ARCADIA, Calif.— She’s back for more. Bo Hirsch’s brilliant homebred Ce Ce, winner of last year’s Grade III, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita, is hoping to take Sunday’s edition and repeat a sweep of the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Nov. 5 at Keeneland.
Named in honor of the late Sherwood C. Chillingworth, a highly respected longtime director and Executive Vice President of the Oak Tree Racing Association, Sunday’s Chillingworth has attracted a field of six fillies and mares aged three and up at 6 ½ furlongs.
A 6-year-old mare by Elusive Quality out of the Grade I stakes winning Belong to Me mare Miss Houdini, Ce Ce, who is 9-5-2-1 at Santa Anita, should relish a return to The Great Race Place as she tries to regroup following a well-beaten fifth-place effort as the 3-2 favorite in the Grade I Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 28.
A seven-time graded stakes winner, Ce Ce is 21-10-2-4 overall with earnings of $2,297,100. She’ll be ridden by Victor Espinoza, who has been aboard in all but two of her lifetime starts.
Although Ce Ce is a likely odds-on favorite, Bob Baffert’s Under the Stars, a winner of the Grade II Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita two starts back on June 12, will bid for an upset in her first try against older competition.
A non-factor at 8-5 when fifth, beaten 15 ½ lengths by stablemate Midnight Memories in the Grade III Torrey Pines Stakes at one mile Sept. 4, look for Under the Stars, who has solid credentials sprinting, to bounce back with a big effort as she cuts back in distance on Sunday.
Owned by Mrs. John Magnier and John Tabor, Under the Stars, a 3-year-old filly by Pioneerof the Nile out of the Storm Cat mare Untouched Talent, is 8-3-1-2 overall.
THE GRADE III CHILLINGWORTH WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 6 of 10- Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT
- Teddy’s Barino—Mike Smith–124
- Under the Stars—Juan Hernandez—122
- Ce Ce—Victor Espinoza—126
- Cover Version—Ramon Vazquez—122
- Scenic Masterpiece—Drayden Van Dyke—118
- My Destiny—Emily Ellingwood—122
First post time for a 10-race card that will include three other stakes on Sunday is at 1 p.m.
Santa Anita Press Release
Photo: Ce Ce (Ernie Belmonte)
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