Sistercharlie Edges Wild Illusion Late in BC F&M Turf
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Sistercharlie edges Wild Illusion in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs
What's 30 years?
Owner Peter Brant completed a successful return to Breeders' Cup glory when his Sistercharlie rallied in deep stretch to win the $2 million Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.
Brant's previous Breeders' Cup victory came in 1988 with Gulch in the Sprint (G1). After more than two decades away from the game, Brant returned this season, and it didn't take him long to return to the Breeders' Cup winner's circle—although his standout female turf runner made him wait to the very end of the 2:20.96 it took to run Saturday's race to celebrate.
Sistercharlie settled near midpack early in the 1 3/8-mile race on good turf, as her Chad Brown stablemate A Raving Beauty and Javier Castellano raced comfortably on the lead through slow fractions of a half-mile in :51.81 and six furlongs in 1:18.56. A Raving Beauty was tracked by Coolmore's Magic Wand, longshot Princess Yaiza, and Godolphin's Wild Illusion, the 5-2 favorite.
After leading the way, Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables' A Raving Beauty flashed another gear entering the stretch. At midstretch, Wild Illusion, who entered off two consecutive group 1 wins, began to steadily gain ground on the leader, but Sistercharlie under John Velazquez was moving best of all toward the center of the course.
Wild Illusion tried to hold off the late charge but didn't have quite enough, and Sistercharlie prevailed by a neck. A Raving Beauty held third. Sistercharlie paid $8.60, $4.20, and $3.40.
The Filly & Mare Turf was the fourth grade 1 win—at four tracks—for the daughter of Myboycharlie this season. She opened the year with a win in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) April 14 at Keeneland and added scores in the July 21 Diana Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course and Aug. 11 Beverly D. Stakes (G1T) at Arlington International Race Course.
"I see that the game has changed somewhat, and you try to make the necessary changes in your program to do that. And I think, first and foremost, was to associate with Chad, who is a great trainer and focused on his stable and his operation … spending a lot of time with him, I see it so clearly," Brant said. "He's a really great trainer and one of the greats ever."
Brown noted the season is especially spectacular when you consider the 4-year-old filly battled illness last year. He said she had a serious case of pneumonia, and they weren't sure she'd even be able to return to racing.
"She had a bout of pneumonia last year that was quite serious. She was in the clinic awhile, where we were just hoping to save her, (and we) thought maybe she wouldn't run again," Brown said. "She came back in really top form. I mean, she ran at a mile and a sixteenth and won a great one earlier in the year and then also at a mile and three-eighths. It would take me a long time to think if I have a horse that could do that ever that I've trained."
Sistercharlie was bred in Ireland by Ecurie Des Monceaux out of the Galileo mare Starlet's Sister. She made three starts in France and was then purchased by Brant, for whom she made a runner-up effort in the 2017 Prix de Diane Longines (G1) before the owner had her sent to the U.S.
"I think that the way they train the horses (in France) kind of leaves some juice in the lemon," Brant said. "I've always been successful with the horses I've bought there... We bought (Sistercharlie) before the Prix de Diane and she ran great. She almost got knocked down in that race and still finished second, very impressively, so we gave her to Chad right after the race and brought her back and she's been right there every race we have run her, and she's very special."
Before the race, Wild Illusion balked at loading and required several minutes of effort to enter her in the gate. Despite those problems, trainer Charlie Appleby thought the daughter of Dubawi ran a nice race.
"I'm delighted with her run. She's run a fantastic race and has lost nothing in defeat," Appleby said. "Coming into the race, we felt that Chad's filly was the one to beat, so full credit to him and his team on their win. Our horse is a consistent grade 1 performer, but I feel one mile and two furlongs is really her ideal trip."
It was the second victory of the 2018 Breeders' Cup for two-time reigning Eclipse Award winner Brown, who won the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 2 with Newspaperofrecord. It was his 12th Breeders' Cup win and fourth victory in the Filly & Mare Turf. He also won the race with Zagora in 2012, Dayatthespa in 2014, and Stephanie's Kitten in 2015.
For Velazquez, it was his 16th Breeders' Cup victory and third in the Filly & Mare Turf, with others coming in 2002 with Starine and 2011 with Perfect Shirl.