Rougir Prevails in Hard-Fought E.P. Taylor Stakes

Rougir  came rolling down the stretch outside rivals and was just up to win a trouble-filled edition of the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) Oct. 8 at Woodbine, where Queen's Plate winner Moira  was disqualified from a runner-up spot for interference in the stretch.

Rougir, with Kazushi Kimura picking up the mount for trainer Chad Brown, came into the race winless in her four previous starts. She ran well behind the early pace, then was forced to wait as the field turned into the stretch, losing momentum.

Kimura gathered up the 4-year-old Territories  filly, swung wide around rivals and was up to win by a neck, finishing 1 1/4 miles on firm turf in 2:02.62.

"The other horse was moving out so sharply," Kimura explained, "and that's why I had to wait. But he was flying coming out of the corner and that's why I was so confident. I have experience with the long stretch here."

The rider said Rougir has had similar experience.

"This horse won in Europe, too, with those long stretches," he said. 

While the winner was having traffic issues on the outside, Moira and jockey Rafael Hernandez were involved in a more serious jam along the rail at the top of the stretch.

With Moira in full flight, Hernandez ducked in toward the rail, cutting off Lemista  and jockey Luis Contreras. Contreras took up sharply while Moira ran on to finish second.

The Woodbine stewards did not need an extended examination of the replay to take down Moira's number, placing her eighth behind Lemista in her first start since winning the Woodbine Oaks and Queen's Plate back-to-back. The defeat was the second from six career starts for the Ghostzapper   filly, who faced older rivals for the first time in the E.P. Taylor.

Rougir came north of the border in need of a win after missing the frame in the New York Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park, the Diana (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course and the Beverly D. Stakes (G1T) at its new Churchill Downs home in her last four outings. She last won in the May 14 Beaugay Stakes (G3) at Belmont.

She raced in France as a 3-year-old for trainer Cedric Rossi, winning the Prix de l'Opera Longines (G1) at ParisLongchamp in her final start there. She was seventh in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Del Mar in her first U.S. start before getting six-month break and a transfer to Brown's care.

She now is owned by Peter Brant and Michael Tabor.

Flirting Bridge , who was promoted to second by Moira's disqualification, raced in Ireland in 2021. The 4-year-old Camelot  filly, finished a close third in her last start in the Canadian Stakes Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T) Aug. 21 at Woodbine for trainer Brendan Walsh.

The winner of the Canadian, Fev Rover , finished fourth in the E.P. Taylor and was moved up to fifth by the stewards' ruling.

Video: E. P. Taylor S. (G1T)