Via Bill Finley
Moira (Ghostzapper), this year’s Queen’s Plate predominance winner over men, will begin Saturday at Woodbine in the GI EP Taylor S. It will be her first attempt at the older horses and also the her first time playing on grass. Coach Kevin Attard also reviewed the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S.
“The race was at home and at a distance of a mile and a half,” Attard said. “She had a piece on the pitch [five furlongs in 1:01.20] on Saturday and seemed to have gotten through it very well and looked very comfortable doing it. Those are the factors that affect it. The Keeneland race is very exciting, but we will have to transport and put her on a truck. She has some quirks, so we’re not too sure about that as no one knows how she will handle the shipping or if there will be any negative effects from it. . We think it’s safer to stay at home.”
Moira, player 4 to 5, was an easy winner of the Queen’s Disc, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, beating her hybrid Ontario colleagues seven times. Attard and the owners, X-Men Racing, Madaket Stablkes LLC and SF Racing LLC, then decided to hand over the remaining two installments of the series to give them a chance to win the Class I race. In her only attempt in the rated company, Moira placed second in GIII Mazarine S.
Attard admits that EP Taylor will be a tough venue for his filth.
“She’s clearly coming a long way in her class and is facing older horses for the first time,” he said. “There is a slight advantage in weight.
As a 3-year-old facing older fillings, she should have put on four pounds. But it’s always good if you can stick to your age group. At the end of the day, there is no such thing as an easy class I”.
All five launches appear on the synthetic Tapeta surface at Woodbine. Attard is confident that a move to grass will not be a problem.
“I think she’ll handle it,” he said. “Her dam is Devine Aida (Unbridled Song) and she is the winner of the bet on the pitch. She has a sibling who was a small bet winner on the pitch. She was bred to handle turf and she looks great working with it. The forecast looks good for this week, so it looks like we’ll get a steady track. It was something else that we counted on it. “
Depending on how she goes on Saturday, Moira could be back in GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
“It’s a possibility,” Attard said. “With EP Taylor four weeks away from the Breeders’ Cup compared to three weeks for Queen Elizabeth, that also influenced our decision.”
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This story was posted in Top News and tagged Breeders ‘Cup Filly & Mare Turf, EP Taylor, Kevin Attard, Moira, Queen’s Plate, Honeysuckle.
