By Heather Anderson
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. That was the case for Canadian Horse of the Year MOIRA (Ghostzapper–Devine Aida, by Unbridled's Song) as she took the lead in her third attempt in the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, before driving home a half-length winner for her first Grade I tally at Del Mar Saturday. In so doing, the 5-1 shot held off the late rush of Godolphin's 13-5 favorite Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal), who nosed out Didia (Arg) (Orpen) for second. The final time for the $2-million, 1 3/8-mile race was 2:14.95.
Owned by X-Men Racing–the brainchild of Canadian Donato Lanni–Madaket Stables, LLC and SF Racing, LLC, the 5-year-old mare is trained by fellow Canadian Kevin Attard, who also saddled Saturday's pacesetter Full Count Felicia (War Front).
Moira stalked in sixth one off the fence behind splits of :25.38, :49.84 and 1:1:15.08. She then picked up to sit third on the backstretch as Full Count Felicia served up easy fractions while shadowed by Sunset Glory (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}). The Canadian champ was less than two lengths from the vanguard on the final bend and loomed ominously. Cinderella's Dream remained glued to the rail in midfield and William Buick had yet to make a move.
Surging up to challenge Full Count Felicia, Moira subdued that foe in a matter of strides and kicked for the line, as Didia was unwinding from out in the middle of the course and Cinderella's Dream was finally weaving her way up the inside. Beautiful Love (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) was also in contention with less than an eighth of a mile to travel. At the wire, it was close, but Moira had enough cushion for the victory. Beautiful Love was a half-length fourth.
Attard, who was winning his first Breeders' Cup race, said, “It's so rewarding to finally see her get that Grade I. It was nice to see her put it all together today and show everybody that she is a true champion. When she won the Queen's Plate, I was floored with it, a dream come true.
“She's always been a horse that kind of throws you some curve balls. She was a lot more relaxed, a lot more settled [today]. The connections here 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.”
Added Prat, who was winning his seventh Breeders' Cup affair and first Filly & Mare Turf, “She broke well and I was able to get myself close to the rail going into the first turn. I decided to get out and get myself closer and try to get the jump on everybody and it worked out.”
SF Bloodstock's Tom Ryan said, “Donato wanted to keep this filly in training, bought her [last year]. We started out together, myself, Donato. I called him to see if he would help buy me some Derby horses. The first horse he bought us was Authentic, and he won the Derby. And Donato wanted to put together a team to buy a Queen's Plate horse. The first one he bought is Moira.”
Said Lanni, “My idea was to buy a Canadian-bred filly and win the Canadian Oaks. I wanted to put together a bunch of my friends, Canadian friends of mine, I've known Kevin for 25 years. Tom and Sol [Kumin] are my dear friends. They love the game, love the action.”
William Buick, aboard Cinderella's Dream, said, “She had a good trip, but they went slow and I just didn't get the split in time. She had never run over the trip before, so I had to save everything I could.”
Bred by Adena Springs in Ontario, the 2022 dual Canadian Classic winner sold for $150,000 as a Keeneland September yearling from the Hidden Brook draft to X-Men Racing. Last November she was one of the highlights of the Fasig-Tipton Night Of Stars when selling to DM Racing Ventures for $3 million. She was offered by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.
Moira was a debut winner in the 2021 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, before placing in the GIII Mazarine Stakes to finish off her juvenile year. After a stakes win to start 2022, the filly delivered the Woodbine Oaks by 10 3/4 lengths, before adding the Queen's Plate. Second, but disqualified and placed eighth in the GI E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, she ended her year with a fifth at Keeneland in the Filly & Mare Turf. Her earlier efforts were good enough to see her named the 2022 Canadian Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly.
Although she only won the GII Canadian Stakes in 2023, Moira placed in a quintet of graded races, including thirds in the E.P. Taylor and Santa Anita's Filly & Mare Turf last October. Since going through the Fasig-Tipton ring in Lexington, she has been campaigned more sparingly in 2024, but was a close second in the GI Diana Stakes at Saratoga in July. She secured a victory in the GII Beverly D Stakes at Colonial Downs a month later, but failed to catch Full Count Felicia in the E.P. Taylor in September.
Moira is set to head back to sell again at the Fasig-Tipton Night of Stars as hip 293 on Nov. 4. She will be consigned by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.
Pedigree Notes:
American Horse of the Year and GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero Ghostzapper stood through 2020 at Adena Springs in Kentucky before moving to Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa for the 2021 breeding season. He will cover his finale season at Adena Springs Farm in Canada next year. At stud, he has left 104 stakes winners internationally, 58 of them at graded level. Moira is his 16th Grade I winner. His earlier Breeders' Cup winners have all been with fillies–champion and two-time GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint heroine Goodnight Olive (sale) in 2022/2023, and 2014 F&M Sprint victress Judy The Beauty.
The late Unbridled's Song has excelled with his broodmare daughters, and the F&M Turf winner is his 33rd top-tier winner. His total of 236 stakes winners (119 graded/group) are led by Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn), while he has previously been successfully represented at the Breeders' Cup by his grandson Tourist (Tiznow).
Moira is a half-sister to SW Jungle Cry (Animal Kingdom), and a yearling filly by Constitution named R Bee Gee. Her eventual MSW dam was picked up by Adena Springs for $120,000 out of the OBS June Sale, and she would go on to be third in the GII Mrs. Revere Stakes. Hidden Brook, agent for Farview, purchased Devine Aida for $400,000 out of the 2020 Keeneland November Sale carrying a full-sibling to Moira. She was covered by Forte for 2025. Second dam Passion (Came Home) was a Grade III winner, while farther back in the pedigree is GII Hollywood Oaks heroine Kumari Continent (Kris S.), second in the GI Santa Anita Oaks.
Moira makes it count in the @BreedersCup Filly & Mare Turf! #BC24 pic.twitter.com/28vEauWv06
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 2, 2024
Saturday, Del Mar
MAKER'S MARK BREEDERS' CUP FILLY & MARE TURF-GI, $1,840,000, Del Mar, 11-2, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 3/8mT, 2:14.95, fm.
1–MOIRA, 124, m, 5, by Ghostzapper
1st Dam: Devine Aida (MSW & GSP, $273,215),
by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Passion, by Came Home
3rd Dam: Rajmata, by Known Fact
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($150,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $3,000,000 4yo
'23 FTKNOV). O-Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC and X-Men
Racing; B-Adena Springs (ON); T-Kevin Attard; J-Flavien Prat.
$1,040,000. Lifetime Record: Horse of the Year-Can,
Ch. 3-year-old filly-Can, 17-7-6-2, $2,996,017. *1/2 to Jungle
Cry (Animal Kingdom), SW, $114,340. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cinderella's Dream (GB), 120, f, 3, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Espadrille (GB), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: High Heeled (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)
3rd Dam: Uncharted Haven (GB), by Turtle Island (Ire)
O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charles Appleby. $340,000.
3–Didia (Arg), 124, m, 6, by Orpen
1st Dam: Delambre (Brz) (G1SP-Brz),
by Rainbow Corner (GB)
2nd Dam: Diya, by Ariosto (Arg)
3rd Dam: Sevilla (Arg), by Ringaro
O-Merriebelle Stable, LLC and Resolute Racing; B-La Manija
(ARG); T-Ignacio Correas IV. $180,000.
Margins: HF, NO, HF. Odds: 5.80, 2.60, 10.70.
Also Ran: Beautiful Love (Ire), War Like Goddess, Content (Ire), Full Count Felicia, Beach Bomb (Saf), Anisette (GB), Soprano (Ire), Sunset Glory (Ire), Hang the Moon. Scratched: Ylang Ylang (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Kevin Attard watching Moira win the Breeders' Cup Fillies & Mares Turf!
— Woodbine Racetrack (@WoodbineTB) November 2, 2024
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