In 2022, the 3-year-old dirt male division in North American Thoroughbred racing has been highly competitive with a pecking order constantly in flux. Three different horses won Triple Crown races and injuries and setbacks have affected the campaigns of several top contenders.
Tag: Racing
Moira Dominates Queen’s Plate in Track-Record Time
The fictional Moira Rose, played by Catherine O’Hara for years on the popular sitcom “Schitt’s Creek,” was a spoiled, eccentric, and overly dramatic character. Her namesake, the talented 3-year-old filly Moira, also has her own unique personality traits, particularly in the lead-up to the race, such as in the paddock. When racing, however, she is simply all class.
‘She Did Everything Perfect’: Stonestreet’s Love Reigns Makes Winning Return From Royal Ascot In Bolton Landing At Saratoga
Stonestreet Stables' Love Reigns provided trainer Wesley Ward with a record extending fifth victory in Sunday's eighth renewal of the $150,000 Bolton Landing, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for juvenile fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.
The Irish-bred daughter of U S Navy Flag made a winning return from her fourth-place finish in the Queen Mary (G2) on June 15 at Royal Ascot that followed a sparkling 9 3/4-length debut score in April at Keeneland.
Ward said he is hopeful that Love Reigns can follow in the footsteps of filly Twilight Gleaming, who he saddled to victory against males in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Del Mar.
“She's a nice filly. She came through today,” Ward said. “I'm looking forward to the Breeders' Cup at her home track at Keeneland, I'll tell you that.”
With regular pilot Irad Ortiz Jr. up, Love Reigns broke alertly and tracked the early foot of Sweet Harmony though splits of :22.34 and :44.87 over the firm going. Ortiz angled Love Reigns to the outside of Sweet Harmony into the turn and quickly established command, drawing off to a 2 1/2-length win in a final time of 1:02.03.
Luis Saez-piloted Danse Macabre closed to complete the exacta by three-quarters of a length over the slow-starting Redifined with the Ward-trained No Kay Never, Sweet Harmony, Aztec Nights, Kerry, Sicilian Grandma, and Motown Mischief rounding out the order of finish. Grand Oak was scratched.
“It was nice today that she rated kindly. She had been doing that in the morning, but morning and afternoon are two different animals,” said Ward, who won the Bolton Landing previously with Con Te Partiro [2016], Stillwater Cove [2018], Kimari [2019], and Chi Town Lady [2021].
“We had that other filly [Sweet Harmony] go up there with her and Irad eased her back in second. When he went ahead and tapped her on the shoulder, she kicked away from them. That's what you want to see, especially from a 3-5 shot. She certainly stamped herself here as our top prospect for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.”
Ortiz said Love Reigns was professional in victory.
“She did everything perfect,” said Ortiz, who leads the Saratoga meet with 41 victories. “She broke good and the other horse came out faster than she did. I came over, sat second in the clear and waited for the time to go and she did the rest.”
Saez said he was impressed with his first afternoon experience aboard Danse Macabre, who was making her stakes debut from a front-running maiden score in July at Colonial Downs for trainer Kelsey Danner.
“We had a little bit of trouble at the half-mile pole,” Saez said. “Going five-eighths everyone runs away from there. But she ran a good race, she finished pretty strong and I think she has a good future.”
The well-bred Love Reigns, out of the Pivotal mare Humble and Proud, is a half sister to 2018 Sword Dancer (G1) winner Glorious Empire, by Holy Roman Emperor. Bred in Ireland by Patrick Grogan, Love Reigns banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 2-0-0 from three starts. She returned $3.40 for a $2 win ticket. The filly was bought from her breeder's Killourney Mor Farm at the 2021 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale for €160,000 ($187,123) by agent Ben McElroy, who was bidding on behalf of Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables.
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A Historic Coronation: Filly Moira Sets Track Record In Queen’s Plate Victory
The Queen's Plate is a race known for its great performances by fillies, and on Sunday at Woodbine, Moira put herself in the upper echelon of that list, winning the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown in track-record time.
The 3-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper settled in near the back of the pack, as The Minkster took command for the first trip down the homestretch. The Minkster opened up a 1 1/2-length advantage through an opening quarter in :23.75, and he continued to hold that margin through a half in :47.58.
The Minkster was followed closely by Ironstone, followed by a long gap back to the rest of the pack, and jockey Kazushi Kimura began to move aboard Ironstone as the two leaders reached the one-mile point in 1:36.33. Ironstone took command past the mile market, but in the meantime, jockey Rafael Hernandez had already begun rousing Moira into her move, and she was taking aim on the lead duo.
By the top of the stretch, Moira had already taken a three-length lead over the lead pair, and that margin continued to grow down the stretch until the filly crossed the wire seven lengths ahead of late-moving runner-up Hall of Dreams. Plate Trial winner Sir for Sure was two lengths further back in third.
Moira stopped the clock in the 1 1/4-mile race in 2:01.48, which was a track record time since Woodbine converted its main track to a synthetic surface in 2006. She topped the previous record time of 2:01.51 set by Delegation in 2013.
Moira paid $5.60 to win as the betting public's second choice behind Rondure, who finished sixth.
Sunday's Queen's Plate was the second victory in the Canadian classic for Hernandez, and the first for trainer Kevin Attard. She is owned by the partnership of X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables, and SF Racing.
Moira was bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, out of the Unbridled's Song mare Devine Aida.
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