Former Canadian Horse of the Year Moira has run well in defeat in the past two runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), and the Kevin Attard mare made it third time lucky in Saturday’s $1.84 million renewal at Del Mar.
Campaigned by Madaket Stables, SF Racing, and X-Men Racing, Moira was coming off a second to frontrunning stablemate Full Count Felicia in the Sept. 14 E.P. Taylor (G1) at her Woodbine base. The step up to 1 3/8 miles in the Breeders’ Cup helped Moira to turn the tables.
Full Count Felicia again went straight to the lead, but through much more leisurely splits of :25.38, :49.84, 1:15.08, and 1:39.90. The tempo didn’t enable her to stay the trip.
Moira, well placed in midpack early by Flavien Prat, rolled up to challenge swinging for home and outkicked Full Count Felicia. Didia descended on the outside, and 2.60-1 favorite Cinderella’s Dream speared through late on the inside, but neither could overtake the winner.
A daughter of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper, the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) champion, Moira clocked 2:14.95 and paid $13.60.
Prat, who also won the Classic (G1) aboard Sierra Leone, earned the Shoemaker Award as the top jockey at the 2024 Breeders’ Cup.
“She broke well, and I was able to get myself close to the rail going into the first turn,” Prat said. 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, who got stuck on the inside at the crucial juncture, was slightly unlucky to miss by a half-length in second. The Godolphin filly nipped third-placer Didia, who was in turn a half-length up on Beautiful Love, the other Godolphin entrant.
Jockey William Buick wished that a seam had opened sooner for Cinderella’s Dream.
“She had a good trip but they went slow, and I just didn’t get the split in time,” Buick said. “She had never run over the trip before, so I had to save everything I could. She ran a super race, and I think she’s top class.”
Didia’s trainer, Ignacio Correas, was delighted to see her bounce back to form after a listless fourth in the John C. Mabee (G2).
“I didn’t like her last race, and I had to find out what happened,” Correas said. “We figured out what it was, and thank God we did it. It’s too complex to explain. She was perfect coming into this race. I was telling the owners we had the old filly, our filly.
“I am very proud of her. I thought she ran a helluva race, and Jose (Ortiz) rode a helluva race. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. They are all good here. I will take a third in a Breeders’ Cup race every day of the year.”
War Like Goddess, making her second appearance in this race and fourth overall in the Breeders’ Cup, could close no nearer than fifth. Another stamina-laden contender, Content, was similarly foiled by the lack of pace in sixth. Full Count Felicia faded to seventh, followed by Beach Bomb, Anisette, Soprano, Sunset Glory, and Hang the Moon. Ylang Ylang was scratched when her bloodwork was off.
Moira, who is slated to go through the ring at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November on Monday night, will arrive with quite a catalog update after improving her scorecard to 17-7-6-2, $2,996,017. She brought $3 million at that sale last November, but her ownership group is listed as the same.
A seven-length winner of the 2022 Queen’s Plate S. in track-record time over Woodbine’s Tapeta, Moira also romped in the Woodbine Oaks and captured the Fury S. that year. She switched to turf and just missed in the E.P. Taylor, only to be demoted to eighth for interference. Moira tried the Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland, where she had too much ground to make up from last and rallied for a commendable fifth.
Honored as Canada’s Horse of the Year and champion three-year-old filly, Moira returned at four in 2023 but didn’t have as much success. Her lone win came in the Canadian (G2), but she placed in five graded stakes, including the E.P. Taylor and the Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita, where she fared best of the North Americans in third.
Moira developed into a premier player in the division this season. After resuming with an excellent second in the July 13 Diana (G1), the five-year-old outdueled Fev Rover in the Beverly D. (G2). The E.P. Taylor once again proved elusive, as she was a hard-charging runner-up, but she finally secured a deserved Grade 1 laurel in the Breeders’ Cup.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind with her,” Attard said, recalling the trajectory of her career. “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 curveballs.
“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. Maybe it could go either of two ways: really good or really bad.
“Obviously here is a filly that has competed in every race of her life have been stakes, maybe off the board twice in her career, I think. Just a true champion. Horse of the Year in Canada. I’d have to think now she’s a (champion) turf filly in the U.S., North America. Just to see her get that Grade 1 win is really very special. She’s been really deserving of it.
“I’m just so proud of her,” Attard summed up. “Obviously the connections here, to kind of 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,” her trainer said, tearing up. “Just so happy and so proud of her.”
Bred by Adena Springs in Ontario, Moira is out of the Grade 2-placed, stakes-winning Devine Aida, by Unbridled’s Song. She descends from the influential matron Begum, a blind daughter of Alydar.
Check out 2024 Breeders’ Cup News and Notes on TwinSpires.com.
