Canada’s Queen of racing, MOIRA, is headed to California on Sunday to prepare for the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar on November 2. The Filly & Mare Turf is one of 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championship races to be held on Nov. 1 and 2 with purses totaling $34 million.
“Future Stars Friday” features five World Championships races exclusively for 2-year-olds, while a 12-race card featuring nine Breeders’ Cup Championship races makes up the “Championships Saturday” program.
Horses from a record five continents – Asia, Europe, North America, South Africa, and South America – have targeted this year’s event as 80 international contenders have been pre-entered. The previous record was 60, set in 2023.
In total, 2012 horses were pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup races.
Moira is one of 17 gals pre-entered in the 1 3/8 miles Filly & Mare Turf although one has already been removed from the race – Running Lion. Noticeably absent from the entries for the turf race is trainer Chad Brown, who is unhappy with the race being three turns around the Del Mar course. Brown has had a litany of top turf mares once again this year.
Moira’s trainer, Kevin Attard, is looking forward to seeing his star compete in the long race before she heads to The November Sale at Fasig Tipton in Kentucky the next day.
“I’m excited,” said Attard. “This is her third time in the event and the first time she will be a respected horse.”
Moira competed in the Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland in 2022 as a 3-year-old and closed ground too late and too wide to finish fifth behind Tuesday. Last year she was a superb third to Inspiral and Warm Heart while putting up her best Beyer Figure of 103.
This year, Moira has raced three times, winning the Grade 2 Beverly D and finishing second in the Grade 1 Diana Stakes and E.P Taylor Stakes.
“I do think she’s proven to be one of the best turf mares in North America,” said Attard. “The longer distance of the race is going to be perfect for her also.”
Flavian Prat, who rode Moira in last year’s Filly & Mare Turf, will ride the 5-year-old by Ghostzapper for Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC and X-Men Racing.
Attard has also entered his newest student in the Filly & Mare Turf, Full Count Felica, a speedy gal owned by Gold Square LLC who won the E.P. Taylor (G1) over Moira.
Here is the list with profiles of the pre-entries for the Filly & Mare Turf – https://breederscup.com/horses/pre-entries/filly-mare-turf
Other pre-entered horses with a Canadian/Woodbine side include:
Friday
Juvenile Turf Sprint – Algonquin Stakes winner Mi Bago, trained by Mark Casse is fourth on the ‘also eligible’ list but with probable scratches, he should be in now
Juvenile Fillies Mark Casse-trained Le Cara is in the field
Juvenile Fillies Turf – Vixen, also trained by Casse, is in while stablemate Nitrogen is on the also eligibles
Juvenile Turf – Dream On, for D.J, Stable and Casse, is in
Ontario-bred Ashley’s Archer is fifth on the also eligible list
Saturday
Mile – Woodbine Mile winner Win for the Money, trained by Casse, is in the field
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
