Gezora (Fr)

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - And it's only Belmont Stakes eve. Highlighted by a fantastic renewal of the GI DraftKings Acorn S. featuring four out of the top five finishers from the GI Kentucky Oaks, a stacked 14-race program awaits on day three of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Friday. Three Chimneys Farm and Douglas Scharbauer's 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Always a Runner (Gun Runner) made it a perfect three-for-three with a powerful, come-from-behind victory beneath the lights on the first Friday in May at Churchill Downs....

The early pace may've been modest, but that closing kick commanded the headlines. All eyes were on her French stablemate, but Kathynmarissa (American Pharoah) made it known that the lady of the lawn on Kentucky Oaks day was her as she rolled by them all to win the GIII Modesty Stakes. After a fruitful 3-year-old season in 2024 where she was off the board only once in eight starts, and where she collected elite black-type when second in the GI American Oaks to eventual Eclipse champion She Feel Pretty (Karakontie...

Having played bridesmaid in last year's Qatar Prix Vermeille and in the Arc, the Wertheimers' Aventure (Sea The Stars) put matters right in the first of those this time around without any degree of difficulty to earn a merited initial Group 1 victory. So easily was the homebred able to brush aside the Prix de Diane heroine Gezora (Almanzor) under a confident Maxime Guyon on Sunday, the prospect of her going one better in next month's showcase is now distinctively brighter. "She won very well and accelerated really well," trainer...

Francis-Henri Graffard looked set to have the one-two-three in Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines heading to the closing stages, but while that didn't transpire France's pre-eminent trainer of 2025 was ultimately in the right place as Gezora (Almanzor) brought it home. Continuing the timeless love affair between American interests and French racing, the daughter of the 2006 Diane runner-up Germance proved strongest in the Chantilly Classic to complete the Saint-Alary-Diane double for Peter Brant's White Birch Farm. Sent off at 11-2 having upped her game last month at ParisLongchamp...

Last month's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches demotee Shes Perfect (Sioux Nation) heads a field of one dozen contenders for Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines after Thursday morning's final declarations were announced for the €1-million Chantilly Classic. Basher Watts Racing's Charlie Fellowes trainee, who has drawn stall seven, will be reopposed by Princess Zahra Aga Khan's TDN Rising Star and Pouliches third Mandanaba (Ghaiyyath), who will emerge from stall 10. Mandanaba will be accompanied by Francis Graffard stablemates Cankoura (Persian King) and G2 Prix Saint-Alary victrix Gezora (Almanzor), who...

Bringing yet more success to the Francis-Henri Graffard stable in 2025, White Birch Farm's Gezora emulated the 2006 Prix Saint-Alary success of her dam Germance at ParisLongchamp on Sunday. Sent off at 6-1 for the former Group 1 contest, now a level below carrying the sponsors' "Auguste Rodin Coolmore" title, last year's G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner was anchored behind the leading pair early by Mickael Barzalona. Showing the sharpest acceleration of the quartet in the straight, the daughter of Almanzor who had been third behind Mandanaba and Flaming Stone...

Keeping it simple on the 6-5 favourite Mandanaba (Fr) (Ghaiyyath (Ire), Mickael Barzalona allowed the exciting Francis-Henri Graffard-trained homebred to roll from the front and capture Sunday's G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux at ParisLongchamp. Sufficiently impressive on her debut at Chantilly in November to earn TDN Rising Star status, Princess Zahra Aga Khan's daughter of her triple Group 1 winner Mandesha (Fr) (Desert Style {Ire}) was in dominant mood throughout. Despite the game effort of Juddmonte's Listed Prix la Camargo winner Flaming Stone (GB) (Kingman {GB}), the first stakes...

Group winner Gezora (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) has been acquired privately by Peter Brant's White Birch Farm, Jour de Galop reported on Friday. The G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner holds Classic aspirations and she will now be trained by Francis-Henri Graffard. Bred by SARL de Chambure/Haras d'Etreham, the bay made four starts for Etreham and trainer Nicolas le Roch. Fourth when unveiled at Dieppe in July, she graduated by a length there a month later. A narrow second in the G3 Prix de Conde at Chantilly in September, the daughter of...

Haras d'Etreham's homebred Gezora (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}--Germance, by Silver Hawk), who bagged one of two midsummer outings at Dieppe, fell a neck shy of victory in last month's G3 Prix de Conde and remained upwardly mobile with a dominant performance in Monday's G3 Darley Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville. The 53-10 chance broke swiftly to race third through the initial stages and improved one spot before reaching halfway in this one-mile distaffers' heat. Inching ahead in early straight, she scooted clear under urging approaching the furlong pole and was ridden...