Soaring Free named Canadian Horse of the Year

Soaring Free was only 2 1/4 lengths back of the Breeders’ Cup Mile winner (Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com)

A year after being honored as champion sprinter in Canada, SOARING FREE
(Smart Strike) took that country’s top award when he was named Horse of the Year
at Friday night’s Sovereign Award ceremony in Ontario. The Sam-Son Farm homebred
captured the Atto Mile (Can-G1) and Scotts Highland H. (Can-G3), as well as
defended his title in the Play the King H. (Can-G3) and Ontario Jockey Club S.
this season. The five-year-old, who was also named champion male turf horse,
scored in Keeneland’s Shakertown S. (G3) and, in all , won six of his eight
starts in 2004 to move his mark to 22-13-3-0. He made his last start a close
fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) in October.

Sam-Son Farms took outstanding owner and breeder honors, while jockey Todd
Kabel and trainer Robert Tiller topped their respective categories. Corey Fraser
was named champion apprentice jockey.

ONE FOR ROSE (Tejano Run) took home champion older mare honors for a second
straight year after defending her title in the Maple Leaf S. (Can-G3) as well as
winning the Seagram Cup, Ontario Matron H. and Algoma S. INISH GLORA (Regal
Classic) also earned consecutive titles when she was named champion turf mare
again. The bay mare won three of her five starts in 2004, including the Nassau
S. (Can-G3), and finished second in the other two. MOBIL (Langfuhr), a two-time
Grade 3 winner in Canada, took champion older male honors, while BLONDE
EXECUTIVE (Bold Executive) took over champion sprinter from Soaring Free.