The last time Southern California-based Ce Ce raced at Oaklawn, she may have seen snow for the first time in her life.
A freak winter storm March 11 dumped 2 to 4 inches in the Hot Springs area, covering the racing surface, and drove overnight temperatures into the low 20s. Ce Ce was scheduled to run in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares March 12, a 1 1/16-mile race that marked her first start in Hot Springs since winning the prestigious Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) in April 2020.
Roughly 24 hours later, the snow was gone, the skies were clear and temperatures had climbed to the upper 40s as Ce Ce, an Eclipse Award winner as the country's champion female sprinter of 2021, won the Azeri over a fast racing surface.
“If she has (seen snow), it hasn't been since probably her 2-year-old year, so it's been a while,” trainer Michael McCarthy said moments after the 6-year-old's victory. “To have that racetrack in the shape it was today after looking at it yesterday – what a difference a day makes. Those guys did everything they could to have that racetrack in as good a shape as possible and I'm very appreciative of that.”
Ce Ce is back at Oaklawn and this time the temperature will be around 80 degrees when she attempts to win Saturday's $1 million Apple Blossom (G1) at 1 1/16 miles for a second time.
A victory would make Ce Ce just the fourth horse to capture multiple runnings of the Apple Blossom, following Hall of Famers Paseana (1992, 1993), Azeri (2002, 2003, 2004) and Zenyatta (2008 and 2010), and continue McCarthy's success in high-end races at Oaklawn.
A former assistant to Todd Pletcher, McCarthy has started 13 horses at Oaklawn and compiled a 4-3-1 mark. His runners have bankrolled $1,185,667.
McCarthy won the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses in 2018 with City of Light, added the $600,000 Apple Blossom (G1) in 2020 with Ce Ce and also finished second, beaten a nose, in the $400,000 Oaklawn Mile for older horses in 2021 with Rushie.
“It's been nice to go back there and have some success at a place like Oaklawn,” the Santa Anita-based McCarthy said. “It's certainly something we look for on the racing calendar. To be able to win the Oaklawn Park Handicap with City of Light – huge deal. Obviously, the Apple Blossom with Ce Ce and to come back and double it up 21 months later, or whatever it was in the Azeri, it was great. A lot to be said about that place. Everybody works hard to put on a good product. Prestigious races. Racetrack's always in good shape, or at least everybody's doing their best to get the racetrack in good shape, so it goes a long way. It doesn't go unnoticed, at least with me.”
Ce Ce is the 2-1 second choice in the program for the Apple Blossom.
The post Champion Ce Ce Back At Oaklawn Chasing Second Apple Blossom Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
