BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 1, 2025

Francis-Henri Graffard

Peter Brant

Mickael Barzalona

Del Mar Fairgrounds

Filly and Mare Turf

Press Conference

Filly and Mare Turf

THE MODERATOR: Last Breeders' Cup post-race press conference. We have with us Mickael Barzalona on the far right. Next to him, obviously Francis-Henri Graffard, and Peter Brant, the winning owner on the left.

Mickael, I'd like to start with you. If you could take us through the trip that you had with her around the course today, please.

MICKAEL BARZALONA: We got a good draw, so I was able to get in a good spot and don't have to fight too much at the beginning of the race. The pace went -- we went good. I just have to maintain my filly concentrate to be in the race. I get in a flat spot quite early in the bend, but she was very tough.

The leaders coming gradually to me, I knew I'm going to get to the front.

THE MODERATOR: She doesn't appear to be a very big thing. Is she pretty handy?

MICKAEL BARZALONA: Yes, she's pretty straightforward. She's uncomplicated. I think that's what we need over there.

Q. Francis-Henri, congratulations. Your first Breeders' Cup win. Your comment on that accomplishment, please.

FRANCIS-HENRI GRAFFARD: I always loved and I always try to win one, but it's very hard. I saw that again today how hard it is. You really need a horse like Gezora who's a big heart and traveling really strongly and being able to handle. She's a champion filly, and fantastic to win a race like that, especially for Mr. Brant and these famous colors today.

THE MODERATOR: She didn't appear to get the best of chances in the l'Arc last time, but besides that, how much of an advantage or a factor was it for you to come here knowing you were going to get firm ground?

FRANCIS-HENRI GRAFFARD: Yes, as you said, the l'Arc, there were 17 runners, it's a very strong field, soft ground, mile and a half, it's a very different journey. She was way too far back in the race, and she made a move. I was hoping she came out really well, and she did.

She's a very sweet filly. She tries very hard. She's not complicated. She help us doing the job, and today she proves she's a real champion. She's a Classic winner, a Prix de Diane winner, and a Breeders' Cup winner, which is amazing. I don't think a lot of fillies have this on their CV.

Q. Peter, congratulations. You've won a number of these races over the years. Your reaction to winning another major Breeders' Cup race.

PETER BRANT: Well, I never had horse win the Prix de Diane and the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare. This is a very special filly. She has great temperament and great heart. All of her races have been good. She drew badly in the l'Arc. We've never been able to figure if she's soft going or firm going. She has such a good heart. She tries on everything.

She's been fortunate to have some very good riders ride her. Mr. Barzalona is really good on her. He really suits her. I'm just very, very fortunate to have picked her out as a racehorse as a 2-year-old. It's very rare that you acquire a horse like that for your racing team and your colors and they give back to you so quickly. It's a very rare thing.

So this filly ticks all the boxes for me from -- she doesn't owe me anything anymore. She's really the best. She's got a great fan here.

Q. One last question for you. Obviously the race was just run a few minutes ago, but what are the plans for her going forward?

PETER BRANT: We kind of wanted a runner in the United States. Francis had suggested maybe she would be suited -- it would suit her here. She's had other horses in her family that have run really well here. I don't know. I'm going to discuss it with Francis and decide what we're going to do.

I've always done very well bringing horses from France to the United States and running them, but she's a 3-year-old, and I had Sistercharlie, who was a great 3-year-old. She finished second in the Prix de Diane and came over here. Unfortunately, she got sick, but after she got sick, she won seven Group 1s. She's a very special filly. So I really haven't decided yet.

Q. For Francis, just comment on -- you've been asked this a million times, but it's been a pretty epic for you, winning the French Classic, winning the Champion Stakes, winning the l'Arc, and now a Breeders' Cup.

FRANCIS-HENRI GRAFFARD: We've had a lot of nice horses, but it's a lot of work. Everything went really well for us for the season. We've been lucky enough to win these amazing races. We created a lot of emotion, and we enjoy that very much.

Q. I think she goes now to the stud maybe now? Are you sure?

FRANCIS-HENRI GRAFFARD: No, it hasn't been decided yet.

Q. Peter, congratulations. Can you just briefly outline your European operations racing and breeding? What stock do you have over there currently?

PETER BRANT: I have -- I would say probably in terms of the breeding operation, half in the United States and half in a combination of Ireland and France. For racing, it's pretty much little bit more heavy weighted to the United States, but I've been racing in France and Ireland and England.

We have -- next year we're going to have quite a few horses in France, and we should have quite a few horses in England and Ireland, and in the United States probably maybe all together a little bit less.

Q. Following that question, what leads you to invest more heavily in the Europe situation right now?

PETER BRANT: It's a long answer, but briefly I would say a lot of the great blood in the thoroughbred breeding has gone to Europe because of the owners that have acquired the bloodstock in the past 30, 40, 50 years. So a lot of it has gone back to Europe in terms of the stallions that stand there.

It's easier for me to look at a stallion in Europe and say I want to breed to that horse rather than in the United States. But I'm still breeding to horses in the United States. Hopefully Sierra Leone will be a good stallion. I think it's a little bit safer for the horses in terms of running on the turf. I run the turf here as well.

The dirt is a little bit -- you need a special horse that's going to run well on the dirt, a different kind of horse. So they're all good, and I enjoy racing in all the areas. I don't really -- I guess I follow the horse. If there's a great horse in one place, then naturally you're participating in the -- in very high-class races, and it's a great sport.