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.
“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 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.