Keeneland represented by Canadian champions

Keeneland sales and racing are represented by several winners of 2021 Sovereign Awards, Canadian racing’s highest honors that were presented last night.

Larry Cordes’ Mighty Heart, named Horse of the Year for the second consecutive year, is stabled with trainer Josie Carroll at Keeneland, where he is to race in the April 23 Ben Ali (G3). Mighty Heart’s sire, Dramedy, won Keeneland’s Dixiana Elkhorn (G2) in 2015.

“I’m glad he got it,” said Sue Lorimer, Carroll’s assistant who was here this time last year when Mighty Heart was named Canada’s Horse of the Year for the first time. “He is going to have a work here this weekend, and he will get started back here like he did last year.” 

Other Sovereign winners with Keeneland connections are:
 

• Champion 2-year-old male God of Love (by Cupid) sold as a weanling for $77,000 at the 2019 November Breeding Stock Sale and sold for $9,000 at the 2020 September Yearling Sale.
• Champion 3-year-old filly Munnyfor Ro (by Munnings) sold for $65,000 at the 2019 September Sale.
• Champion female sprinter Amalfi Coast (by Tapizar) sold as a weanling for $475,000 at the 2021 November Sale.
• Champion main track female Skygaze (by American Pharoah) sold for $300,000 at the 2018 September Sale.

Other winners with success at Keeneland include Mark Casse (trainer), Live Oak Plantation (owner) and Ivan Dalos (E.P. Taylor Award of Merit).

Casse has won 25 Keeneland stakes. Live Oak has won seven stakes, including the 2011 Toyota Blue Grass (G1) with Brilliant Speed. Dalos raced Ami’s Flatter to win the 2016 Commonwealth (G3) and Avie’s Flatter to win the 2019 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3).