Plate victory moves apprentice jockey Moran atop Eclipse Award discussion

TORONTO — Pietro Moran was already in high demand as Woodbine’s leading jockey, but he’s become an even hotter commodity following his stunning win Saturday in the $1-million King’s Plate.

The 20-year-old star apprentice rode Mansetti, an 18-1 longshot, to a 2 1/2-length victory in the Plate, the first jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, at Woodbine Racetrack. Moran captured the win in just his second Plate start after finishing fourth last year aboard Pierre.

“It already has,” Tom Patton, Moran’s agent, said when asked if he expected to start fielding more calls about Moran following Saturday’s win. “Pietro is a very determined rider who is determined to do well, he has that.

“He’s a little quieter about it, he might not speak it or show it, but he definitely has that. He really has everything going for him, and the sky is the limit.”

Moran became the third-youngest jockey to win the Plate. But as impressive was how he and Mansetti went about it.

Scorching took the early lead in the 1 1/4-mile race but was quickly overshadowed by Moran and Mansetti to his inside. Shortly after the opening quarter, Mansetti took control and was never really threatened throughout the race, earning trainer Kevin Attard his second straight Plate victory and third in four years.

Attard said Moran effectively answered any questions owners might have had about enlisting the young jockey’s services.

“He just won the biggest race on the calendar to date, a marquee one like the King’s Plate, going a classic distance to boot under a pretty smooth ride,” Attard said. “If there were any people who had some doubt, I think it just reassures them now that legging him up isn’t going to hurt your chances, for sure.”

Moran has made winning a nice habit this year. He’s leading Woodbine jockeys in victories (68), purse earnings (over $3.1 million) and starts (395).

Moran was a finalist as Canada’s top apprentice jockey last year and is a virtual lock now to capture the ’25 honour. But the Plate win has also made Moran the favourite for the Eclipse Award as North America’s champion apprentice.

And considering Moran will remain an apprentice until Jan. 6, 2026, he has plenty of time to add to his impressive list of ’25 achievements and further solidify his status as the Eclipse Award front-runner.

“I’d have to think that race (Plate) is a big step,” said Attard, Canada’s champion trainer last year. “Put it this way, I’d be surprised if another apprentice wins a $1-million race anywhere in North America.”

A fact not lost upon Patton.

“I’m obviously biased, but I’d have to think he’d have to be the (Eclipse Award) favourite just off that one race alone,” he said. “I don’t know of another apprentice who’s won the King’s Plate, and I don’t know of an apprentice in the U.S. that’s won a $1-million race before.”

As good as Moran is on the track, he’s an even better person off it. A respectful, reserved and pleasant individual, Moran might have the youth of an apprentice but he also possesses the maturity of a journeyman.

“I’d say that’s a very fair assessment,” Attard said.

Moran comes by both his riding prowess and pleasant demeanour honestly. His father, David, is also a very well-respected, veteran jockey at Woodbine, while his mother, Maria, is a former jockey.

David Moran also rode in the Plate on Saturday, finishing eighth aboard William T. It marked the first time in race history that a father and son competed in the same event.

What’s more, Pietro Moran and Mansetti began Saturday’s race on the rail. Starting beside them in the 13-horse field were David Moran and William T in post No. 2.

If there’s a knock against the junior Moran, it’s that he’s maybe too nice. Many elite athletes succeed because they not only have a competitive fire burning within but also an on-court/on-field aura and visible confidence that they’re virtually unbeatable.

“What makes some athletes kind of take that jump from being great to almost elite is they almost need a chip on their shoulder, a little attitude, a little swagger in a sense,” Attard said. “It’s not that I want to see him get cocky in life, but you almost have to have that mentality, right?

“I think right now he’s dipping his feet into the water and getting a sense or a feel of the temperature, so to speak. As he gets more confident and rides more, that will come.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2025.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press