Assiniboia Downs/Manitoba-Bred Connections to Sovereign Awards

Sovereign Award Winners with a Connection to Manitoba-breds/Assiniboia Downs - by Darlene Wedge

The Sovereign Awards program was established by the Jockey Club of Canada in 1975 to honor the outstanding horses and people in Canadian Thoroughbred racing on an annual basis. They are equivalent to the Eclipse Awards in the United States, the Australia Thoroughbred racing awards in Australia and the Cartier Racing Awards in Europe.

In 1990, Jim Wright, then owner of Assiniboia Downs Race Track, was named Man of the Year for his contributions to the thoroughbred racing and breeding industry on a national basis.

There have been 3 Manitoba bred fillies who have received Sovereign awards.  Liz’s Pride (Wing Out – June Too by Fleet Nasrullah) winner of the 1978 Champion 2 Year Old Filly award was bred and owned by Mrs. June Sifton’s Stone Acres Farm at Oak Bank. She won the Winnipeg Futurity by a neck over Medaille D’Or (winner of the 2 Year Old Colt award). Liz’s Pride, trained by John Cizik set a new record for Manitoba breds running at Assiniboia Downs bankrolling over $60,000.  Gold Strike (Smart Strike – Brassy Gold by Dixieland Brass) winner of the 2005 Champion 3 Year Old Filly award was bred and owned by Harlequin Ranch and foaled at Tom Dodd’s in Brunkild. Trainer Blair Miller sent her out 3 times in her 2 year old campaign at ASD, winning the Debutante and Buffalo Stakes. She was sent to Ontario for her 3 year old campaign, winning the Labatt Woodbine Oaks, Selene S (G3), placing 2nd in the Star Shoot S and 3rd against the boys in the Queen’s Plate.  Kimchi (Langfuhr – Alljazz by Stop the Music) in 2006 would make it the second straight year that a Manitoba bred filly was named Champion 3 Year Old Filly. Bred by Gary Strath’s Stonyfield Farm she was sold for $70,000 in the 2004 FTK Oct sale. At 3, she would win the first 2 legs of the Triple Tiara series, the Labatt Woodbine Oaks and the Labatt Bison City Stakes at Fort Erie and then place 4th in the Wonder Where Stakes on the turf.

Irwin Driedger, leading rider at Assiniboia Downs in 1979 (161 wins), 1980 (180 wins), 1981 (214 wins) and 1982 (139 wins) was the 1981 Sovereign Award winner for Outstanding Jockey.

In 1986, by virtue of winning 147 races (and leading rider title at Assiniboia Downs), Todd Kabel was named Canada’s Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. He would repeat as leading rider at ASD in 1987 (173 wins), and 1989 (155 wins) before moving on to the lucrative Ontario circuit. Todd has won the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Jockey 6 times (1992, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006).

Janine Stianson was voted the 2008 Outstanding Apprentice Jockey with a record of 68 wins, 58 seconds and 45thirds in 370 races. She was 3rd in the Assiniboia Downs jockey standings.

There have been many Sovereign Awards awarded to those who have covered the horse racing beat in Manitoba  George Williams, writing for the Daily Racing Form and Winnipeg Free Press, won a Sovereign Award for Outstanding Feature Story in 2000 and also won for Outstanding Newspaper Story in 1992, 1995 and 1998.  In 2003, Paul Wiecek, Winnipeg Free Press reporter, won for Outstanding Feature and Outstanding Newspaper Story. He has also won for Outstanding Feature Story in 2006 and 2007, and the Outstanding Newspaper Story in 2004.  Allan Besson, reporting for the Winnipeg Free Press, won the 2007 Outstanding Newspaper Story award

The following were candidates for the 2009 Sovereign Awards as of December 31, 2009  2 Year Old Female Category o Ruby’s Big Band trained by Charlie Smith, owned by Terry Propps o Honorable Lady, trained by Clayton Gray owned by Wendy Anderson  3 Year Old Female o Lady Countdown trained and owned by Charlie Smith o Morsel trained by Charlie Smith, owned by Terry Propps  3 Year Old Male o Manitoba bred Hilton’s Cherokee, trained by Emile Corbel, bred and owned by K5 Stables  Older Male o Rock’n USA, trained by Tanya Lindsay and owned by Shirley and Tanya Lindsay and Marvin Burnett.  Older Female and Female Sprinter o Preservata, trained and owned by Clint Wilson  Outstanding Jockey – # of stakes wins in brackets o Mark Anderson (2) o Alan Cuthbertson (3) o Larren Delorme (2) o Carlos Marquez (3) o Rohan Singh (7)  Apprentice Jockey o Chow, Chavion o Harder, Alyssa o Nelson, Tyrone

2009 Awards Banquet The annual CTHS HBPA Awards Night will be held Friday, April 30 at the Assiniboia Downs grandstand.

Contact the CTHS, HBPA or ASD general office to order tickets. Plan to attend, relive the top races from last year and see who wins in the various categories.