It's been quite a ride for trainer Kevin Attard and Moira.
The heralded filly earned Attard his first King's Plate win in 2022 en route to being named Canada's horse of the year. After finishing fifth in the '22 Breeders Cup Filly & Mare race, Moira ended last season by taking third in the event at Santa Anita.
The third time was the charm Saturday at Del Mar as Moira, with Flavien Prat aboard, held off favourite Cinderella’s Dream for the stirring half-length victory for owners Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC and X-Men Racing. The Ontario-bred five-year-old also secured the affable Attard, 47, his first Breeders' Cup triumph.
But the elation was short-lived as Moira was sold at auction Monday night for US$4.3 million. Instead of winning races, the expectation now is Moira will be called upon to produce the next line of champion thoroughbreds.
"It's been a whirlwind of emotions, that's for sure," Attard said. "Being a Canadian racing at Woodbine, the goal was always to win the King's Plate, something that's also hard to do and has eluded some of the great Canadian trainers we have.
"Now I can say she's also won a Breeders' Cup race, which to be quite honest was something I never dreamt of growing up, it was never on my radar. Luckily for me, she came into my life and accomplished that (Plate win) and more."
Moira became the seventh Canadian-bred horse to win a Breeders’ Cup race but first since Perfect Shirl in 2011. Moira is also just the third Plate champion to find the Breeders' Cup winner's circle, joining Dance Smartly (1991, Distaff) and Awesome Again (1998, Classic).
While Attard knew what was ultimately ahead for Moira, his focus was entirely on her pre-race preparation. But the harsh reality of the situation hit Attard on Saturday.
"We took her out to the track Saturday morning to give her a little jog," Attard said. "Walking out there I kind of choked up a little bit because I knew that was the last time the tack was going on her for me.
"But, again, we knew we had a big day ahead of us and we were trying to stay in the zone and keep focused. After the race, though, you get back to the barn and she's there and you know it's the last time you're going to be holding her out on the grass and things like that. It really starts to sink in."
Attard also felt Moira sensed something was up.
"For some reason, she acted differently Saturday," he said. "Her demeanour was a little different, she wasn't her typical eccentric self in a sense.
"I thought, 'This is going to go one of two directions: Really good or really bad with nothing in between.' Fortunately, she's smarter than me, she knew what she was doing and got the job done."
Moira did that often. She finished in the money in 15-of-17 career starts (seven wins, six seconds, twice third) and earned over US$2.99 million.
"She was so consistent and never really ran a bad race," Attard said. "Each time we sent her out there she gave it her best and in any sport, with humans or in horse racing, that's not easy to do.
"Horses have bad days as well and it's a testament to her in the sense that she came to play every time and that's all you can ask for. Obviously, I think she has cemented herself as one of the best Canadian racehorses . . . I think she has proven time and time again she can compete with the best and has never been disgraced. She's a very special horse."
Attard said he knows little about Moira's new ownership.
"I know they're based in Australia and have more of a European base as well," he said. "It sounds like she may be travelling again, which is a little hard because she's a little further and out of the way to visit.
"But definitely at some point I'm going to want to see her again."
Attard has no doubts regarding what kind of mother Moira will be.
"She'll be a great mom because she's such a great horse, I think she's going to be a very protective mother," he said. "If she passes on the heart she has to her foals, they're going to be very good racehorses.
"It's definitely not easy but it's a part of the business. I guess it's the equivalent to players getting traded and having to move their families and uproot everything. Maybe as you do it more often you get used to it or it gets a little easier to handle, I don't know. But I'm sure going to miss her, no doubt."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press