Our questions are answered by the leading Woodbine-based trainer who landed the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf with Moira at Del Mar
Canadian trainer Kevin Attard starred in one of the viral moments of the Breeders’ Cup when his celebration of Moira’s victory in the Filly & Mare Turf was captured by the NBC Sports cameras.
A trainer who doesn’t hide his emotions, the tears were flowing again after the mare sold at Fasig Tipton for $4.3m two days later.
“I guess I wear my heart on my sleeve,” he says. “I work hard at what I do and this particular horse obviously means a lot to me. There is so much sacrifice to get to this level so the joy and excitement came out in that clip of me riding her home and jumping up and down.”
The daughter of Ghostzapper, who won seven of her 17 starts, was making her third appearance at the Breeders’ Cup having finished fifth and third on her previous attempts.
Until then Attard’s greatest moment had been winning Canada’s most historic race, the Queen’s Plate in 2022 – now the King’s Plate – also with Moira. The BC Filly & Mare Turf was her first success at international G1 level.
Attard, 48, was born into a racing family as the son of trainer Tino Attard, who also operates at Woodbine. Kevin branched out on his own in 2001, when he trained nine winners.
Now with more than 800 wins to his name, Attard runs one of the top performing stables at Woodbine where he has also enjoyed top-level wins with Starship Jubilee, Last Call and Full Count Felicia.
Which racing figure past or present do you most admire?
It’s tough to say because there are a lot of people I have admired and watched along the way. First and foremost a lot of credit for my success goes to my father Tino. He taught me everything I know.
Obviously there were names I followed growing up like Henry Cecil in Europe and in North America, D Wayne Lukas. To me they were greats on two separate sides of the world.
Which is your favourite venue, and race, anywhere in the world?
My favourite venue would probably be Saratoga. It is something different. There is a special atmosphere there and the crowd appreciate horse racing. From my perspective it’s different from all other racetracks I’ve been to.
Being a homeboy, growing up in Canada and appreciating how difficult it is to train a Queen’s Plate/King’s Plate winner, that would be my favourite race. I’ve won it twice and was lucky to win it this year.
On that day you are going to get the biggest crowd, people dress up. The racetrack goes all out, the crowd go all out, it’s something you don’t experience at an everyday meet.
Who is your favourite racehorse and why?
Obviously now Moira is my favourite horse. She was my first Queen’s Plate winner, first Breeders’ Cup winner. She has just been a very special horse who allowed me to travel, got me recognition in an industry I have worked in trying to be successful.
Her race in last year’s Breeders’ Cup, running third to Inspiral and Warm Heart, was probably her biggest career effort. She went to the sale still after that not being a G1 winner but having shown she belonged there. Connections bought her back and elected to run her again this year with the goal of getting back to the Breeders’ Cup.
Going into Saturday’s race the G1 had still eluded her. She came into the race doing really well and on the day everything aligned for us.
I’ve had some other good horses along the way and it would be remiss not to mention Starship Jubilee, another multiple graded winner in Canada and the US, and Calgary Cat, a horse we claimed and was my first starter in the Breeders’ Cup, where he finished fourth in the Sprint.
What is your fondest memory in racing?
If you’d asked me before the Breeders’ Cup it would have been winning the Queen’s Plate with Moira. I’m not sure I even dreamt of winning a Breeders’ Cup race. I didn’t think it would be in the realm of possibility being based in Canada. You don’t see many Canadians get to that stage. So to win a Breeders’ Cup race on the world’s stage is definitely the highlight of my career now.
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be?
I think people need to realise how much care we take and how passionate we are about our horses. I don’t think they appreciate how much goes into looking after these animals and how they are loved by our people.
They are more than just animals going out there earning money. Obviously that’s a big part of the game, but there is a lot that goes into it. In general it’s a side of the sport that I don’t think the public really knows a lot about.
Kevin Attard was speaking to Jon Lees
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