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Sovereign Awards – Eligibility, Selection, and Distribution Guidelines

  1. Sovereign Awards will be presented in the following divisional categories:
    • Champion Two-Year-Old Male
    • Champion Two Year-Old Female
    • Champion Three-Year-Old Male
    • Champion Three-Year-Old Filly
    • Champion Older Male on the Main Track
    • Champion Older Female on the Main Track
    • Champion Male Turf Horse
    • Champion Female Turf Horse
    • Champion Male Sprinter
    • Champion Female Sprinter

To be eligible to receive a Sovereign Award in these divisional categories, a horse must race in Canada at least two times as a two-year old and three times for all horses three-years old and up, during the year in which the Award is earned. This rule applies to both Canadian-bred and foreign-bred horses.

  1. Daily Racing Form past performance charts are generated and provided to The Jockey Club of Canada and are used to determine the most logical eligible contenders in each divisional category. Voters may vote for any horse whether or not a past performance chart has been provided and whether or not the horse appears on the ballot, provided the horse has made the required number of starts prior to the cutoff date.
  2. Sovereign Awards will be presented in the following categories:
    • Outstanding Owner
    • Outstanding Trainer
    • Outstanding Breeder
    • Outstanding Jockey
    • Outstanding Apprentice Jockey

To be eligible to receive a Sovereign Award in the above categories, a minimum of 10 starts in Canada must be made. Statistical profiles showing total number of starts, wins and earnings will be provided for the individuals or entities of the regional leaders based on total number of wins and total earnings. The Jockey Club of Canada will endeavour to provide accurate statistical information but cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information contained within the statistical profiles. Voters may vote for any individual or entity whether or not a statistical profile has been included, provided the eligibility requirements have been met.

  1. The finalists in all categories will be determined by a points system which is tabulated using an online balloting process. The names of the three finalists in each category will be announced in a press release and posted on The Jockey Club of Canada website.
  2. The Jockey Club of Canada’s Board of Stewards will select the recipient(s) of the:
    • E. P.Taylor Award of Merit
    • Special Sovereign Award
    • Outstanding Groom

The announcement of the recipient(s) of these awards may be made prior to, or during, the awards ceremony. Both the E. P. Taylor Award of Merit and the Special Sovereign Award need not be presented annually.

  1. Outstanding Broodmare is a lifetime achievement award. The mare must have a Canadian-bred Stakes horse (by definition, the horse must have come 1st, 2nd, or 3rd) in the current year and must also have produced a different Canadian-bred stakes horse in a previous year. Produce records on all logical contenders will be sent to voters. Voters will be free to vote for any broodmare that qualifies under the foregoing criteria, whether or not a statistical profile has been provided. Any mare that has been honoured with this lifetime achievement Sovereign Award is ineligible for future consideration. Recipients of Outstanding Broodmare Sovereign Award from 1975 – Present1975 – Reasonable Wife          1991 – Classy ‘N Smart          2007 – Lover’s Talk
    1976 – Northern Minx              1992 – Ballade                         2008 – Kathie’s Colleen
    1977 – Doris White                   1993 – Bold Debra                  2009 – Pico Tenneriffe
    1978 – Fanfreluche                  1994 – Rainbow Connection  2010 – Destroy
    1979 – Fitz’s Fancy                  1995 – Sea Regent                  2011 – Noble Strike
    1980 – Hangin Round              1996 – Amelia Bearhart          2012 – Misty Mission
    1981 – Native Flower               1997 – Charming Sassafras    2013 – Captivating
    1982 – Yonnie Girl                    1998 – Fleet Courage              2014 – Eye of the Sphynx
    1983 – Two Rings                    1999 – Sharpening Up             2015 – Rare Opportunity
    1984 – Friendly Ways             2000 – Primarily                        2016 – Galloping Ami
    1985 – No Class                      2001 – Dance Smartly              2017 – Victorious Ami
    1986 – Loudrangle                  2002 – First Class Gal              2018 – In Return
    1987 – Arctic Vixen                 2003 – Radiant Ring                 2019 – Loving Vindication
    1988 – Polite Lady                  2004 – Annasan                        2020 – Danceforthecause
    1989 – Passing Mood            2005 – Native Rights                 2021 – Avie’s Empire                          1990 – Shy Spirit                    2006 – Dream Smartly
  2. The privilege of voting for the Sovereign Awards is extended to individuals employed in or actively involved with industry associations and media recognized by The Jockey Club of Canada. If a voter has ownership or breeding interests in any of the categories they must not vote in that category.
  3. Voters must cast their ballots online at www.jockeyclubcanada.com.
  4. The winners of each award category will not be revealed until the time of presentation at the Sovereign Awards ceremony. Voters’ selections will not be disclosed; however, the point totals in all categories will be available on The Jockey Club of Canada website following the presentation.
  5. Information on the three finalists in all categories will be made public before the awards ceremony and will also be included in the Sovereign Awards program distributed at the awards ceremony.
  6. The annual Sovereign Awards presentation will be held in April at a major venue in the Toronto area unless otherwise stipulated by the Board of Stewards of the Jockey Club of Canada.
  7. For the purposes of the awards, a partnership will be considered as a single interest and the name of the partnership will be noted on any citation.  Individuals in partnerships may purchase additional trophies and gold sovereigns at a fixed cost determined by the Board of Stewards of the Jockey Club of Canada.
  8. Only one Sovereign Award trophy is to be presented to an individual or partnership in his or her lifetime. Any subsequent awards are to be noted by the addition of a gold sovereign plus a brass plate which is intended to be affixed to the individual’s or partnership’s original trophy. Individual breeders or partnership breeders of a Sovereign Award-winning horse will only receive one trophy in his or her lifetime. Breeders or breeding partnerships of subsequent award winners will receive a brass plate only which is intended to be affixed to the individual breeder or partnership breeder’s original trophy.
  9. Only one gold sovereign or trophy is to be awarded in any single year for the accomplishments of a horse, individual, or partnership. If a horse, individual or partnership is awarded in more than one category this is to be noted on individual brass plates intended to be affixed to the base of one trophy.
  10. The trophy recipient of the divisional horse awards shall be the owner of the horse as of its last start in the award year and, if the owner is not also the breeder, the breeder listed on the Jockey Club Certificate of Registration may receive a trophy as well.
  11. The owner of the Outstanding Broodmare at the end of the award year shall be the only recipient of that award and trophy.
  12. The name of the Horse of the Year, and the name of the recipient of the E. P. Taylor Award of Merit will be engraved on a brass plate to be permanently affixed to the base of the Sovereign Awards master trophy. The master trophy is permanently displayed in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario Canada.