#HORSERACING: A YEAR IN HORSES 2023

What a year 2023 has been for Canadian racing! For the first time in a while Horse of the Year title in Canada looks a bit of a headscratcher. Why? Because the spotlight shone on several stars this year. Not a bad problem at all!

Woodbine-based mare FEV ROVER won not one but two Grade I races, the E.P. Taylor and the Beverly D. north and south of the border respectively, which in any other year would make her a shoe-in for consideration. Let’s not forget a very impressive third in the Grade I Diana at Saratoga as well. She has kept reigning Horse of the Year MOIRA at bay, only for us to see that champion filly surpass her and run a bang-up third in the Breeders’ Cup against the world’s best after being close-up all year.

Sprinter PATCHES O’HOULIHAN won an incredible six races, each one escalating in difficulty for the same connections who brought us the unforgettable Pink Lloyd. He is showing many reminders of that same brilliance Pink had… and at only three years old. But otherwise the three-year-old male division is far from having one singular leader. TOUCH’N RIDE won both the Breeders’ Stakes and Grade III Ontario Derby through disqualifaction, while PARAMOUNT PRINCE strung together a pair of dazzling efforts this Summer in the nation’s most prestigious affair, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the King’s Plate and its precursor, the Plate Trial.

The three-year-old filly division is led by the tough ELYSIAN FIELD who won the Woodbine Oaks, but a valiant second in both the Queen’s Plate and Breeders’ Stakes against males. Her stablemate SOLO ALBUM also had a strong campaign, winning the Grade III Selene Stakes and then the Ontario Derby against males before being disqualified. She capped it off finishing second against older competition in the Maple Leaf Stakes behind the consistent older filly MILLIE GIRL who is one of the standouts of her own division.

In the two-year-old male division, there is the promising MY BOY PRINCE who has proven himself locally with dominance, and also on a world stage running second in the Grade I Summer Stakes and a third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

The older male division also sees several vying for the throne including TYSON, who had a great summer campaign taking the Grade II Seagram Cup and Grade III Dominion Day Stakes, en route to running third in the U.S. in the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Champion older filly/mare Sprinter division sees LOYALTY at its summit, winning both the Grade III Hendrie and Grade II Bessarabian Stakes, consistent throughout the whole season and improving further from her sophomore season.

The race for the nation’s top jockey, while competitive, once again goes to KAZUSHI KIMURA with almost $7 million in earnings, though SAHIN CIVACI had a career best season at Woodbine, close behind him. And how about these apprentices? The future is looking bright with new talents Amanda Vandermeersch, Sofia Vives, Rachel Slevinsky, Fraser Aebly and Pietro Moran all having great seasons, making their presences felt.

MARK CASSE and team also continue their domination, winning a whopping $7.6 million in purse money at Woodbine in 2023, almost doubling the earnings of a second Team KEVIN ATTARD, who had a great year also with $3.9 million in earnings.

Let’s look back together at what’s been a highly competitive year in 2023, with highlights from Woodbine and a short visit to Saratoga where we got to see racing’s biggest stars, including Cody’s Wish and White Abarrio!

Wishing you and your loved ones a restful Holiday. While we can’t wait for the 2024 season, a break is in good order!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)