SNOW BUSINESS

Sovereign Award night was a big one for EUGENE MELNYK (seen here at the awards dinner with Eric Chartier of Nobleton Feed Mill).

Buried here in northwest Brampton under a growing blanket of snow, things are quiet now that Woodbine has been over for one week, the Sovereign Awards are done and Christmas is in just over a week.

Lots of comments regarding the Sovereign Awards and sometimes, the comments don’t get published simply because of a computer glitch or computer operator glitch.

Canadian horses and people are already starting to collect wins south of the border (see below)

STERWINS WIN STAKE IN ORLEANS

Melnyk roll continues

One day after cleaning up at the Sovereign Awards for Canada’s top horses and horsepeople, Eugene Melnyk watched his homebred Runaway Groom colt STERWINS win the Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds yesterday, his 2^nd stakes win.

The grey has won 5 of 13 races and $432,000. He won the With Approval Stakes at Woodbine this year.

Sterwins, trained by Malcolm Pierce, won the about 1 1/16 mile turf race by a length. No Beyer Figure was available yet this morning.

Sweet Vale won $675 in her racing career when unplaced in 3 starts. She is also the dam of allowance winner Steward Hill.

Speaking of Pierce, the guy owns Fair Grounds it seems.

He won with PECTORALIS MAJOR yesterday in a non-winners of 1 ‘other than’ race on turf for fillies and mares, The Unbridled’s Song mare was 0 for 12 at Woodbine and lost many times as the favourite.

She goes to Fair Grounds? She wins.

LANGFUHR IN PARADISE

Paradise Dancer became the newest graded stakes winner for Canadian bred sire LANGFUHR when he battled back to win the Kenny Noe Jr (G3) yesterday at Calder on a big day of stakes action in Florida.

Paradise Dancer, a 7-year-old, is out of the Canadian mare Ruckus Ridge, a daughter of Bold Ruckus and Eden Ridge. Eden Ridge is also the dam of Canadian producers Edirne, etc. and is out of Pam’s Paradise, from the D. Morgan Firestone bloodlines.

Paradise Dancer ran a 102 Beyer Figure.

He has won over $528,000.

COUNTRY STAR ‘NEXT DERBY WINNER’

Jockey Rafael Bejarano exclaimed that yesterday’s Hollywood Starlet winner COUNTRY STAR (Empire Maker out of Grade 1 winner Rings of Chime) is the ‘next Kentucky Derby winner’ after she won the 1 1/16 mile race on Cushion track yesterday in track record time.

Her Beyer Figure was a decent 92.

(Photo from Charles Pravata, his images can be viewed on Flikr)

From the Nation Newspaper in Barbados..

Royal winners

Published on: 12/16/07. TORONTO – Ace Barbadian reinsman Patrick Husbands was a shoe-in for his fifth Sovereign Award as Canada's Jockey Of The Year.

Husbands, his stable boss and top trainer Mark Casse, associate and Barbados-based owner Eugene Melnyk, as well as his "wonder horse" Sealy Hill carried away the marquee prizes when the list of award winners was announced at the glitzy awards ceremony Friday night at the Westin Harbour Castle.

The 34-year-old Husbands, known to friends and close acquaintances as "Bommel", won races in bunches this season at Woodbine, Canada's premier racing oval, leading all Canadian jockeys in total wins (149), total stakes wins (21), and total purse earnings of CAN$8.8 million.

Husbands, winner of the award four straight seasons between 1999 and 2002, won at a 20 per cent rate which is an impressive figure considering he rode in over 700 races this season.

"It's nice to be back on top. I would consider this to be my best season at Woodbine because of the quality of the wins I had. I have won more races and money before, but not as many prestigious victories as I have had this year. It's just been great," Husbands said yesterday.

Special horse

"Sealy Hill is very, very intelligent. It's a special horse and it's by far the best filly I have ever ridden."

The highlight of Husbands' season included a Triple Tiara (Labatt Woodbine Oaks, Bison City Stakes, Wonder Where Stakes) sweep with the Melnyk-owned, Casse-trained Sealy Hill which won three Sovereign Awards.

Husbands also logged a Coronation Futurity upset aboard Kesagami and an added-money double with rising star, Officer Cherrie.

He achieved all of this against the backdrop of the death of his mentor and father figure Tommy Pierce in his native Barbados, and doctors warning him that he should slow down because of problems with his heart.

Father figure

"He was a father figure to me. He stepped in to admirably play the role of a father after my dad (Walter) passed away when I was just 18. Had it not been for Tommy, I would not be where I am today."

Husbands collected 173 votes with female jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson second with 62 votes, and top Trinidad and Tobago rider Emile Ramsammy and Mario Gutierrez tied for third with 21 votes.

The 45-year-old Casse, for whom Husbands is the main stable jockey, enjoyed a career-best year at Woodbine, where he saddled 84 winners – 15 more than his previous high for a meet set five years ago – and walked away with the Sovereign Award For Outstanding Trainer.

He finished with 24 wins more than his nearest pursuer, and he was equally dominant with his stakes runners, winning 13, thanks in the main to Husbands, including the Labatt Woodbine Oaks with Sealy Hill. (CMC)