Moira Still Chasing Grade 1 Win, Back for E. P. Taylor

It's difficult to fathom how Moira  hasn't yet won a grade 1 race. The brilliant mare, crowned Canada's Horse of the Year in 2022 after dominating male rivals by seven lengths in that year's Queen's Plate Stakes, returned at 4 to capture the 2023 Canadian Stakes (G2T) and ran excellent thirds in the E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) and Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T), where she finished best of the North American horses behind Europeans Inspiral  and Warm Heart .

Lining up for the third straight year, Moira is back for vengeance in the Sept. 14 E. P. Taylor at Woodbine, fresh off winning the Aug. 11 Beverly D. Stakes (G2T) at Colonial Downs. The Beverly D., in which she ran down fellow Sovereign Horse of the Year Fev Rover , was the Ghostzapper   daughter's second start of the year following a lengthy respite. She made her 5-year-old debut in a stacked field of top-level turf mares in the July 13 Diana Stakes (G1T), nearly catching the victorious Whitebeam  in a belated rally.

"Her race at Saratoga (the Diana Stakes) was a very good performance," said trainer Kevin Attard. "There wasn't much speed. She chased, and closed well, coming off a long layoff, and followed up in the Beverly D., again a little bit of a paceless race.

"The E. P. Taylor has always been on her calendar. It's a bit earlier this year, which gives her more time to the Breeders' Cup. That's her ultimate goal, and you kind of work backward from that."

Moira earned an automatic berth to the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf with her win in the Beverly D., a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In event.

Owned by the partnership of X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables, and SF Racing, Moira has been made the 7-5 morning-line choice in a field of six fillies and mares. Although the field is small, the 1 1/4-mile test will take a breakthrough performance and tactical ride from Rafael Hernandez in order to secure the mare's first grade 1 victory.  

Tracy Farmer's Fev Rover will aim to repeat a similar run from last year's E. P. Taylor, where she strolled through a soft early pace and got the jump on the closers for a 2 1/4-length tally. The Mark Casse trainee displayed analogous tactics in the Beverly D., beaten just a neck by Moira under the wire after controlling the pace.

John Velazquez has the call on Fev Rover in her title defense.

Fev Rover may have company on the front end, however, in the form of Moira's stablemate Full Count Felicia . The daughter of War Front   recently took Woodbine's Canadian Stakes (G2T) in front-running fashion for Gold Square.

European invaders, who have traditionally performed well in the E. P. Taylor, could mount a considerable challenge to the local runners. Of the three Europeans, which include multiple group 1 winner Blue Rose Cen  and recent group 3 victress Blush , it is Godolphin's Cinderella's Dream  who poses the biggest threat to Moira and the home team.  

One of two 3-year-olds in the E. P. Taylor, she carries 4 pounds less than her older rivals with 120 pounds. Nearly undefeated, barring a loss in the British One Thousand Guineas (G1), the Shamardal filly was exceptional in her two stateside efforts, demonstrating an electrifying turn of foot in capturing the Belmont (G1T) and Saratoga (G2T) Oaks Invitational Stakes. She lowered the Saratoga Race Course track record for 1 3/16 miles on the turf in her Belmont Oaks triumph.

The E. P. Taylor will be Cinderella's Dream's first test against older fillies and mares, but trainer Charlie Appleby feels she is more than up to the task.

"Her first grade 1 win in the Belmont Oaks was impressive as it was a quality field," said Appleby. "(Cinderella's Dream) is a straightforward filly and relaxes well in her races. We have been very happy with her preparation, and she comes here with confidence having won her last two starts."

Undercard Stakes

In addition to the four grade 1 turf events on Saturday's card, the Vigil Stakes (G3) and Ontario Matron Stakes (G3) are staged on the Woodbine main track.

An oversubscribed field of 14 older fillies and mares square off in the 1 1/16-mile Ontario Matron, which features a rematch between graded stakes-winning Woodbine locals Solo Album  and Fashionably Find. Elysian Field , the 2023 Woodbine Oaks winner, is also in the field as one of three fillies entered for trainer Mark Casse.

The even-money morning-line favorite in the Vigil Stakes is the Robert Tiller-trained Patches O'Houlihan , a gate-to-wire winner of his last two starts over the Woodbine oval. Patches O'Houlihan has only lost once in his last nine starts and boasts graded stakes wins in last year's Vigil Stakes and back-to-back runnings of the Bold Venture Stakes (G3) in 2023-24.