With a brilliant turn of foot reminiscent of her big wins in last year’s Queen’s Plate and Woodbine Oaks, MOIRA, the reigning Horse of the Year, was back in the winner’s circle Saturday after her scintillating Canadian Stakes (G2) win.
Second in all three races this year, all at shorter distances than the ‘about’ 1 1/8 miles of the Canadian, Moira was up against the top mare Fev Rover (Ire) once again. Not only had Fev Rover defeated Moira in the July 1 Nassau Stakes (G2) but she was coming off strong win in the Grade 1 Beverly D at Colonial on Aug. 12 for trainer Mark Casse.
Early in the Canadian, presented by the Japan Racing Association, it appeared Fev Rover, with jockey Patrick Husbands perched up on her, was going to be tough once again. The five-year-old owned by Tracy Farmer tracked Dance Smartly Stakes (G2) winner Miss Dracarys, who also beat Moira that day, and the two leaders seemed to be going easily. Skims (GB), trained by Sug McGaughey, moved up three wide to join the leaders into the long, wide turn while Moira and Rafael Hernandez stayed four lengths back.
That is, until Hernandez gave her a cue and in a blink, she was in front by open lengths. “And she’s back with a vengeance,” said track announcer Robert Geller as Moira continued to widen, finally winning by 6 1/2 lengths in 1:46.01. Skims held second by a head over a closing Atomic Blonde. Fev Rover was back in fourth. Moira was the 5-to-2 second choice as Fev Rover was 3-to-5.
The joy and relief on the face of Attard was palpable. And in his post-race interview, he was very emotional about the X-Men Racing, Madaket and SF Bloodstock-owned filly.
“She is a very special horse,” said Attard. “It was a little disappointing at the start, she just had some hard racing luck. Last time, she put it together and had a good trip, just kind of ran out of ground. She looks probably the best she’s ever looked. She’s trained well and it’s just so satisfying to see her put it all together. Now, we’re stretching out to distances where she is going to excel and show her true class.”
Hernandez praised the daughter of Ghostzapper – Devine Aida by Unbridled’s Song. “I just want to tell you guys, ‘Guess who is back? Moira.’ When she started warming up in the post parade, she started dancing and that’s it… they weren’t going to beat her today. She’s one hundred per cent. She was just playing around in the backyard that she knows. When she turned for home, I let her switch her lead and said, ‘Come on baby, do what you know what to do.’ And she showed up today. Every time I ride her, it’s not just another horse. She has a special place in my heart.”
Moira will now head to the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) next month, a race in which she was second beaten a neck last year only to be disqualified. Bred by Adena Springs, Moira has five wins in 11 races and earnings over $1.18 million.
More Saturday
The Grade 3 Pattison Singspiel Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf was race 8 and it is a local stepping-stone race to the Canadian International (G1). A modest field of seven took part over the ‘good’ turf and early on it was Collective Force with a clear lead in his first race since December. Through fractions of 25.30 and 49.36, Collective Force continued to lead with Dun Drum and Town Cruise chasing. The race’s 6-to-5 favourite, Grade 1 winner Rockemperor (Ire), trained by Chad Brown, was well back and ahead of optional claiming winner PALAZZI, owned by Gary Barber and trained by Mark Casse.
Rockemperor and jockey Kazushi Kimura moved four wide easily late on the turn to join the leaders while Sahin Civaci on Palazzi followed but in behind horses in the three path. Malibu Mambo was also in the fray and the three horses dueled to mid stretch. Rockemperor and Palazzi then drew clear for their own duel which the latter won by half a length in 2:02.26.
Palazzi was winning for the third straight time, having taken two optional claiming races this summer off the March-to-June layoff.
Originally a $510,000 yearling, Palazzi raced for John Oxley and Casse. In his sixth career race he won the Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston following his maiden win but he would go 12 races without a win for Oxley after that.
Barber purchased the horse last fall at the Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age sale for just $35,000. The gelding was fifth in a $50,000 claiming race at Gulfstream in March before heading to Woodbine. He posted back-to-back top Beyer Figures of 86 in his recent optional claiming wins.
A son of Pioneerof the Nile – Kindle, by Indian Charlie, Palazzi now has five wins in 23 races and earnings of over $458,000. His dam Kindle was a two-time stakes winner and she has one other winner from two starters, stakes winner Made in America. Her two-year-old of this year, A Day to Remember, by American Pharoah, was third in his debut in July at Del Mar.
***
Favourites were roughed up for the most part Saturday at Woodbine and the Tapeta track continued its strong speed-biased nature that it began to develop this week. The only main track winner who sat off the pace was graded stakes winner ARTIE’S STORM who dropped out of stakes races to win an optional claiming race at 1 1/16 miles, his first win since May 2022.
Trainer Rachel Halden had a nice winner in the last race on the grass, a maiden special weight at 7 furlongs. Halden was starting the grey filly LIAM’S GIFT for the first time for Uphill Stable and the filly proved to be a handful, getting loose in the paddock during saddling. The daughter of Liam’s Map had not raced since March when she was at Turfway Park and had two modest outings on Tapeta. Once apprehended, Liam’s Gift and jockey Justin Stein were accompanied out to the track by Halden’s partner Steve Bahen, who retired from riding this year. The filly then broke well and joined favorites Princessonamission for a stretch-long duel that she won by half a length.
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
