Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf

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.

Brant’s previous Breeders’ Cup victory came in 1988 with Gulch in the Sprint.

Brant, who would take a hiatus of more than 20 years from the game, 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 race favorite Wild Illusion.

After leading the way, A Raving Beauty flashed another gear entering the stretch. Then at midstretch Wild Illusion, who entered off two straight 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 off the late charge, but didn't have quite enough, as Sistercharlie prevailed by a neck. A Raving Beauty held third.—Frank Angst