FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 19, 2025

E. P. Taylor Award of Merit, Special Sovereign, Outstanding Groom, and Outstanding Off-track Worker Award Winners, and Sovereign Awards Finalists Announced for the 2024 Sovereign Awards

The Jockey Club of Canada is pleased to announce that the E. P. Taylor Award of Merit will be presented to Roger Attfield during the 50^th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony on the evening of Thursday, April 24, 2025 in Woodbridge, Ontario. Selected unanimously by the Jockey Club of Canada’s Stewards, the E. P. Taylor Award of Merit is a lifetime achievement award honouring those who have made significant contributions to the thoroughbred industry in Canada and accomplished outstanding individual achievements in Canadian thoroughbred racing and breeding. An honoured member of both the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Mr. Attfield has experienced decades of success, including having trained three Canadian Triple Crown winners in Izvestia, With Approval, and Peteski, and is a well-respected ambassador for Canadian horse racing and breeding.

The Jockey Club of Canada is pleased to announce that there will be two winners of the Special Sovereign Award; both Emma-Jayne Wilson and Moira will be recognized during the 50^th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony. Selected unanimously by the Jockey Club of Canada’s Stewards, the Special Sovereign Award recognizes a particular achievement within a given year. The honour is being bestowed upon Emma-Jayne for surpassing Julie Krone’s purse earnings record and continuing to be a bold ambassador for Canadian horse racing, and Moira for her outstanding achievements on the race course and in the sales ring in 2024.

The Jockey Club of Canada is proud to present Victor James with the 2024 Outstanding Groom Award sponsored by OLG and Ian Dick with the Outstanding Off-track Worker Award. Both Victor and Ian are spoken of very highly by their nominators, Josie Carroll and Colleen Dalos, respectively.

With over twenty-five years as a groom for trainer Josie Carroll, Victor James exhibits outstanding loyalty and dedication. Groom for champions such as Ami’s Gizmo, Serenading, and Tyson, Victor has also overseen the running of trainer Josie Carroll’s barn.

A veteran of the thoroughbred racing scene in Ontario, Ian Dick has been the manager of Buttigieg Training Centre for many years after taking a position there as assistant manager in 2013. Some of the outstanding runners which have benefited from his time and care include Paramount Prince, Patches O’Houlihan, and Pink Lloyd.

The Jockey Club of Canada is also pleased to announce the finalists for the 2024 Sovereign Awards and 2024 Media Sovereign Awards categories.

2024 Sovereign Awards Finalists

The finalists in each of the following categories are listed in alphabetical order.

Champion Two-Year-Old Female

Aristella

Nitrogen

Souper Supreme

Champion Two-Year-Old Male

Dream On

He’s Not Joking

Scorching

Champion Three-Year-Old Female

Avana

Caitlinhergrtness

Kin’s Concerto

Stormcast

Champion Three-Year-Old Male

August Rain

Dresden Row

My Boy Prince

Champion Older Main Track Female

Big Hug

Elysian Field

Fashionably Fab

Champion Older Main Track Male

Apprehend

Paramount Prince

Wicked Django

Champion Female Turf Horse

Fev Rover (Ire)

Full Count Felicia

Stormcast

Champion Male Turf Horse

Cruden Bay

Filo Di Arianna (BRZ)

Patches O’Houlihan

Champion Female Sprinter

Gal in a Rush

Play the Music

Stormcast

Champion Male Sprinter

Filo Di Arianna (BRZ)

My Boy Prince

Patches O’Houlihan

Outstanding Broodmare

Dancing Allstar

Executive Affair

Platinum Steel

Outstanding Breeder

Adena Springs

Anderson Farms Ont. Inc.

Chiefswood Stables Limited

Outstanding Owner

Barber, Gary

Chiefswood Stables Limited

Schickedanz, Bruno

Outstanding Trainer

Attard, Kevin

Carroll, Josie

Casse, Mark E.

Outstanding Apprentice Jockey

Aebly, Fraser

Moran, Pietro

Vives, Sofia

Outstanding Jockey

Civaci, Sahin

Hernandez, Rafael Manuel

Husbands, Patrick

Horse of the Year

The Horse of the Year finalists will be announced during the 50^th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony.

Judging for the Media Awards is performed by media professionals within the industry selected from across North America and the United Kingdom.

Listed in alphabetical order, the Media finalists are:

Digital Audio/Visual and Broadcast Category

·        Peter Gross – Podcast Episode 233

·        Horse Racing Alberta – Women in Thoroughbred Racing

·        Goh Iromoto – The Long Run

Photograph Category

• Skip Dickstein – Magnificent Moira, Winner’s Jubilation

• Barbara D. Livingston – Moira

• Mary Jane Sibbitt – Right Way/Wrong Way

Writing Category

·        Mike McIntyre – Resolve and Reinvention at a Gallop

• Jennifer Morrison - Trials, Tears and Canada's Queen of Racing

·        Joe Nevills - 'She Means Everything': Attard Team Says A Long, Short Goodbye To Moira At Fasig-Tipton November Sale

The winner of each category, along with Canada’s Horse of the Year for 2024, will be announced during our milestone the 50^th Annual Sovereign Awards Ceremony on the evening of Thursday, April 24, 2025 at Paramount Eventspace in Woodbridge, Ontario.

Please call or email us for more information and to reserve your tickets today! Tickets can also be purchased online at: https://jockeyclubcanada.com/online-payments/.

Current Sovereign Award Sponsors



The Jockey Club of Canada was founded in 1973 by E. P. Taylor to serve as the international representative of the Canadian Thoroughbred industry. The mission of The Jockey Club of Canada is to promote and maintain a high standard for Thoroughbred racing and breeding in Canada at a level which is recognized internationally for the benefit of all those interested in the sport, including the general public. This is achieved through operations and services such as, but not limited to: evaluating all Graded, Listed and Black-type races in Canada annually; conducting the annual Sovereign Awards for outstanding achievement in Thoroughbred racing and breeding in Canada; maintaining a field office in Canada for the Jockey Club of the United States and the Jockey Club Registry Service; and by representing Canada as a Member of the IFHA.

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For more information on The Jockey Club of Canada’s annual Sovereign Awards Ceremony contact (416) 675-7756 or [email protected].