Fan favorite Mighty Heart was named Canada’s Horse of the Year on April 14 during the 47th Annual Sovereignty Awards, the second year in a row he has been awarded the award. Larry Cordes’ famous one-eyed horse took home hardware for the main men’s track champion on Thursday night.
“I’ve been in this business for 45 years. It took 40 years with a lot of ups and downs, but five years ago, maybe six years ago, I won valedictorian in Turkish,” said Cordes. “Fascinating? Totally possible. And then Mighty Heart. And in two years he’s won four Sovereigns: 3-year-old (male) and Horse of the Year in 2020, and today, horse.” older on land and Horse of the Year I couldn’t expect more from him, but he’s the kind of horse that wants to run. He loves to run.
“We as humans … can learn a lot from our fellow four-legged friends. Mighty Heart, despite the handicap, won.”
(LR): Glenn Sikura, chief manager of the Jockey Club of Canada, presents the Sovereign Horse of the Year Award to Larry Cordes, owner and breeder of Mighty Heart
The evening ceremony began with awards presented to Will Wong for outstanding photography, Hayley Morrison for outstanding writing, and Woodbine Entertainment for outstanding digital/visual broadcast. Denzil Fonseca was named the outstanding groom, and owner/raider Ivan Dalos received the EP Taylor Merit Award.
Among the horses, Mrs. Barbara voted champion for a 2-year-old, God of love as a 2-year-old men’s champion, Munnyfor Ro as a 3 year old champion, and Frosted Over like a 3-year-old male champion.
Avie’s Empire brought home the award as excellent broodstock, while Sam Son Farm was honored as an excellent breeder.
The champion female sprinter has arrived Amalfi Coast while Pink Lloyd secured a prize as a male sprinter.
Jockey Rafael Hernandez celebrates victory from Pink Lloyd on his final career start at the 2021 Kennedy Road Stakes at Woodbine
Awarded the Sovereign Award as outstanding apprentice Mauricio Malvaez, and Kazushi Kimura won the top equestrian title.
Jolie Olympic Women’s Horse Champion, Town Cruise in men’s football.
Skygaze She is a Sovereign Award-winning lead singer.
Mark Casse and Live Oak Plantation, who regularly team up in 2021, won the Sovereign Award for trainer and owner, respectively.
Live Oak Plantation, owned by Charlotte Weber, won its first Sovereign Award for Outstanding Owner in 2020 and has an even more lucrative season with Canadian initiators in 2021. Live Oak, located in Ocala, has won 19 races from 68 starters, including seven race shares, the achievement of which put Live Oak ahead of Gary Barber and Godolphin in the Sovereign Prize vote.
Mark Casse’s Canadian stables excelled in 2021, winning 27 stake races and 110 races. His Canadian barn, with the support of David Adams and Kathryn Sullivan, has raised more than $6.5 million.
Four of Casse’s interns — God of Love, Mrs. Barbara, Frosted Over and Skygaze — were named 2021 champions.
The Horse of the Year voting has ended, with Mighty Heart winning 63-55 against now-retired sprinter Pink Lloyd, 2017’s Horse of the Year in Canada. Town Cruise came in third.
Trained by Josie Carroll for Cordes owners/raiders, Mighty Heart won Autumn Stakes (G2) and Dominion Day Stakes (G3) at Honeysuckle Last year on Tapeta, in addition to the Blame Stocks at Churchill Downs on dirt. He also hit the board in the Seagram Cup Stakes (G3) at Woodbine and went to Climbing Park, where he was second on the West Virginia Board of Governors (G3). He ended his year by aiming for Gulfstream Park, ranked third in Harlan’s Holiday Stakes (G3). Mighty Heart is currently settling in at Keeneland, where he is expected to make his season debut.
The half-ontario son of Drama recorded a 3-2-2 in eight games starting in 2021 with $377,361 in earnings.
