Moira, Canada's reigning Horse of the Year, rocketed away from her rivals en route to an emphatic score in Saturday's $200,000 Canadian Stakes (G2) on Saturday afternoon at Woodbine.
The Canadian, an about 1 1/8-mile race over the E.P. Taylor turf for 3-year-olds and up, went postward with six fillies and mares after the scratch of Talbeyah.
Miss Dracarys, fresh off an impressive score, her third straight victory, in the Dance Smartly (G2), powered to the front under Dylan Davis, while 3-5 choice Fev Rover, last year's Canadian winner who came into the race off a sensational triumph in the Beverly D. (G1), shadowed the pacesetter to the outside, followed by Skims, Ready Lady, Moira, and Atomic Blonde, through an opening panel in :24.65.
It was status quo through a half in :48.25 as Miss Dracarys and Fev Rover continued their chess match on the front end, while Rafael Hernandez, aboard Moira, watched the lead pair from in fifth.
Miss Dracarys, still on top as the six-pack navigated the turn for home, was engaged to her outside by Fev Rover, but it was Moira, last year's Queen's Plate victress, in full flight, who swooped past the leaders with eye-catching ease and assumed control.
Ahead by four lengths at the stretch call, the 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper out of Devine Aida, by Unbridled's Song, continued to pour it on, going on to a 6 ¼-length win in a time of 1:46.04 over turf rated as good.
Skims was second, Atomic Blonde was third and Fev Rover finished fourth. Ready Lady and Miss Dracarys rounded out the order.
It was the first win since the tough-as-nails bay won the Plate, an emotional victory for her connections, including Hernandez and trainer Kevin Attard.
“I just want to tell you guys, 'Guess who is back? Moira,'” said Hernandez. “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 100 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.”
Attard, closing in on 720 career wins, was visibly moved when speaking of the Adena Springs-bred miss, now a graded stakes winner.
“She is a very special horse,” said Attard, who had watched Moira finish second, including in the Nassau (G2) and Dance Smartly (G2), in her three previous 2023 starts. “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.”
Moira, sporting a record of 5-4-0 from 11 starts for owners X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, and SF Racing LLC, appears to be headed to the $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) on October 8 at Woodbine.
“Most definitely,” said Attard, of the 1¼-mile E.P. Taylor. “I'm pretty sure. I have bosses, but 'wink-wink.' ”
Moira paid $7.90 for the win.
The post Canadian HOY Moira Rolls To Dominating Victory In Canadian appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Flattery (Flatter) battled seven others to win the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Saturday.
After she broke her maiden at first asking at Del Mar over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course Aug. 19, the chestnut filly returned here as the 3-1 third choice. From the first jumps she was taken back along the rail towards the rear of the field as a longshot set a brisk pace. The Peter Eurton trainee continued to wait her turn until the far turn when she tipped to the outside and under a drive, Flattery rolled home over Loterie (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}).
“I didn't know if she was going to get out of it because they were kind of trapped a little inside,” said Eurton. “But once he got her settled it was just a matter of time. He had so much horse. She's kind of jumped up a level since her last. She's more precocious and her last works were more on the bridle. She picked things up pretty quick.”
The winner's dam is responsible for a yearling filly by Echo Town. Out of an extended female family which includes NYRA stakes stalwart Fourstardave (Compliance), second dam Mystic Lady (Thunder Gulch) won four graded stakes during her career including the GII Cotillion H.
DEL MAR JUVENILE FILLIES TURF S., $101,500, Del Mar, 9-9, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.86, fm.
1–FLATTERY, 122, f, 2, by Flatter
1st Dam: Mystic Miracle, by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Mystic Lady, by Thunder Gulch
3rd Dam: Diane Suzanne, by Compliance
($180,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Exline-Border Racing LLC, Burns Racing LLC, Aaron Kennedy, Aaron and Richard Hausman; B-Machmer Hall, Carrie Brogden & Craig Brogden (KY); T-Peter Eurton; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $109,200. *1/2 to Wegetsdamunnys (D' Funnybone), MSP, $305,620.
2–Loterie (Ire), 120, f, 2, Ten Sovereigns (Ire)–All To Do With It (Ire), by Canford Cliffs (Ire). (€30,000 Ylg '22 TATIRY). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Living The Dream LLC, Medallion Racing and Barry Fowler; B-Lynch Bages LTD (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato. $20,000.
3–Angiolleta (Ire), 122, f, 2, Calyx (GB)–Angelic Guest (Ire), by Dark Angel (Ire). (20,000gns Ylg '22 TADEY). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Great Friends Stables, LLC, James F. Cahill, Mark Davis and Ty Leatherman; B-Wardley bloodstock (IRE); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $12,000.
Margins: 1, 1 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 3.30, 1.80, 2.50.
Also Ran: Tambo, Cailin Dana, Auratium, Double Bay (Ire), Bossy Bruin Gal. Scratched: Arctic Breeze, Into Yellowstone, Poppy's Joy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
FLATTERY ($8.60) got a perfect trip under @JJHernandezS19 to hold off the late run of Loterie (IRE) in the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf at @DelMarRacing. This 2-year-old filly is trained by @EurtonRacing. Congrats to the connections!
pic.twitter.com/sqJWGUMIrM
— TVG (@TVG) September 9, 2023
The post Flatter Filly Ratchets Up With First Stakes Win At Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
