Sam-Son Farm
Encyclopedia
Sam-Son Farm is a thoroughbred horse racing stable with farms locations in Milton, Ontario
, Canada
and Ocala, Florida
. Originating in the 60's by Ernie Samuel, it began as a home for hunter/jumper
horses. However, in 1971 it became home to its first thoroughbred
race horse and officially entered racing in 1972.
Sam-Son Farm is a five-time winner of the Queen's Plate
, Canada's most important horse race, and a record seven Woodbine Oaks
. In 1991, the stable won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner
after its horses established a new world record
for race earnings. Under trainers Jim Day
, and then Mark Frostad
who took over in 1995, Sam-Son Farm has won eight Sovereign Award
s for outstanding owner and seven for outstanding breeder.
Some of their great thoroughbred racehorses include:
Sam-Son Farm has owned eight horses who were voted Canadian Horse of the Year honors: Dauphin Fabuleux
(1984), Imperial Choice
(1985), Ruling Angel (1985), Dance Smartly (1991), Chief Bearhart (1997-'98), Quiet Resolve
(2000) and Soaring Free
(2004).
The business uses the Milton, Ontario farm as a broodmare installation and maintains a training facility in Ocala, Florida
Following the death of her father in 2000, operations of the farm were taken over by Tammy Samuel-Balaz who died from cancer in 2008 at age forty-seven. Management of the business has been taken over by her husband, Rick Balaz. The Samuel-Balaz Family consisting of Rick Balaz, Kim Samuel Johnson, and Mark Samuel continue to own Sam-Son Farm.
Milton, Ontario
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Milton received a tremendous amount of awareness following the release of the results of the 2006 Census, which indicated that Milton is the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
. Originating in the 60's by Ernie Samuel, it began as a home for hunter/jumper
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
horses. However, in 1971 it became home to its first thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
race horse and officially entered racing in 1972.
Sam-Son Farm is a five-time winner of the Queen's Plate
Queen's Plate
The Queen's Plate is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each summer in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...
, Canada's most important horse race, and a record seven Woodbine Oaks
Woodbine Oaks
The Woodbine Oaks is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Inaugurated in 1956, it is the premier event for Canadian-foaled three-year-old fillies and the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara series....
. In 1991, the stable won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor for racehorse owners. Created in 1971, it is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually.Past winners: -References:* *...
after its horses established a new world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
for race earnings. Under trainers Jim Day
Jim Day
James E. "Jim" Day is a Canadian Olympic equestrian show jumping champion and thoroughbred horse trainer....
, and then Mark Frostad
Mark Frostad
Mark R. Frostad is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse trainer. He grew up with a father who owned a stud farm but before becoming involved in thoroughbred horse racing, Frostad obtained a BA degree in literature from Princeton University then in 1976 an MBA degree from the University of Western Ontario...
who took over in 1995, Sam-Son Farm has won eight Sovereign Award
Sovereign Award
The Sovereign Award is given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada to the outstanding horses and people in Canadian Thoroughbred racing.The most prestigious award for horses is Sovereign Horse of the Year....
s for outstanding owner and seven for outstanding breeder.
Some of their great thoroughbred racehorses include:
- Chief BearhartChief BearhartChief Bearhart is a retired Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. A turf specialist, he won six Sovereign Awards and was voted American Champion Male Turf Horse for 1997.-Background:...
- won the 1997 Breeders' Cup TurfBreeders' Cup TurfThe Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current title sponsor is Emirates Airlines.The forerunner...
and was named the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Male Turf HorseEclipse Award for Outstanding Male Turf HorseThe American Champion Male Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. In 1971 it became part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to a Colt or Gelding, regardless of age, for their performance on grass race courses....
and a two-time Canadian Horse of the YearSovereign Award for Horse of the YearThe Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honor in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing....
; - Classy 'n SmartClassy 'n SmartClassy 'n Smart was a Canadian Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and raced by Sam-Son Farm, she made nine career starts, winning five and running second in three others. Although she was voted the 1984 Canadian Champion 3-Year-Old Filly, her true legacy is as a Champion broodmare....
- Canadian Champion 3-Year-Old FillySovereign Award for Champion 3-Year-Old FillyThe Canadian Champion Three-Year-Old Filly is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing honor created in 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is part of the Sovereign Awards program and is awarded annually to the top 3-Year-Old Filly Thoroughbred horse competing in Canada.-References:*...
(1984), Canadian Broodmare of the YearSovereign Award for Outstanding BroodmareThe Sovereign Award for Outstanding Broodmare is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing honor created in 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is part of the Sovereign Awards program and is a lifetime achievement award given annually to a top broodmare in Canada....
(1991), Canadian Horse Racing Hall of FameCanadian Horse Racing Hall of FameThe Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....
. Dam of Dance Smartly and Smart StrikeSmart StrikeSmart Strike is a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse. The son of the Champion sire, Mr. Prospector, and out of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame mare Classy 'n Smart, Smart Strike is a half-brother to 1991 Canadian Triple Crown champion Dance Smartly.Owned and bred by Sam-Son Farm, on the... - Dance SmartlyDance SmartlyDance Smartly was a Champion Thoroughbred Canadian and U.S. Hall of Fame racemare who went undefeated in 1991 while winning the Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and becoming the first horse bred in Canada to ever win a Breeders' Cup race.Bred in Ontario by Sam-Son Farm, the bay mare...
- undefeated in the 1991 racing season, en route to winning the Breeders' Cup DistaffBreeders' Cup DistaffThe Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Distaff from its inception in 1984 through 2007, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders'...
, she became the only fillyFillyA filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
to ever win the Canadian Triple CrownCanadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred RacingThe Canadian Triple Crown is a series of three Thoroughbred horse races run annually in Canada which is open to three-year-old horses foaled in Canada...
. She won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Filly in North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and in 2003 was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of FameNational Museum of Racing and Hall of FameThe National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
; - DancethruthedawnDancethruthedawnDancethruthedawn is a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse sired by leading United States stallion Mr. Prospector from Dance Smartly, a Canadian Triple Crown Champion mare and inductee of the Canadian and U.S...
- won the 2001 Queens' Plate and the Grade 1Graded stakes raceA graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Go For Wand HandicapGo For Wand HandicapThe Go For Wand Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race established in 1954 for fillies and mares age three and up. Raced at the end of July/early August, it is a Grade II race on dirt at a distance of one and one-eighth miles .Inaugurated in 1954 at Belmont Park as the Maskette Stakes in...
at Saratoga Race CourseSaratoga Race CourseSaratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John... - Regal ClassicRegal ClassicRegal Classic is a Canadian Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Sam-Son Farm, he was by the highly successful sire, Vice Regent and out of Sam-Son Farm's foundation mare, No Class...
– Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old ColtSovereign Award for Champion 2-Year-Old Male HorseThe Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old Coltis a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada, it is part of the Sovereign Awards program and is awarded annually to the top 2-Year-Old male Thoroughbred horse competing in Canada.Past winners: -References:*... - Sky ClassicSky ClassicSky Classic is a Canadian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse. A son of U.K. Triple Crown champion Nijinsky, in 1989 Sky Classic won the Sovereign Award for Champion 2-Year-Old Male Horse in Canada but injuries kept him out for the most of the 1990 racing season.Back racing on grass in 1991, Sky...
- Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old Colt (1989), Canadian Champion Male Turf HorseSovereign Award for Champion Male Turf HorseThe Canadian Champion Male Turf Horse is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing honor that is part of the Sovereign Awards program awarded annually to the top 2-Year-Old male Thoroughbred horse competing in Canada...
, Canadian Champion Older Male HorseSovereign Award for Champion Older Male HorseThe Canadian Champion Older Male Horse is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada, it is part of the Sovereign Awards program and is awarded annually to the top horse four years or older competing in Canada....
(1991), and the Eclipse AwardEclipse AwardThe Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
in the United States for American Champion Male Turf HorseEclipse Award for Outstanding Male Turf HorseThe American Champion Male Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. In 1971 it became part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to a Colt or Gelding, regardless of age, for their performance on grass race courses....
(1992) - Smart StrikeSmart StrikeSmart Strike is a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse. The son of the Champion sire, Mr. Prospector, and out of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame mare Classy 'n Smart, Smart Strike is a half-brother to 1991 Canadian Triple Crown champion Dance Smartly.Owned and bred by Sam-Son Farm, on the...
- multiple Graded stakes raceGraded stakes raceA graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
winner, Leading sire in North AmericaLeading sire in North AmericaThe list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...
(2007, 2008), sire of Curlin and English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
.
Sam-Son Farm has owned eight horses who were voted Canadian Horse of the Year honors: Dauphin Fabuleux
Dauphin Fabuleux
Dauphin Fabuleux is a Canadian Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame member, Don McClelland, he was purchased for $77,000 at the 1983 CTHS yearling auction by Sam-Son Farm....
(1984), Imperial Choice
Imperial Choice
Imperial Choice is a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by E. P. Taylor at his Windfields Farm, his dam was Your My Choice, whose sire Barachois was a son of the 20th Century's most important sire, Northern Dancer...
(1985), Ruling Angel (1985), Dance Smartly (1991), Chief Bearhart (1997-'98), Quiet Resolve
Quiet Resolve
Quiet Resolve was a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Ontario who was voted the 2000 Canadian Horse of the Year.A turf specialist, the son of U.S. Triple Crown Champion Affirmed set a new track record for 8.5 furlongs at Keeneland Race Course...
(2000) and Soaring Free
Soaring Free
Soaring Free is a retired Canadian Champion Thoroughbred racehorse who was bred and raced by one of Canada's leading Thoroughbred operations, Sam-Son Farm. He was out of the mare Dancing With Wings, a daughter of three-time Champion Sire, Danzig...
(2004).
The business uses the Milton, Ontario farm as a broodmare installation and maintains a training facility in Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
Following the death of her father in 2000, operations of the farm were taken over by Tammy Samuel-Balaz who died from cancer in 2008 at age forty-seven. Management of the business has been taken over by her husband, Rick Balaz. The Samuel-Balaz Family consisting of Rick Balaz, Kim Samuel Johnson, and Mark Samuel continue to own Sam-Son Farm.