Running Aug. 21 in the iconic $1 million Queen’s Plate Stakes at Woodbine, Moira put on a display to match her 10 ¾-length victory last month in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, rolling to a seven-length victory over Hall of Dreams in the 163rd edition of the Canadian classic. The daughter of Ghostzapper became the 38th filly to win the Queen’s Plate and 10th since 1962. Her 1 ¼-mile time of 2:01.38 on Woodbine’s synthetic Tapeta surface established a track record and was the fastest at that distance in the race’s storied history (the Queen’s Plate was held at a mile and a quarter from 1887-1923 and again from 1957 to the present).
She provided her Canadian trainer, Kevin Attard, with his first Queen’s Plate, a race widely and often called Canada’s Kentucky Derby. All of the 3-year-olds in the Plate must be born in the country. The race also gave Canadian-born bloodstock agent Donato Lanni a coveted victory as an owner. Moira was part of a group of horses he selected to race for the X-Men Racing partnership he heads with Madaket Stables and SF Racing.
“I’ve known Kevin for 20 years, and this has been a dream –a dream of his, mine – being two Canadian boys to win this race,” said Lanni, whose wife, Elizabeth, named Moira. “This is unbelievable. What a filly.” Moira made the Plate look easy after she left the paddock, where Attard and his staff kept her away from other horses, knowing her history of paddock misbehavior. She then led a field of 10 males onto the racetrack from the paddock tunnel.