Get to know the equine stars of Woodbine Racetrack, as we go beyond the chart lines and stat sheets to deliver three fascinating facts about a horse who will look to make their mark in 2022. This week, rising star Moira steps into the spotlight, as trainer Kevin Attard serves up three interesting facts about the Ontario-bred bay filly and top contender for this year’s $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser. Moira Age: 3 Sire: Ghostzapper Dam: Devine Aida Record: 2 starts 1-1-0 Earnings: $149,415 (U.S.) Trainer: Kevin Attard Owner: X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC Breeder: Adena Springs Need to know: Debuted in the 2021 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, and won by 4 ¼-lengths at 4-1 Quick thought: “There are certain races on the Woodbine calendar that I want to be represented in by my horses. Obviously, the Oaks is one of them. You get really excited when you have a two-year-old that has an ‘ON’ beside its’ name, an Ontario-bred like Moira. This game, it’s built on dreams. Owners dream. Trainers dream. Grooms dream. Jockeys dream. That’s what keep us going, maybe that next one is going to be the one. When you get that, to have a Canadian-bred with talent, you’re excited about what the future holds.” – Kevin Attard Moira, under jockey Justin Stein, made her debut a winning one capturing the 76th running of the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Woodbine. (Michael Burns Photo) Stall tactics: “Around the barn, she’s pretty mellow for the most part. She can be a little feisty in her stall, where she doesn’t want to be messed with too much. But she’s an easy horse to train and she loves her job. She’s really straightforward. When we started working her, ahead of her first race, it looked like she had some talent. The more we did with her and the further her works progressed, it was pretty apparent that she was going to be a special horse. With her pedigree and being a Canadian-bred, I thought we would give her a shot in the Princess Elizabeth for her first start. I didn’t want to give up that opportunity, and she wasn’t coming to hand fast enough to get a start in prior to that. But it all worked out really well. She showed that maturity we saw early on her in life.” Taking it all in stride: “I think she has efficient stride that covers a lot of ground. To me, it looks pretty effortless when she runs. She shipped into Woodbine a little later in her two-year-old season and looking at her pedigree, we realized she wasn’t going to be a sprinter. We started getting her ready and she was set for those two-turn races in the fall. She was a good size for a two-year-old and she’s developed into a good-looking three-year-old. This is the type of horse you strive to have in your barn.” ‘Munny’ talks: “I think Moira showed a little more raw talent early on than [2021 Woodbine Oaks winner and Canadian champion three-year-old female] Munnyfor Ro did. I always liked Munnyfor Ro. We sprinted her to start and ran her long, then she went on to Florida. It took her a few more starts than Moira to figure it out, but once she did, she was excellent. So, it’s nice to have both her and Moira in the barn.” Woodbine Communications Share This:Share
