Canadian Horse of the Year is Uncaptured
Uncaptured was voted as Canada's Horse of the Year at the 38th Sovereign Awards gala at Woodbine last weekend.
He was the first two year old to be voted Horse of the Year since Ruling Angle took the title in 1986. Uncaptured, who has had a thundering career so far, including two graded stakes at Churchill Downs, was also named winner in his Two Year Old Male division.
In addition, he won the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Clubs Stakes and the Grade 3 Iroquois titles at Churchill Downs.
Two finalists for Horse of the Year were Strait of Dover, a three year old, and Hunters Bay.
Sovereign Awards Pay Tribute to Canada Racing
The Sovereign Awards honor the very best horses, riders and trainers in the Canadian Thoroughbred industry, and the recent awards covered 2012.
Three finalists in each of the 16 divisions are traditionally announced by the Jockey Club of Canada in January, based on an online ballot.
The Canadian Horse of the Year Uncaptured is owned by John Oxley, and was trained by Mark Casse and bred by Bill Graham. All three men won Sovereign Awards in their own categories.
It was his fifth Sovereign Award for Casse, who also trained the recipients of three other awards, including the two year old filly Spring in the Air.
Casse was quoted as saying: "To be able to have horses like these is quite special. But, of course, I couldn't do it without the owners and I wouldn't be here without the tremendous staff we have."
Horse Racing in Canada
The horse racing industry in Canada is a very lucrative one and is one of the most attended sports in the country, with millions wagered on races each year.
The horse racing industry in Canada generates around 47,000 full time jobs and contributes $5.7 billion annually to the country's economy. There are around 45,000 horses active in the racing sector.
Ontario represents the largest provincial sector, with more than 68% of the total racing opportunities.
The Jockey Club of Canada oversees thoroughbred racing in Canada and was founded in 1973. It has been holding the Sovereign Awards for nearly 40 years and is responsible for the Canadian Graded Stakes Committee. This committee meets annually to review open thoroughbred races where races need to offer a minimum purse determined by the committee.
Woodbine Racetrack is the preferred destination for the vast majority of Canadian graded stakes races.