b'racingAnne M. eberhArdtTotal purses for US graded races forTop, A Raving Beauty won older fillies and mares on the turf totaledthe First Lady Stakes at Keeneland, giving trainer more than$14.4 millionin 2018, aChad Brown, left, yet 13% increase since 2014. another turf victory. Brown earned leading trainer honors in 2018.ty was always thereabouts in her six starts. Catapult had two wins and two seconds.But, at the top level, it was a competitive year on the US turf courses: a year with many players on the carousel, but none quite able to grab and hold the brass ring; a year of nice wagering opportunities for the fans, and ups and downs for many breeders, owners, and trainers.And as the year drew to a close, that all presented plenty of opportunity for for-eign-based horses to plunder some riches from the American sod. The exception, of course, was Sis-Skip dickSteintercharlie. The 4-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Myboycharlie started the season with a nice win in the Coolmore 40 06_TurfRacing_use.indd 40 3/21/19 2:42 PM'