She may have her quirks but bossy 3-year-old filly MOIRA is a raw talent who obliterated her rivals in the 67th Woodbine Oaks on July 24, stamping herself a Queen’s Plate contender.
What a day it was for Ontario racing as the rain held off, the crowd was a good one and some $10.1 million was wagered on 11 races, crushing last year’s Oaks day total of $6.7 million.
Even with her pre-race antics in which she reared up in the saddling enclosure, and mucked up her two hind shoes that ultimately had to be removed, Moira made a bold run between fillies nearing the quarter-pole under jockey Rafael Hernandez, moving from well back behind a strong pace to sweep three wide to the lead before the head of the stretch run. From there, the daughter of Ghostzapper – Devine Aida by Unbridled’s Song took off to win by 10 3/4 lengths, one of the biggest winning margins in Oaks history.
