40th Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita: Post Draw Today, Moira Arrives
A small Canadian contingent is on the west coast for the Breeders' Cup including 2022 Horse of the Year Moira.
Cody's Wish, trained by William I. Mott, exercises during morning workouts at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California on October 29, 2023 as horses prepare for the 2023 Breeders Cup World Championships. (Scott Serio/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup)
Post positions will be drawn today for 14 Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita, Friday, November 3, and Saturday the 4th, and the Queen of Canadian racing, MOIRA, arrived at the California track late Sunday night. Moira was a good fifth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland and will try that race again. It is 1 1/4 miles on the turf.
Moira won the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes at Woodbine in early September and was recently third in the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) behind Fev Rover, who is also in this year’s Filly & Mare Turf. The field will be loaded with Grade 1 winners but the good news for Moira, trained by Kevin Attard for X-Men Racing, Madaket Stable and SF Bloodstock, a quick pace is going to work in her favour.
Moira is scheduled to be offered at the Night of the Stars sale at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky on Nov. 7.
Moira at Santa Anita. (photo courtesy Korina MacLean)
The post position draw ceremony begins at 1 p.m. EST and will be streamed on www.breederscup.com.
Other Canadian-bred or based or -owned horses expect to be entered include this year’s top two-year-old colt MY BOY PRINCE, Charles Fipke’s Kentucky-bred SHIRL’S SPEIGHT, trained by Roger Attfield, LUCKY SCORE, a Mile entrant and Tucci Stables’ AUSTERE.
There have been six Canadian-bred winners of Breeders’ Cup races from 126 starters.
Breeders’ Cup offers media access to a litany of great photos of horses training in the morning:
Adare Manor (Distaff), a daughter of the Giant Gizmo mare Brooklyn’sway, a Woodbine stakes winner, during morning workouts at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California on October 27, 2023 as horses prepare for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. (Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup)
Arcangelo (Classic) with trainer Jena Antonucci during morning workouts at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California on October 28, 2023 as horses prepare for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. (Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup)
Tamara (Juvenile Fillies) with Mike Smith during morning workouts at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California on October 28, 2023 as horses prepare for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. (Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup)
Ushba Tesoro (Classic) , trained by Noboru Takagi, exercises during morning workouts at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California on October 28, 2023 as horses prepare for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. (Scott Serio/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup)
Endlessly (Juvenile Turf) during morning workouts at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California on October 27, 2023 as horses prepare for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. (Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup)