The emotions of what he had just witnessed, the emotions of almost exactly three years of wonderful moments overwhelmed Kevin Attard in the aftermath of Moira’s thrilling victory in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). From the final yards of the 1 3/8 mile turf marathon at Del Mar racetrack, where the Pacific Ocean surf meets the turf, to the post-race media scrum, Attard couldn’t hold back his joy, his gratitude, his love for the most important horse of his life.
Competing for the third time in the Filly & Mare Turf and making her last start for a group of Canadian and American friends who turned down several million for her a year ago, Moira held off favoured Cinderella’s Dream (GB) to win by half a length. The Ontario-bred 5-year-old by Ghostzapper, who recently arrived at Moira’s birthplace at Adena Springs Farm in Aurora, ON, became the seventh Canadian bred to win a Breeders’Cup race in 41 editions. She’s the third King’s Plate winner to win at the World Championships following Dance Smartly and Awesome Again.
It was the quick move nearing the quarter pole by her rider Flavien Prat, who rode Moira to a third-place finish in last year’s Breeders’ Cup, that won the race.
Moira’s stablemate Full Count Felicia, who won the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1), set the pace with fractions of :25.38, :49.84 and 1:15.08 with Moira racing in mid-pack. On the far turn, Sunset Glory went after Full Count Felicia with Moira on the move right behind and taking over at the top of the lane.
“She broke well and I was able to get myself close to the rail going into the first turn,” said Prat. “It felt like the pace was slow, and on the backside, I didn’t want anyone to get the move on me. I decided to get out and get myself closer and try to get the jump on everybody and it worked out.”
Cinderella’s Dream, a three-year-old filly and already a Grade 1 winner, admittedly had an unlucky journey and was moving fastest of all at the finish to get second over another tough Grade 1 winner Didia (Arg).
The time of 2:14.95 earned Moira a 100 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form. Her first Grade 1 win earned owners X-Men racing, Madaket Stables and SF Bloodstock $1,040,000, bringing her career earnings to $2,996,017, the eighth richest Canadian-bred of all time.
“She’s obviously a very special horse and she’s meant a lot in my career. My first Queen’s Plate winner. Being Canadian, growing up and training at Woodbine, the Queen’s Plate is a dream. It’s kind of the mecca of the championship, like a Stanley Cup to the NHL. When she won the Queen’s Plate, I was floored with it, a dream come true.”
When Moira ran a winning race in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor as a three-year-old, finishing second by a neck only to be disqualified, Attard and the ownership group knew they had something special. She finished fifth in the 2022 Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland and was named Horse of the Year in Canada.
At four, Moira won the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes at Woodbine and placed third in the Taylor and Breeders’ Cup. She was then offered at the November Sale in Kentucky, where most of her ownership group bought her back for a staggering $3 million.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind with her,” said Attard, 47. “She’s been very unfortunate at times, hooked some soft turf, which she doesn’t really appreciate. Last year, we came out here to Santa Anita and she ran a great race. I mean, it wasn’t a smooth process getting her to that race, either. We had some hiccups again. She’s always been a horse that kind of throws you some curve balls.”
Indeed, who can forget the Woodbine Oaks two years ago when her antics caused her to run in the race without shoes?
“But today there was just something different about her. She was a lot more relaxed, a lot more settled. It was kind of a little bit eerie because I wasn’t sure what direction it was going to go. ”
When asked about his first Breeders’ Cup win, Attard, who won this year’s King’s Plate with Caitlinhergrtness, also a filly, the young man welled up. “The connections here. for them to support me and give me faith and confidence for me to train her and keep her throughout her career has meant a lot to me, my career, my family. She’s obviously going to a sale — I’m going to miss her. Just so happy and so proud of her.”
The ownership group of Moira began when Montreal-born Donato Lanni, now one of the world’s most successful bloodstock agents, gathered friends to share in horses to race in Canada. Moira was one of the first; he paid $150,000 for her at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale from Stronach’s consignment.
“When I first did this X-Men deal, I put it together with my friends,” said Lanni. “It’s fun to put a group together and enjoy the ride together. ”
Lanni had longtime horse owners such as David Anderson of Anderson Farms, Daniel Plouffe, and John Fielding in the early days of X-Men. They joined forces with the very successful Madaket Racing of Sol Kumin, and SF Bloodstock, managed by Gavin Murphy and Tom Ryan.
Moira’s number one caretakers are Peter Lopez, her groom, and Korina McLean, her rider and travel friend.
Devine Aida, the stakes-winning dam of Moira, has a two-year-old by Constitution named R Bee Gee and she is in foal to Forte.
Moira’s sale page for the November 4 auction in Kentucky is here.
Her victory video is below.
Canadian Donato Lanni raises the Breeders’ Cup trophy high while Kevin Attard (right) cheers). (Bill Denver/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders’ Cup)
Moira gets a kiss from Korina McLean. (Shamela Hanley/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup)
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