Mighty Heart and Mark Casse were the big winners at Thursday’s 47th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony covering the 2021 Canadian Thoroughbred racing season at the Universal Eventspace in the Toronto suburb of Vaughan, Ontario. Mighty Heart garnered Canadian Horse of the Year honors for the second year in a row on the strength of his victories in Churchill’s Blame Stakes and in the Grade 2 Autumn and Grade 3 Dominion Day at Woodbine. Owned by Larry Cordes, the one-eyed Josie Carroll trainee took the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes in 2021. Mighty Heart edged out the popular Pink Lloyd in the voting by a margin of 63-55. Town Cruise was third with 34 points. Casse won the outstanding trainer Sovereign for the 11th year in a row and has now captured the award an astounding 14 times. Casse conditioned four 2021 champions – God of Love, Mrs. Barbara, Frosted Over, and Skygaze. Casse (123 points) beat out Kevin Attard (67) and Carroll (30). God of Love won for champion male 2-year-old with 113 points over Grafton Street (54) and Ironstone (40). God of Love graduated in the Cup and Saucer Stakes and was a troubled fifth in the Coronation Futurity before taking the Grade 3 Grey over Ironstone. Champion 2-year-old filly Mrs. Barbara won the Grade 3 Mazarine and was fourth in the Grade 1 Natalma. She got 112 points while beating out Moira (59) and Diabolic (49). :: For the first time ever, our premium past performances are free! Get free Formulator now! Frosted Over became the 3-year-old male divisional leader when taking the Grade 3 Ontario Derby, and a subsequent second to stablemate Sir Winston in the Grade 3 Valedictory put the Sovereign Award on ice. He earned 123 points, far more than Uncharacteristic (35), Artie’s Storm (35), and Haddassah (18). Skygaze (106) won both the Grade 3 Maple Leaf and Belle Mahone stakes decisively, so it wasn’t surprising to see her crowned champion older main-track female over Amalfi Coast (73) and Infinite Patience (29). The now retired Pink Lloyd copped the champion male sprinter Sovereign for the fifth straight year. Trained by Robert Tiller, Pink Lloyd won his final career start in dramatic fashion in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road at age 9. Pink Lloyd (117) beat out Avie’s Flatter (57) and Souper Stonehenge (37). Mighty Heart (108) bested Pink Lloyd (60) and Sir Winston (40) in the champion older main-track male category. Munnyfor Ro (118) notched three stakes for Attard, most notably the Woodbine Oaks, which put her over the top for champion 3-year-old filly honors. Our Flash Drive (69) and Lorena (27) were the other finalists. Grade 1 Woodbine Mile victor Town Cruise (127) was voted champion male turf horse over Avie’s Flatter (62) and Silent Poet (24). Owned and trained by Brandon Greer, the late bloomer was the feel-good story of year. The Carroll-trained Jolie Olimpica (92) was voted champion female turf horse over Amalfi Coast (56) and Our Flash Drive (50). Amalfi Coast, the Susan Lucci of the awards, finally won her first Sovereign in the champion female sprinter category. Amalfi Coast (116) beat out Our Secret Agent (60) and Lorena (22). Trained by Kevin Attard throughout her career, she was sold to Tracy Farmer at the 2021 Keeneland November sale and is currently trained by Casse. Kazushi Kimura (116), last year’s leading rider at Woodbine, garnered outstanding jockey honors over Rafael Hernandez (58), Patrick Husbands (25), and Justin Stein (25). Mauricio Malvaez (136) took home the outstanding apprentice award for the second year in a row. Michael David (59) and Edgar Zenteno (43) were the other finalists. Live Oak Plantation (100) won the outstanding owner award for the second consecutive year, beating out Gary Barber (61) and Godolphin (35). Sam-Son Farm (123) won for outstanding breeder for the ninth time over Adena Springs (35) and Tall Oaks Farm (31). Owner-breeder Ivan Dalos was bestowed the E.P. Taylor Award of Merit. His top producer Avie’s Empire (72) captured the outstanding broodmare award in a tight vote over Include Katherine (71) and Sunday Affair (28). Hayley Morrison won for outstanding writing, and Will Wong won for outstanding photograph. The outstanding audio visual/digital broadcast award went to Woodbine Entertainment. Denzil Fonseca, a longtime employee of trainer Mike Doyle, was given the award for outstanding groom.