Queen’s Plate: Moira is choice of bettors, jockey Hernández

Toronto

Going into the Woodbine Oaks, jockey Rafael Hernández was hoping he would have a choice to make as to who to ride in the Queen’s Plate. Would it be Marine Stakes (G3) winner Rondure? Or would it be Moira, the filly he was about to ride? As it turned out, Moira made the decision for him with an authoritative 10 1/4-length win in the Oaks.

Attard began training in 2001. His top horse to date has been Grade 1 winner and Canadian horse of the year Starship Jubilee, but Moira would eclipse her with a Plate win.

"This is my ultimate goal right here," Attard said. "The history, the hype leading up to this race. It’s eluded some Canadian Hall of Fame trainers who have had great careers, but it’s eluded them. I’ve been here with a good chance to win before, but we’re hoping Moira’s the one to put the icing on the cake." Hernández opting for Moira over Rondure did not mean that the latter lost anything in the saddle. On the contrary, trainer Katerina Vassilieva secured the services of Flavian Prat, one of the leading riders in New York and the winner of the 2019 Plate aboard One Bad Boy. I had it in my mind that if he chose the filly that I’d contact a rider from the U.S.," Vassilieva said. "I had Irad Ortiz and Flavian Prat in mind, because they had both won the Plate in recent years, and they’re both riding very well right now." Prat will ride not only Rondure in the Queen’s Plate but also Flirting Bridge in the preceding Canadian Stakes (G2) for trainer Brendan Walsh. The Canadian and Queen’s Plate go as races 9 and 10, respectively, on the 13-race card, and both are a part a pair of Pick 5 guarantees: $100,000 on races 6-10 and $250,000 on races 9-13. For picks, analysis, and more from Horse Racing Nation, visit the Picks page.

Coverage of the Queen's Plate at Horse Racing Nation is made possible through a sponsorship by Woodbine.