Two Canadian Horses of the Year battled to the wire at Colonial Downs in Sunday’s Beverly D (G2) Stakes and it was Ontario-bred MOIRA who edged FEV ROVER (Ire) in the $500,000, a Win and You’re In event for the Breeders’ Cup.
Moira, trained by Kevin Attard, found herself in New Kent, Virginia on August 11 after scratching from Woodbine’s Canadian Stakes (G2) on Saturday. Colonial Downs’ big card of racing was scheduled for Aug. 10 but heavy rain from Tropical Storm Debby led to the races being postponed by a day. The track had all sorts of issues on Sunday as well with several delays that led to races running more than one hour past the scheduled post times.
But the Canadian gals put on a show in the 1 3/16 mile Beverly D., a race that Fev Rover, owned by Tracy Farmer and trained by Mark Casse won last year.
Fev Rover took the early advantage and led the field of fillies and mares through a quick opening fraction of :23.56 before slowing the pace down and clocking a half-mile in :49.22. Moira tracked comfortably in third. Libban stalked the leader and made her move ahead of the far turn, forcing Fev Rover to quicken. Moira followed suit, passing Libban in the far turn. With the long stretch ahead of them, Moira hounded Fev Rover before finally getting even in the final strides to beat her rival across the finish line. The time over the firm turf was 1:54.80.
“It’s always nerve-wracking when you hook Fev Rover,” Attard said. “She’s a great horse and Mark [trainer Casse] has done a great job with her. Last year at Woodbine, we hooked her a couple times on soft turf. I think Fev Rover gets the edge over us on softer ground but Moira prefers the harder turf.
“We contemplated not coming here because of Tropical Storm Debby, but we rolled the dice. I’ve never been [to Colonial Downs], but I had heard great things about this turf course that it drains well. I know Woodbine has got a great turf course but Colonial is probably one of the best in North America as well. We’ve got the E.P Taylor [Sept. 14] at home. I think that’s a race we are going to take into consideration and that would take us right into the Breeders’ Cup.”
Moira, winner of the 2022 Queen’s Plate and Woodbine Oaks in her championship season, returned $3.40 for the win. She was offered for sale last November following her third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and brought $3 million at the Night with the Stars Fasig-Tipton sale. Most of her original owners stayed in the partnership – SF Bloodstock and Madaket Stable but X-Men Racing left the ownership group while Lanni Bloodstock joined.
With her Beverly D. victory, the five-year-old Ghostzapper – Devine Aida by Unbridled’s Song mare improved her record to 18 starts, six wins, five seconds and two thirds with $1,823,999 in earnings
The Canadian mares put on a show in the G2 Beverly D. Stakes at @colonialdowns with #6 Moira getting the win over Fev Rover for trainer Kevin Attard with @jose93_ortiz aboard! 🇨🇦🤩
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/9dkjRp4cx4
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 11, 2024
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