Gezora delivered one of the best comebacks of the autumn when she won the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar in November. Four weeks earlier, Gezora, a 3-year-old filly in 2025, finished 13th of 17 as a longshot in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, Europe’s top race for 3-year-olds and up. She was beaten 10 1/2 lengths by Daryz, failing to make an impression. Instead of ending Gezora’s season, owner Peter Brant and trainer Francis-Henri Graffard opted to send her to California for the Breeders’ Cup. Their confidence was on display when Gezora delivered arguably the best performance of an already accomplished career. With the win, Gezora earned a nomination for the Eclipse Award as outstanding turf female of 2025. The Filly & Mare Turf was her only start of 2025 in the United States. By Almanzor, Gezora had a solid 2-year-old season in 2024, ending a four-race campaign with a win in a Group 3 at Chantilly Racecourse in October. She was purchased by Brant and turned over to Graffard last winter. :: Full list of 2025 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories After finishing third of six in a Group 3 at Longchamp in her first start of 2025 in April, Gezora won consecutive starts that vaulted her to the fore of France’s 3-year-old filly division. She won the Group 2 Prix Saint-Alary at 1 1/4 miles at Longchamp on May 11 and the Group 1 Prix de Diane, the French Oaks, at 1 5/16 miles at Chantilly on June 15. Gezora overcame traffic in the latter race to win by a length. Gezora did not start again until Sept. 7, when she finished second of six in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at 1 1/2 miles at Longchamp on Sept. 7, losing by 1 1/2 lengths to Aventure. Aventure was the 5-1 second choice in the Arc de Triomphe, while Gezora was 31-1. Neither were a factor. Graffard was not overly concerned about the loss. In the days before the Breeders’ Cup, he said Gezora had recovered rapidly. “She didn’t have a hard race in the Arc,” he said. In the Filly & Mare Turf, Gezora closed from sixth of 13 to catch the American star She Feels Pretty in the final furlong. Gezora won by a half-length. With the win, she became the first filly to win the French Oaks and Filly & Mare Turf in the same year. “It’s fantastic to win a race like this,” Graffard said in the hour after race. “She proved she’s a real champion. She’s a classic winner, a Prix de Diane winner, and a Breeders’ Cup winner, which is amazing.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.