Sovereign Awards > Rules & Regulations 2007

Rules of Eligibility, Selection & Distribution 2007

1.  Sovereign Awards will be presented in the following divisional categories:

• Champion Two-Year-Old Male
• Champion Two Year-Old Filly
• 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 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 3 year old and up,  prior to the date of the distribution of ballots during the year in which the Award is earned.  This rule applies to both Canadian-bred and foreign-bred horses. 

2.  Daily Racing Form, past performance charts are provided on the most logical eligible contenders in each divisional category based on their performance up to the weekend before the distribution of ballots.  Voters may vote for any horse whether or not a past performance chart has been included, provided the horse has made the required number of starts prior to the cutoff date.

3.   Sovereign Awards of Merit will be presented in the following categories:

• Outstanding Canadian Owner
• Outstanding Trainer
• Outstanding Breeder
• Outstanding Jockey
• Outstanding Apprentice Jockey

In each category a minimum number 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 placing in the top ten based on total number of wins and total earnings to the end of the 31st day of October.  The Jockey Club of Canada will strongly endeavor 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 individual or entity has made 10 starts in Canada prior to the 31st day of October in the current year.

4. Statistical information or past performance charts will be available online at www.jockeyclubcanada.com for all eligible voters.  Voters are free to vote for any eligible contender, whether or not a statistical profile is provided. The finalists in all categories will be determined by a point system.  An authorized accounting firm will conduct an audit of the online balloting process and release the names of the three finalists in each category to the Jockey Club of Canada for announcement.

5.  The Jockey Club of Canada's Board of Stewards will select the recipient(s) of the:                                                        

• E. P.  Taylor Award of Merit (formerly the Man of the Year Award)
• Special Sovereign Award(s)

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

6.  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 previously been honoured with a Sovereign Award for Outstanding Broodmare is ineligible for future consideration.  The following broodmares have claimed the title of champion:

1975 - Reasonable Wife 1988 - Polite Lady 2001 - Dance Smartly 1976 - Northern Minx 1989 - Passing Mood 2002 - First Class Gal 1977 - Doris White 1990 - Shy Spirit 2003  - Radiant Ring 1978 - Fanfreluche 1991 - Classy 'N Smart 2004 - Annasan 1979 - Fitz's Fancy 1992 - Ballade 2005 - Native Rights 1980 - Hangin Round 1993 - Bold Debra 2006 - Dream Smartly 1981 - Native Flower 1994 - Rainbow Connection 1982 - Yonnie Girl 1995 - Sea Regent 1983 - Two Rings 1996 - Amelia Bearhart 1984 - Friendly Ways 1997 - Charming Sassafras 1985 - No Class 1998 - Fleet Courage 1986 - Loudrangle 1999 - Sharpening Up 1987 - Arctic Vixen 2000 - Primarily

7.   The privilege of voting for the Sovereign Awards is extended to individuals serving in industry positions such as senior racing officials, racing journalists and commentators, as well as provincial representatives of the Breeding and Horsemen’s organizations.  If you have ownership interests in a horse in any of the categories please do not vote in those categories.

8.  Voters must cast their ballots online at www.jockeyclubcanada.com.

9.   Sovereign Awards will be presented in the following media categories: 

• Film/Video/Broadcast

Feature Story

• Newspaper Article
• Photograph

Entries should display outstanding achievement in the coverage of Canadian Thoroughbred racing and must have been published or aired for the first time during the time period specified for any given year.  Submissions for media awards consideration must be: of Canadian Thoroughbred racing or breeding content.  The Jockey Club of Canada as the right to refuse submissions that are not deemed to possess enough Canadian content.  Submissions must have been published for the first time in a media outlet recognized by the Jockey Club of Canada, between November 1 of the previous year and October 31 of the current year. Submissions must be received in The Jockey Club of Canada office no later than the deadline posted for that year.  There is no entry fee, but a covering letter is requested stating the author’s wish to submit the body of work for consideration, publication information and contact information.

Newspaper Articles – Submission guidelines for works in this category are the following:  timely hard news articles, columns and opinion pieces, essays and viewpoints.

Feature Story – Submission guidelines for works in this category are: Articles not written on an overnight deadline; Articles involving concentrated background research; Biographical profiles and expository pieces.

No one-on-one interviews, group interviews or Q&A submissions will be accepted in either the Newspaper Article or Feature Story categories.

Fiction or entries that constitute a commercial application (e.g., advertisements, publicity or promotions) are not eligible in any category.

Within each category of writing, authors may submit a multi-part series of no more than three (3) related articles that were published simultaneously on the same date (i.e. stories that together cover different aspects of an issue) OR covered a single theme over the course of several issues of an individual publication.  Please note, a theme is not “the year in horse racing” nor is it a collection of columns from a race meet.

Print submissions (news/commentary writing, feature writing and photography) must have been published in a paid-circulation publication OR on the Internet on a web site that is the same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication or recognized broadcast new organization.   

Television entries must have aired on a commercial or public television station.

Film/Video/Broadcast entries must have aired on a commercial or public radio station or been broadcast on the Internet on a site that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication or recognized broadcast news organization.

10.  Contestants in the media categories are limited to one submission per category.  In the event that more than one submission is received in any category, the author or photographer or producer/director will be asked to decide which submission should be entered.

11  The responsibility for judging the media awards will be given to individuals who:  have experience in the discipline they are judging and have been involved or acquainted with Thoroughbred racing and breeding; have no direct affiliation with any entrants within that category. 

12.  Judges will be sent the submissions in the Outstanding Feature Story, Newspaper Article, and Photograph by courier. The submissions in the aforementioned categories will bear no reference to author/photographer or the publication in which those submission(s) appeared. Film/Video/Broadcast submissions will be transferred to one VHS tape if possible and sent to judges for viewing.

13.  The three finalists in the media categories will be determined by a point system.  An authorized accounting firm will conduct the ballot tabulation. 

14.  Judges will be sent the submissions in the media categories in early November. 

15 The names of the winners of each individual award will not be revealed until the time of presentation.  Voters & Judges selections will not be disclosed.  However, the point totals in all categories with the exception of the media categories will be released following the presentation.

16.  The names and pertinent information on the three finalists in all categories will be available to the public and press no less than five days before the awards ceremony.  Such information will be included in the Sovereign Awards program distributed at the dinner.

17.  The annual Sovereign Awards dinner will be held in December at a major hotel or convention center in the Toronto area unless otherwise stipulated by the Board of Stewards of the Jockey Club of Canada.

18. For the purposes of the awards, a partnership will be considered as a single individual and the name of the partnership will be noted on any citation.  Individuals in partnerships may purchase additional trophies and gold sovereigns at a cost to be determined by the Board of Stewards of the Jockey Club of Canada.

19.  Only one Sovereign Award trophy is to be presented to an individual in his or her lifetime.  Any subsequent awards are to be noted by the addition of a gold sovereign plus a plaque for the original trophy.  Breeders will receive only a plaque.

20.  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 or person is named champion in more than one category this is to be noted on a plaque to be affixed to the base of the trophy. 

21.  The recipient of the divisional horse awards shall be the owner of the horse at the time of the awards presentation 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.

22. The owner of the Outstanding Broodmare at the time of the awards presentation shall be the only recipient of that Award. 

23.  The name of the Horse of the Year, and the name of the recipient of the E. P. Taylor Award of Merit (formerly the Man of the Year Award) will be engraved on a plaque 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.

 

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