ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It’s been a year since Moira manhandled the boys in track-record time in the 2022 Queen’s Plate. The reigning Canadian Horse of the Year hasn’t won since, but she’s in solid form and could get back into the winner’s circle in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly, Sunday’s supporting feature on King’s Plate Day at Woodbine. In her June 3 season opener in the Grade 3 Belle Mahone on the Tapeta, Moira was boxed in along the inside near a slow pace set by Souper Hoity Toity before surging late to lose by a neck. Heavy rain softened the turf just prior to her most recent race here in the Grade 2 Nassau. Moira seemingly spun her wheels when second to Fev Rover, who relished the going and then went on to finish third in the Grade 1 Diana before taking the Grade 1 Beverly D. Moira has worked sharply since the July 1 Nassau, including an official five-furlong time of 58.80 seconds while in company on Aug. 5. “I got her in 59.20, and she galloped out three-quarters in 1:12,” said trainer Kevin Attard, who still holds her in high regard. :: Bet with the Best! Get Free DRF PPs and Cashback when you wager. Join DRF Bets. “I think she’s just been a little hard luck this year,” Attard explained. “Things haven’t gone well for her. To me, she’s a very good horse. I’ve had the privilege to train a couple decent horses, and I think she’s the best horse. I think she’s above [champion] Starship Jubilee. She has to prove it yet, but she trains like she is.” The $200,000 Dance Smartly, a 1 1/16-mile main-turf event, lured eight others, including shippers Salimah, Justify My Love, and Miss Dracarys. Bold Venture Stakes The once-beaten 3-year-old Patches O’Houlihan takes on older opponents in the Grade 3, $150,000 Bold Venture over 6 1/2 furlongs on the Tapeta. Trained by Robert Tiller, Patches O’Houlihan looks like the lone speed in a 10-horse field. The 93 Beyer Speed Figure he earned most recently when taking the Lake Superior Stakes by 8 1/2 lengths is the highest last-out Beyer in the lineup. Patches O’Houlihan may have to hold off Candy Overload, another gifted son of hot Ontario sire Reload, who took the Grade 2 Kennedy Road in November and is exiting a chalky second in the Pink Lloyd Stakes for trainer Mark Casse. Trainer Marty Drexler entered the trio of Border Town, Old Chestnut and Souper Watson. Casse cross-enters four Casse cross-entered fillies Sugar Treat, Golden Canary, Ready to Jam, and Dancing Duchess in the $125,000 Soaring Free Stakes and the $125,000 Catch a Glimpse Stakes for fillies. Both are 6 1/2-furlong turf sprints for 2-year-olds. Ready to Jam was an impressive second-out maiden winner on the grass and should be a player in either race. Attard is running Rhapsody and Bucyk in the Soaring Free and Bolt Enoree, Airosa, and Rosa in the Catch a Glimpse. Bucyk graduated second time out in a six-furlong maiden special on the Tapeta, over which he made both of his starts. “He’s got some talent,” Attard said. “His works on the turf have been a lot better, so I’m looking forward to seeing him on the grass. I think he’ll appreciate that footing.” Rhapsody won her debut in a six-furlong maiden special on the main turf. “She never showed a whole lot on the synthetic,” Attard recalled. “We breezed her on the [training] turf before she [started] and she has such an efficient stride. The day she ran, she came out of the gate flying and it was like, wow. If she runs back to that first race, she should be pretty tough.” Airosa defeated Golden Canary in a front-running second-out maiden score over a main course labeled as good. “I think Airosa is very talented,” Attard said. “I still don’t think we’ve seen the best of her. She’s worked well [since winning], and I’m hoping that she’s figuring things out.” Bolt Enoree started twice on the Tapeta. She beat the boys in her debut before a flat fourth against fillies in the My Dear Stakes. “I was a little disappointed in her last start,” Attard admitted. “I thought she was going to run a lot better than she did. We’re putting on blinkers for this start. I worked her on the turf and I thought she got over it really well.” Rosa got away slowly when bumped before closing from seventh to land her debut, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special on Tapeta. “She was very professional first time out,” Attard said. “She had shown some ability and I thought she’d run well. She did it like a seasoned veteran. We took her to the turf as well and she worked well over it.” Trainer Barbara Minshall has Triple Trea and Pontiac for the Soaring Free, along with Fourfiftyfour for the Catch a Glimpse. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.