & Nelson Bunker Hunt
1981 Deputy Minister 2 Bill Marko Kinghaven Farms & Centurion Farm
1982 Frost King 4 Bill Marko Bill Marko & Ted Smith
1983 Travelling Victor 4 Robert G. Anderson Russell & Lois Bennett
1984 Dauphin Fabuleux 2 James E. Day Sam-Son Farm
1985 Imperial Choice 3 James E. Day Sam-Son Farm
1986 Ruling Angel 3 James E. Day Sam-Son Farm
1987 Afleet 3 Phil England Richard R. Kennedy & Taylor Made Farms
1988 Play the King 5 Mark Frostad Kinghaven Farms
1989 With Approval 3 Roger Attfield Kinghaven Farms
1990 Izvestia 3 Roger Attfield Kinghaven Farms
1991 Dance Smartly 3 James E. Day Sam-Son Farm
1992 Benburb 3 Phil England Knob Hill Stable
1993 Peteski 3 Roger Attfield Earle I. Mack
1994 Alywow 3 Phil England Kinghaven Farms
1995 Peaks and Valleys 3 James E. Day Pin Oak Stable
1996 Mt. Sassafras 4 Barbara J. Minshall Minshall Farms
1997 Chief Bearhart 4 Mark Frostad Sam-Son Farm
1998 Chief Bearhart 5 Mark Frostad Sam-Son Farm
1999 Thornfield 4 Phil England Knob Hill Stable
2000 Quiet Resolve 5 Mark Frostad Sam-Son Farm
2001 Win City 3 Robert P. Tiller Frank Di Giulio Jr.
2002 Wake At Noon 5 Abraham R. Katryan Bruno Schickedanz
2003 Wando 3 Michael Keogh Gus Schickendanz
2004 Soaring Free 5 Mark Frostad Sam-Son Farm
2005 A Bit O'Gold 4 Catherine Day Phillips The Two Bit Racing Stable
2006 Arravale 3 Macdonald Benson Robert Costigan
2007 Sealy Hill 3 Mark Casse Melnyk Racing Stables
2008 Fatal Bullet 3 Reade Baker Bear Stables Ltd.
2009 Champs Elysees 6 Robert J. Frankel Prince Khalid Abdullah
2010 Biofuel 3 Reade Baker Brereton C. Jones
2011 Never Retreat 6 Chris Block Team Block
2012 Uncaptured 2 Mark Casse John C. Oxley
2013 Up With The Birds 3 Mark Frostad Sam-Son Farm
2014 Lexie Lou 3 Mark Casse Gary Barber
2015 Catch A Glimpse 2 Mark Casse Gary Barber, Windways Farm, James Michael
2016 Caren 3 Michael De Paulo Robert Marzilli
2017 Pink Lloyd 5 Robert P. Tiller Entourage Stable
2018 Wonder Gadot 3 Mark Casse Gary Barber
2019 Starship Jubilee 6 Kevin Attard Blue Heaven Farm
2020 Mighty Heart Lawrence Cordes
2021 Mighty Heart Lawrence Cordes
2022 Moira X-Men Racing
2023 Fev Rover (IRE) Tracy Farmer

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References

  1. Ron Mitchell (April 9, 2016). "Catch a Glimpse, Casse Top Sovereign Awards". The Blood-Horse.
  2. Lennox, Muriel (1995). Northern Dancer : legend and legacy. Toronto: Beach House Books. p. 114. ISBN   0-9699025-0-6 . Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  3. "Sovereign Award Voting" (PDF). www.jockeyclubcanada.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.