Kevin Attard choked back tears. Moira, the amazing and popular Ontario-bred mare who had given the young trainer so many milestones and great moments, had just sold for $4.3 million at The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, Kentucky.
Less than 48 hours earlier, the lean and leggy Ghostzapper mare had won the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, just the seventh Canadian-bred to win on World Championships day which was in its 41st year. It was the first Grade 1 win for Moira, who went through the Fasig-Tipton ring last November after a third-place finish in the Filly & Mare Turf, but was bought back by essentially the same owners for $3 million.
It was a smart decision, as Moira ended 2024 with career earnings of $2.996 million in addition to the hefty sale price.
The reported buyer, who did so over the internet, was reported as Bayles on the results sheet and was, in fact, Yulong Investments, which has a world-class facility, broodmare band and stallion team in Victoria, Australia. Yulong is owned by Yuesheng Shang.
Exhausted from the incredible high from her Breeders’ Cup win, Kevin and the Canadian ownership group X-Men Racing, which includes David Anderson and Donato Lanni, celebrated in a happy (and a bit sad) way with Sol Kumin of Madaket Racing and Tom Ryan of SF Bloodstock following her sale Monday evening.
“It’s very tough,” said Kevin, who began training in 2001, following in the steps of his dad, Tino, several uncles, cousins, and more. Every morning when I wake up, I would go and check on her. I mean, she won me my first Plate, now my first Breeders’ Cup. These are things I had never dreamed of.”
Moira, purchased by Donato Lannie for $150,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 2020, was perfectly prepared by Kevin to win her career debut in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes. She only ever ran in stakes races. Bred by Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs in Aurora, ON, Moira had a record of 17 – 7 – 6- 2. She beat the boys in the Queen’s Plate, won the Beverly D and Canadian Stakes and was about as popular as a racehorse could be during the last three years. If she retires now, she will be the eighth richest Canadian-bred in history.
“You know when we were at Saratoga [for the Grade 1 Diana] and we walked in the paddock and I could hear people say, ‘hey there’s Moira’, it’s something you never forget and you always appreciate.”
And while Moira certainly kept Kevin on his toes throughout her career with various antics, he loved every minute of it.
You can’t blame Attard for being so emotional; these types of horses don’t come around every day.
Kevin recently notched his 800th career victory and he co-owned (for a while) and trained Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee, who won the Woodbine Mile (G1) in 2020. Heck, he was barely out of his 20s when he sent out Alezzandro to win the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie in 2007.
But Moira was Canada’s Queen. When she won the Plate, world champion trainer Bob Baffert called Kevin to congratulate him.
And Kevin is quick to acknowledge all of his team at Woodbine which includes Moira’s special people: her rider Korina McLean, groom Peter Lopez, and Kevin’s assistant son Josh.
“There was so much about Moira,” said Kevin.”I’m going to miss her.”
The joy of memories and the sadness of saying goodbye will remain, but Kevin is ready to get back to work. “I don’t know if there will be another champion again. I hope there is. I just want to continue to try to be the best I can be.”
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