In news first reported by Daily Racing Form, Gezora will move from the French stable of trainer Francis-Henri Graffard to the American stables of five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.
Owner Peter Brant told BloodHorse on November 9 that the plan was always about the daughter of Almanzor to stay in the United States to rest immediately after the Breeders’ Cup. Since she has already proven herself as a top filly in France, Brant saw it as an opportunity to now prove herself on another continent.
“We thought she’s done a lot in France; there’s a lot to do here,” Brant said. “She has a number of horses in her family that have done very well in the United States.”
A Group 3 winner at age 2, she won the Prix Saint-Alary (G2) and Prix de Diane (G1) this spring, before finishing a solid second in her first attempt against seniors, the Prix Vermeille (G1).
In the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) she scored a bad post in the 13 and jockey Tom Marquand could not work out a comfortable ride. However, she maintained good condition leaving the race, which gave Brant and Graffard the confidence to continue Sea.
“I was impressed with the Prix Diane and the Prix Saint-Alary; she beat some very top horses there,” Brant said. “(In the Arc) that’s a place where post position is very important in that race, especially with the new format there at Longchamp. She had run that race and had only lost a few pounds, much less than we expected. We just thought we’d draw a line through it. … Francis wanted to run her in the Breeders’ Cup, so we did that. She beat the best horses in the Breeders’ Cup, that’s for sure.”
After running down She feels beautiful One of America’s most talented and consistent female turf horses, by half a length in the Breeders’ Cup, Gezora looks set for a strong 2026 campaign.
Gezora wins the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar
“There are very few horses that win the Prix Diane in June and then go on to win the Breeders’ Cup. That’s no easy feat,” Brant said. “She is a very handy filly and she loves turns. As we saw in that race, she was fantastic in the turns. There is no distance restriction for her; she has won from a kilometer away. We look forward to getting her acclimated here in the United States.”
Gezora returned to Kentucky, where Brant said she passed vet checks with flying colors. She will now have about five weeks of relaxation at Dell Ridge Farm before joining Brown at the Payson Park Training Center in South Florida. There, Brown will prepare her for a return in the spring.
“She fills a nice void because I’ve had some good horses retire,” Brown said. “Getting a filly like this is a big boost to build our stable for next year. We are very lucky.”
Brant said Gezora will likely race four or five times in 2026, hopefully culminating in a Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf title defense at Keeneland to end her career.
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