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update 10:53 p.m.


Champions - Danny Dion, Reade Baker and Fatal Bullet (photo by Amber Chalfin)



COURTESY BLOOD-HORSE.COM

34^TH SOVEREIGN AWARDS

FATAL BULLET NAMED CANADIAN HORSE OF THE YEAR

The ‘Bear’ is named owner

By Jennifer Morrison

It was only six years ago that Danny Dion purchased his first racehorse, a claiming runner that eventually got him hooked on the thoroughbred game.

On Dec. 12 at a lavish ceremony in downtown Toronto, Canada, the Quebec-born Albertan won his first Sovereign Awards honouring Canada’s racing finest.

Dion’s Fatal Bullet was named Canada’s Horse of the Year and champion sprinter, Bear Now, whom Dion recently sold for $950,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Breeding Stock sale was named champion older mare on the main track and his Bear Stables, Ltd. was named outstanding owner for 2008.

"It's the Bear invasion of Toronto," said Dion, who admittedly was stunned by the owner of the year and Horse of the Year awards.

"It is amazing, I really was not expecting owner and Horse of the Year (for Fatal Bullet)."

Bear Stables runners won stakes races in Alberta, Ontario and Kentucky and his Canadian starters earned purses in excess of $1.5 million (statistics provided by the Jockey Club of Canada).

Dion, who now resides in Bonnyville, Alberta, is president and founder of Bear Slashing, an oil exploration and mulching business in his home province.

Three-year-old Fatal Bullet, purchased for just $27,000 (U.S.) at the 2007 Adena Spring Two-Year-Old in Training sale in Ocala, Florida, won six of eight starts this year including the Grade III Kentucky Cup Sprint at Turfway Park.

It was the bay gelding’s brave second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) to champion Midnight Lute on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita Park that was one of the most impressive efforts by a Canadian-based horse during the year.

Fatal Bullet ( Red Bullet-Sararegal, by Regal Classic is trained by Reade Baker and is currently in California prepping for the Malibu Stakes (GI) at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

Baker also trained Bear Now, a finalist for champion 3-year-old filly in 2007, who won the Grade III Kentucky Cup Distaff at Turfway Park on the same day Fatal Bullet won the Kentucky Cup Sprint.

A Tiznow-Controlled, In Excess 4-year-old, Bear Now also won the Ontario Matron and Hill ‘n’ Dale Stakes at Woodbine in 2008.

Bear Now is expected to race in 2009 for Town & Country Farm.

Fatal Bullet collected 177 voting points (from 62 voters based on a 4-2-1 point system) to beat out the champion turf male Rahy’s Attorney (76 points) for the Horse of the Year trophy.

Rahy’s Attorney won the Grade I Woodbine Mile over stars such as Ventura and Kip Deville, at Woodbine in September. Owned and bred by Ellie-Boje Farm of Joe and Ellen MacLellan, Rahy’s Attorney (Crown Attorney-Rahy’s Hope, by Rahy) also won the Connaught Cup (Can-IIIT) and his two wins in eight starts earned the 4-year-old gelding a total of $822,837 (Can.).

Rahy’s Attorney was trained by Ian Black.

Not Bourbon, the Ontario-sired winner of the Queen’s Plate, was named the champion 3-year-old male for owner and breeder Charles Fipke. The Not Impossible – Bourbon Belle, by Storm Boot) chestnut colt, trained by Roger Attfield, won four of eight races including the restricted Queen, Plate Trial and Overskate Stakes for earnings of $890,000.

Ginger Brew, owned and bred by Stronach Stables and trained by Brian Lynch, was almost unanimous as the champion 3-year-old filly at the Sovereign Awards.

The Milwaukee Brew – Coral Necklace, Conquistador Cielo filly won the Woodbine Oaks, Calder Oaks and Jammed Lovely Stakes and was second beaten only a neck in the Plate to Not Bourbon.

Mine That Bird was bought for just $9,500 (U.S.) by owner/trainer Dave Cotey on behalf of his Dominion Bloodstock and Derek Ball and Hugh Galbreath and was named champion 2-year-old male.

Cotey and co. watched Mine That Bird win three stakes races including the Grey Breeders’ Cup Stakes (GIII).

Mine That Bird was sold privately to Double Eagle Farm before the Birdstone-Mining My Own, Mining) gelding finished 12^th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Richard Day’s homebred 2-year-old filly Van Lear Rose (Stroll-Devaluation by Conquistador Cielo) won the Mazarine Stakes (Can-III) and was named champion juvenile filly. She was trained by Day’s sister Catherine Day Phillips.

Irish-bred Callwood Dancer, owned by Harlequin Ranches and trained by Attfield, was named champion turf female based on a victory in the Nassau Stakes (Can-IIT) and second-place finishes in the Grade I-T E.P. Taylor Stakes and Canadian Stakes (Can-IIT). The 4-year-old is by Danehill Dancer – Ahdaab, by Rahy).

Marchfield, owned and bred by Eugene Melynk on Ontario, was named outstanding older horse on the main track and won the Autumn Stakes (Can-II).

The 4-year-old is by A.P. Indy out of Pico Teneriffe by Red Ransom.

Mark Casse, who trains Marchfield, won his third consecutive Sovereign award for outstanding trainer, edging out Attfield.

Jockey Patrick Husbands was a narrow winner for outstanding jockey over Jim McAleney - his sixth such award.

Winnipeg apprentice rider Janine Stainson was named the top bug rider.

Adena Springs won its fourth consecutive breeder title and Kathie’s Colleen, owned and bred by Gus Schickedanz, was named outstanding broodmare, a lifetime achievement award.

Kathie’s Colleen, by Woodman, produced 2003 Horse of the Year Wando and 2008 stakes placed mare Half Sister.

34TH SOVEREIGN AWARDS

Honouring the best in Canadian horse racing 2008

HORSE OF THE YEAR

Fatal Bullet

CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY

Van Lear Rose

CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE

Mine That Bird

CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD MALE

Not Bourbon

CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY

Ginger Brew

CHAMPION OLDER FEMALE on the main track

Bear Now

CHAMPION OLDER MALE HORSE

Marchfield

CHAMPION SPRINTER

Fatal Bullet

CHAMPION MALE TURF HORSE

Rahy’s Attorney

CHAMPION FEMALE TURF HORSE

Callwood Dancer (Ire)

OUTSTANDING JOCKEY

Patrick Husbands

OUTSTANDING APPRENTICE JOCKEY

Janine Stainson

OUTSTANDING TRAINER

Mark Casse

OUTSTANDING OWNER

Bear Stables, Ltd.

OUTSTANDING BREEDER

Adena Springs

OUTSTANDING BROODMARE

Kathie’s Colleen

OUTSTANDING PHOTOGRAPH

Matt Waples

OUTSTANDING FILM/VIDEO/BROADCAST

HORSE RACING ALBERTA & WHITEIRON

PRODUCTIONS

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER STORY

Bev Smith

OUTSTANDING FEATURE STORY

Peter Gross