Canada’s past two horses of the year, Moira and Fev Rover, meet for the seventh time as they top a contentious field of six for Saturday’s $750,000 E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1) on the turf at Woodbine.
Also on the card Saturday: three Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In’’ races, the Summer Stakes (G1), the Natalma Stakes (G1), and the Woodbine Mile (G1).
Fev Rover. Woodbine Photo.
Worldwide talent set to line up in the E.P. Taylor at Woodbine
Fev Rover, trained by Mark Casse for Tracy Farmer, was victorious in last year’s E. P. Taylor, after which she finished 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). She returned to action this year finishing sixth in the New York (G1) at Saratoga, then was second in the Nassau (G2) at her home track and second again in the Beverly D. (G2) at Colonial Downs, where she was headed at the wire by Moira after leading throughout.
“I’m expecting a big effort,” said Casse of the 6-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Gutaifan, who began her career in Europe before joining Casse’s stable in 2022. “Her last start was better than her start before, which was better than the one before that.”
Fev Rover brings earnings of $1.4 million into the 1 ¼-mile E. P. Taylor along with a record of 6-6-3 from 23 starts.
Moira, trained by Kevin Attard for Madaket Stables, SF Racing and X-Men Racing, has been no worse than third in 13 of her 15 lifetime starts. Her only off-the-board outings came when eighth in the 2022 E. P. Taylor and subsequently fifth in the BC Filly & Mare Turf.
Her 2023 campaign included a win in the Canadian (G2) at Woodbine, second-place finishes in the Dance Smartly (G2), Nassau (G2) and Belle Mahone (G3), and a pair of thirds in the E. P. Taylor the BC Filly & Mare Turf.
In two starts this year, she was second by less than a length in the Diana (G1) on July 13 at Saratoga and then came on to take the Beverly D. over Fev Rover to even the score between the two mares at 3-all.
“Her race at Saratoga was a very good performance,” said 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 Beverly D. gave Moira an automatic, fees-paid berth in this year’s BC Filly & Mare Turf, and she will be seeking her first Grade 1 win in the E. P. Taylor.
“The E.P. Taylor has always been on her calendar,” said Attard. “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 backwards from that.”
Attard also will saddle the Woodbine-based Full Count Felicia, who in her first start for the trainer finished fourth in the Nassau (G2) but then won the Canadian (G2) in front-running fashion.
“She had been training super going into that race,” said Attard. “She tends to show speed but she’s versatile – she can run on the lead or off the pace.”
Lending an international flair to the E. P. Taylor are Blue Rose Cen, a multiple Group 1 winner in England who is 0-for-4 this year; Cinderella’s Dream, who won four of her five starts overseas for Godolphin and then won this year’s Belmont Oaks (G1) and Saratoga Oaks (G2) under the care of trainer Charlie Appleby, and Blush, a British-bred daughter of Kingman who will be facing older horses for the first time.
For those who bet horse racing …
The picks: 1 Moira 2 Cinderella’s Dream 3 Fev Rover