Purse:	$2,000,000	Grade:	1
Distance:	1 1/4 Mile	Age:	3+

Trainer Chad Brown has quartet of standouts in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Trainer Chad Brown has a quartet of standouts in the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at 1 3/8 miles with Peter Brant's SISTERCHARLIE (IRE), Michael Dubb, Gary Aisquith and Bethlehem Stable's FOURSTAR CROOK; Dubb, Bethlehem and Makadet Stable's A RAVING BEAUTY (GER) and Mrs. John Magnier, Madaket Stable's and Deron Pearson's SANTA MONICA (GB).

Sistercharlie, a 4-year-old daughter of Myboycharlie (IRE), is 3-for-4 this year and leads the North American contingent off Grade 1 wins in Keeneland's Jenny Wiley in April, Saratoga's Diana in July and Arlington Park's "Win and You're In" Beverly D. in August.

The 6-year-old Fourstar Crook, 12 of 19 lifetime, handed Sistercharlie her only loss of the year in Belmont Park's New York (G2) in June and earned a Filly & Mare Turf berth with her win in Belmont's "Win and You're In" Flower Bowl (G1) on Oct. 7.

The 5-year-old A Raving Beauty has two Grade 1 wins this year, taking the Just a Game Stakes at Belmont in June and then going wire-to-wire-in the First Lady at Keeneland on Oct. 6. Brown is shooting for his fourth win in the Filly & Mare Turf.

The 5-year-old Santa Monica was third in the E.P. Taylor (G1) in her most recent start.

From Ireland, Aidan O'Brien has pre-entered formidable challengers in 3-year-old fillies MAGICAL (IRE), who won last Saturday's QIPCO British Champion Fillies and Mares Stakes (G1) by one length, and MAGIC WAND (IRE), who finished second in her last two starts at Longchamp in the Prix Vermeille (G1) and the "Win and You're In" Prix de l'Opera Longines (G1). The winner of the Prix de l'Opera was Godolphin's homebred WILD ILLUSION. The 3-year-old daughter of Dubawi (IRE) also won the Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1) at Glorious Goodwood in August for trainer Charlie Appleby.

2024 BREEDERS' CUP RACE SCHEDULE

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What is the Breeders Cup' Filly & Mare Turf?

The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (Grade 1) is a relative newcomer as it is the only existing series in the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships races that was not a part of the original seven Breeders' Cup races group begun in 1984.

In July 1998, the Breeders' Cup board of directors voted on the decision to fill an obvious gap in the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships lineup by creating this $1 million series for fillies and mares. The first Filly & Mare Turf was held in 1999 at Gulfstream Park.

Until that time, the female turf division had no definitive championship race, and distaffers were forced to race in open company. The audacious misses had to settle for competing against their male counterparts in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1). Back then, the ladies already more than held their own at the Breeders' Cup races, beginning with Royal Heroine (Ireland). She was the only filly in the field when she triumphed in the very first running of the Mile in 1984, and in the process, set a new course record at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California.

Following Royal Heroine's footsteps, Miesque snagged back-to-back wins at the Mile in 1987 and 1988, while Ridgewood Pearl (Great Britain) captured the 1995 running, moving the Mile championship for the misses up to four of the first 12 runnings. The females performed just as well in the Breeders' Cup Turf, notably, with Pebbles (Great Britain) who took the 1985 running and Miss Alleged who triumphed in 1991.

The Filly & Mare Turf was first run in 1999 at 1 3/8 miles, owing mainly to Gulfstream Park's grass course configuration, and was again contested like so in the following year. Come 2001, the distance was then shifted to 10 furlongs.

Ever since the initial running in 1999, the newer series has fulfilled its intended purpose. Phillips Racing Partnership's Soaring Softly snagged an Eclipse Award as champion turf female with a three-quarter-length victory on that first year.

In 2000 at Churchill Downs, Stronach Stable's Perfect Sting won by the same margin, 3/4 length, over Tout Charmant. Perfect Sting was subsequently voted champion turf female.

The Filly & Mare Turf (Grade 1) was first run in 1999 at 1 3/8 miles, but the distance was then shifted to 10 furlongs.

European interests in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf eventually broke through in 2001 at Belmont Park, when Juddmonte Farms' French-based Banks Hill (Great Britain) won by 5 1/2 lengths. That year, the Filly & Mare Turf was run at 1 1/4 miles for the first time, which is its prescribed distance when course configurations permit.

In 2003, the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf may have finally put the overseas runners at the fore of the Breeders' Cup map as European-trained horses swept the first three positions and European-bred horses bagged the top five. 3-1 favorite Islington stalked the pace in sixth early under Kieren Fallon, then at the top of the stretch came on strong and duelled with 47-1 shot L'Ancresse down the stretch to win by a neck in a time of 1:59. It was 2 ½ lengths back to 14-1 shot Yesterday while England-bred Heat Haze finished fourth.

2004 continued the European streak when race favorite Ouija Board of Great Britain won the championship at 0.90 odds with jockey Kieren Fallon. The runnerup was Film Maker at 16.50 odds with jockey John Velasquez while third place went to Wonder Again at 10.70 odds with jockey Edgar Prado.

Recent Breeders Cup' Filly & Mare Turf Winners