Bo Hirsch's Grade 1 winner Ce Ce is scheduled to ship Wednesday morning from Santa Anita to Gulfstream Park, where she will try for a repeat win in Saturday's $300,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2).
The Michael McCarthy-trained 6-year-old mare tuned up for the Breeders' Cup Challenge 'Win and You're In' seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares with a five-furlong workout in :59.60 Saturday morning.
“Her breeze was excellent,” McCarthy said. “She'll ship on Wednesday.”
Ce Ce ran seven furlongs in a swift 1:21.94 while winning the 2021 Princess Rooney to give McCarthy his second big-race success at Gulfstream, where he saddled City of Light for an impressive victory in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in 2019.
After earning a fees-paid berth for last year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) with her dominating Princess Rooney triumph, Ce Ce went on to prevail by 2 ½ lengths in the event at Del Mar in the Nov. 6 seven-furlong race, clinching the 2021 Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter.
Ce Ce, a daughter of Elusive Quality, captured the March 12 Azeri (G2) before finishing third behind victorious Letruska in the April 23 Apple Blossom (G1). Both Oaklawn Park appearances were around two turns at 1 1/16 miles.
The Princess Rooney headlines the Summit of Speed card that will also feature the $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3), a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up.
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