First Time Starter Moira Romps in Prestigious Princess Elizabeth

X-Men Racing, a new owners’ partnership put together by Canadian-born bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, only recently had its first starter in August when the 2-year-old colt Be Like Clint debuted at Woodbine. X-Men, a group of friends, joined forces with successful US stables Madaket and SF Bloodstock and celebrated its first winner when Be Like Clint won four weeks ago.

On Saturday, October 23, X-Men’s fifth runner, the debuting MOIRA, blew away nine rivals in the $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, winning by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:44.63 under jockey Justin Stein.

This was the 76th running of the premier race for Canadian-bred 2-year-old fillies, a race that has been used by many gals as a stepping stone to the Woodbine Oaks of their sophomore year.

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Research into the modern history of the Princess Elizabeth Stakes indicates there has not been a previous debut winner of this major race.

Moira, bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, came into the Princess Elizabeth with a series of five furlong workouts in decent clockings. She was debuting with Lasix for Attard, whose two-year statistics with debuting runners at one mile or over stood at 6 percent.

The daughter of Ghostzapper – Devine Aida by Unbridled’s Song had post nine in the 10-horse field which included two stakes winners, three maidens, and four gals trained by Mark Casse. Fans seeking a top filly to wager on made Muskoka Stakes winner Baksheesh the 5-to-2 favourite and settled on Moira as the second favourite at 4-to-1.

Mo Touring and Lois Len, two of four (also Into Touring and Baksheesh) Mark Casse trainees, raced one-two in the early going of the event. Moira, meanwhile, had one horse beaten through an opening quarter in :24.55.

It was status quo for the top two through a half-mile timed in :49.07, with Mo Touring extending her lead to three lengths, while Moira improved into eighth spot.

Still in eighth position after three-quarters, Stein began to call on his juvenile charge and the pair picked up the pace around the turn for home.

Third to fellow Attard trainee Souper Flashy, owned and bred by Terra Racing, at the stretch call Moira, seemingly effortlessly, soon took control and then easily strode away from her rivals to the tune of a 4 ¼-length win timed in 1:44.63. Souper Flashy bested 25-1 Intro, owned by Robert Marzilli, for the runner-up prize, while Baksheesh, the 5-2 choice, was fourth.

Kevin Attard talked about his 1-2 finish in the Princess Elizabeth. “She showed a lot of talent and I’ve really liked her for a long time. I was confident that she was good enough, I was just hoping my abilities were good enough, I guess. Both fillies ran really well. Obviously, with this filly (Moira) in the nine-hole, I asked Justin to kind of see if he could tuck her in and save ground. I thought that was important for us. I was watching Souper Flashy inching up and making her way to the front there, and Moira following suit. When the seam opened up for Moira, the two of them looked like they were going to fight it out for a bit, and this filly just kind of prevailed.”

Moira is the fifth runner for X-Men Racing. She was purchased for $150,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale. She is the third foal of DEVINE AIDA, a foal of 2014 who was bought by Adena Springs as a 2-year-old in training for $120,000. Devine Aida won four races in succession early in her career including the Herecomesthebride Stakes on dirt and the five-furlong Giner Brew Stakes on turf. She was graded stakes placed on turf in her 10-race career.

The mare’s first foal to race, Jungle Cry, by Animal Kingson, won the Robert Dupret Derby on the turf at Golden Gate in August for Fairview LLC.

It was Fairview LLC, owned by Tom Bachman in California, that signed the ticket on Devine Aida at last fall’s Keeneland November sale for $400,000 and she was in foal to Ghostzapper.

First stakes winner for ‘Agent

Our Secret Agent, under patient handling from Kazushi Kimura, was full of run in the late going to take Saturday’s Grade 3 $156,000 Hendrie Stakes, a 6 ½-furlong Tapeta sprint for filles and mares, three-year-olds and up, at Woodbine.

Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse for owner Gary Barber, Our Secret Agent, a four-year-old daughter of Secret Service-Avalos, was making her tenth straight start at Woodbine, and winning her first race since an allowance score last August at the Toronto oval.

The Hendrie was also the first stakes triumph for the multiple graded stakes placed chestnut.

Our Secret Agent tracked leader Toffen through an opening quarter of :22.98, while Fiduciary (GB) and Amalfi Coast also kept close watch on the pacesetter.

At the half-mile mark, reached in :45.99, Toffen held a head advantage over Our Secret Agent. By the time the field of six straightened for home, Our Secret Agent was in full flight, as multiple stakes winner Amalfi Coast came calling to her outside.

Mid-way down the lane, the race for top spot was over, with Our Secret Agent going on to notch an easy 3 ½-length win in a time of 1:15.68 over the Tapeta. Amalfi Coast dug in gamely and held second, a head in front of La Libertee.