Saratoga Set to Host Marquee Turf Race as Canada’s Horse of the Year Moira Takes on Strong Diana Field
(Saratoga, NY – July 5, 2024) On Saturday, the prestigious $500,000 Grade 1 Diana Stakes will take center stage at Saratoga Race Course, drawing a talented field of older fillies and mares to compete over the inner turf course. Headlining the 10-horse lineup is Moira, Canada’s reigning Horse of the Year, who will make her seasonal debut for trainer Kevin Attard.
The 5-year-old Ghostzapper mare, named after the beloved character from the TV series Schitt’s Creek, is coming off a troubled third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last November. Attard is confident the mare has trained forwardly and is ready to deliver a big effort against a deep group that includes five entrants from the powerful Chad Brown barn, which has won the Diana a record eight times.
“She’s a good horse and I think she deserves a chance,” said Attard, who is based at Woodbine in Ontario. “Going nine furlongs against Grade 1 company coming off a seven-month layoff is not going to be easy, but she’s matured from 4 to 5 and she’s looked the best she’s ever been in her training.”
Moira, owned by Lanni Bloodstock, Madaket Stables and SF Racing, will break from the inside post under jockey Tyler Gaffalione. She is listed at 5-1 on the morning line, with the Chad Brown-trained Whitebeam installed as the 4-1 favorite.
Also in the strong Diana field are the Brown trainees Coppice, Gina Romantica, Fluffy Socks and Chili Flag, as well as the Ignacio Correas-trained Didia, winner of the recent Grade 1 New York Stakes at Saratoga.
The race marks the return of the popular Moira, who captured the Canadian Stakes and the prestigious Queen’s Plate against males at Woodbine in 2022. Attard, who has found plenty of success on Tapeta surfaces, is eager to see how his star performer handles the turf challenge at Saratoga.
“The Tapeta in Florida and the Tapeta at Woodbine are different, and weather plays a big role in how it plays,” Attard said. “It will be interesting to see how the horses transition from one Tapeta to the new surface at Belmont Park when it opens in 2026.”
The 2024 edition of the Diana Stakes is set for a 5:44 p.m. EDT post time on Saturday and will be broadcast nationally on TVG and NYRA Live.
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