Victor Espinoza | Horse Racing Free Tips

Ce Ce Cuts Back to Earn Breeders’ Cup Berth

Southern California-based Ce Ce ventured all the way to Florida to stamp her ticket to the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint back at Del Mar. A winner of both the GI Beholder Mile and GI Apple Blossom H. last term, the homebred went winless for the rest of the season, including when fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 7. She cut back and gained some confidence with an Apr. 17 optional claiming win going this distance at Santa Anita, but could only manage fourth–again around two turns–in that venue's GII Santa Maria S. May 22.

Unhurried in midpack between rivals early, the chestnut split foes to make a move inside of slow-starting favorite Estilo Talentoso as they stacked up four across the track. Ce Ce leveled off well after switching leads, and cruised away convincingly from there.

“She's pretty impressive. She loves this track, it's a little different than what she's been running at,” winning rider Victor Espinoza said. “Today, she ran her race. They were rolling, the ones in front of me. I know they're going to get tired turning for home, so I just gave her enough time to split the horses.”

Trainer Michael McCarthy has had past success shipping to Gulfstream–he took the 2019 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. with City of Light (Quality Road), and was third in that event this year with Independence Hall (Constitution).

“I thought we were in a good spot,” McCarthy said from Los Alamitos. “I was hoping to have a bit of a target to run at. I told Victor not to get in a hurry and not rush her out of there and ride her where she was comfortable. We were hoping for a nice stalking trip, and that we did. Around the turn it looked like we had plenty of run. It was just a matter of trying to get outside and finding our best stride, and we did that today.”

He continued, “I thought she was overlooked last year. She won two Grade I races back-to-back. After that we just couldn't find a track that was suitable for her. She was running on tracks in California that were a little bit deep and a little bit loose. She wants one that is a bit firmer and faster, and we found that today.”

McCarthy said he'd map out a plan for his charge after getting her back to California and seeing how she exits Saturday's effort.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
PRINCESS ROONEY INVITATIONAL S.-GII, $350,000, Gulfstream, 7-3, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.94, ft.
1–CE CE, 126, m, 5, by Elusive Quality
                1st Dam: Miss Houdini (GISW, $187,600), by Belong to Me
                2nd Dam: Magical Maiden, by Lord Avie
                3rd Dam: Gils Magic, by Magesterial
O/B-Bo Hirsch LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Victor
Espinoza. $197,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 13-6-1-2,
$1,113,100. *1/2 to Papa Clem (Smart Strike), MGSW & GISP,
$1,121,190. Werk Nick Rating: C+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Estilo Talentoso, 122, f, 4, Maclean's Music–Bazinga Baby, by
Afleet Alex. ($77,000 Ylg '18 FTKOCT; $95,000 RNA 2yo '19
OBSAPR; $15,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-Medallion Racing, Barry
Fowler, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Little Red Feather Racing &
BlackRidge Stables LLC; B-Mile High Bloodstock LLC (KY);
T-Juan Arriagada. $64,000.
3–Sound Machine, 120, f, 4, Into Mischief–Ava Pie, by Distorted
Humor. ($500,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-e Five Racing
Thoroughbreds; B-Farm III Enterprises (FL); T-Saffie A. Joseph,
Jr. $34,500.
Margins: 3 1/4, HD, 3HF. Odds: 2.70, 1.20, 22.10.
Also Ran: Hallawallah, Pacific Gale, Laura's Light, Heiressall, Thissmytime. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Ce Ce is one of 56 graded winners for the late Elusive Quality, and one of 28 graded winners (seven Grade I) for Belong to Me as a broodmare sire. She is one of three highest-level winners by sons of Gone West out of Belong to Me mares–the other two, Jersey Town and Mozu Superflare, are both by Speightstown.

Ce Ce's dam Miss Houdini was also a Bo Hirsch homebred, and annexed the 2002 GI Del Mar Debutante before later producing GII Arkansas Derby and GII San Fernando S. winner Papa Clem. Her 2-year-old colt now named Native Thunder (American Pharoah) was a $200,000 KEESEP buy by Lazy F Ranch. Miss Houdini was subsequently barren to Street Sense and last visited Midnight Lute, though a 2021 foal has not yet been registered.

Second dam Magical Maiden was just a $26,000 2-year-old purchase by Hirsch's father Clement and would go on to take a pair of Grade I races and earn more than $900,000 before being sold for $400,000.

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Ce Ce Punches Her Ticket To Breeders’ Cup At Del Mar With Princess Rooney Victory

At Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla, a spot in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar was up for grabs in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Princess Rooney Stakes. Facing a field that included Bed of Roses Stakes winner Estilo Talentoso and Ouija Board Distaff winner Laura's Light, Ce Ce earned another spot in a Breeders' Cup gate with her 3 1/4-length victory in the Princess Rooney.

At the break, Laura's Light stumbled while the rest of the field got away clean, with Pacific Gale quickest to the lead. Under rider Victor Espinoza, who had won the Smile Sprint just half an hour earlier, Ce Ce stalked the early pace in fourth, content to wait for the final turn to put in her move, while Thissmytime and Pacific Gale briefly battled for the lead, Sound Machine just behind them. Romero Maragh powered Pacific Gale to the lead as they neared the final turn, with Sound Machine making her move just behind them.

Ce Ce and Estilo Talentoso went wide on the final turn as they geared up for their stretch runs, narrowing the gap between them, Sound Machine, and Pacific Gale. They went into the stretch four-wide, but Ce Ce was fastest in the stretch, splitting horses to take an easy lead over Estilo Talentoso and Sound Machine. The winning margin was 3 1/4 lengths with Ce Ce finishing the seven furlongs in 1:21.94. Hallawallah, Pacific Gale, Laura's Light, Heiressall, and Thissmytime rounded out the field.

Find this race's chart here.

The G2 Princess Rooney Stakes is a Win and You're In race for the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif. Winners receive a free and guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding Breeders' Cup race.

Victor Espinoza was thrilled with his mount's performance. “She's pretty impressive. She loves this track, it's a little different than what she's been running at,” Espinoza said. “Today, she ran her race. They were rolling, the ones in front of me. I know they're going to get tired turning for home, so I just gave her enough time to split the horses.”

Trainer Michael McCarthy watched the race at Los Alamitos Race Track in Cypress, Calif., happy with the show she put on in the stretch. “I thought we were in a good spot. I was hoping to have a bit of a target to run at. I told Victor not to get in a hurry and not rush her out of there and ride her where she was comfortable. We were hoping for a nice stalking trip, and that we did. Around the turn, it looked like we had plenty of run. It was just a matter of trying to get outside and finding our best stride, and we did that today.”

Ce Ce paid $7.40, $3.40, and $2.60. Second-place Estilo Talentoso paid $2.60 and $2.20. Sound Machine paid $5.00 to show.

With this win, Ce Ce earns another chance at a Breeders' Cup win after finishing fifth in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland. Sired by Elusive Quality out of the Belong To Me mare Miss Houdini, Ce Ce was bred in Kentucky by owner Bo Hirsch. The Princess Rooney is Ce Ce's second win in three starts in 2021 and her sixth career victory in 13 starts and $1,113,100 in total winnings.

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Distaffers Ce Ce, As Time Goes By Square Off In Santa Maria Stakes

A two-time Grade 1 stakes winner at age four and fresh off a sensational classified allowance win, Bo Hirsch's homebred Ce Ce and lights-out Grade 2winner As Time Goes By headline Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita. For fillies and mares three and up, the Santa Maria has attracted a field of five at a mile and one sixteenth.

Trained by recent Preakness Stakes-winning conditioner Michael McCarthy, Ce Ce slingshotted off the turn for home en route to an emphatic 3 ¼ lengths score in a seven furlong classified allowance here on April 17 and will be ridden back by Victor Espinoza.

A 3 ¼ length winner of the Grade 1 Beholder Mile here in her sixth career start on March 14, 2020, Ce Ce then took Oaklawn Park's Grade 1 Apple Blossom by a head at the same distance on April 18, 2020, but was a disappointing third as the 3-5 favorite in last year's Santa Maria and was on a four-race losing streak prior to winning her comeback race on April 17.

Ridden to all five of her victories by Victor Espinoza, Ce Ce is a 5-year-old mare by Elusive Quality out of Hirsh's Grade 1 winning Miss Houdini, by Belong to Me. The leading money earner in the field with $904,100, Ce Ce has a win and two thirds from three tries at the Santa Maria distance.

Trained by Bob Baffert, As Time Goes By made an easy lead as the 3-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes here on April 24 and exploded through the lane to win off by 9 ¼ lengths under Mike Smith, who rides back on Saturday. Owned by Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith, As Time Goes By, who was second, beaten 2 ¾ lengths by Eclipse Champion Swiss Skydiver two starts back in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile March 13, is 6-3-2-1 overall with earnings of $260,600.

THE FIELD FOR THE GRADE 2 SANTA MARIA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 2 of 9 Approximate post time 1:30 p.m. PT

Last First Kiss—Abel Cedillo—122
This Tea—Kent Desormeaux—122
Miss Stormy D—Juan Hernandez—122
Ce Ce—Victor Espinoza—122
As Time Goes By—Mike Smith—126

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Victor Espinoza Tabs Tom Knust As New Agent

Victor Espinoza has hired Tom Knust as his new agent.

The Hall of Fame member and three-time Kentucky Derby winner who celebrates his 49^th birthday May 23 parted company last Saturday with Brian Beach after a historic eight-year run.

For more than three years, Beach's priority has been maintaining vigilance on his wife Lotta's recovery from an accident on a horse, which in part diminished his time representing Espinoza, who opted for a full-time on-track presence now that he's fully healthy and life is returning to a degree of normalcy with the pandemic on the wane.

“Victor came to me and I thought he would fit well with Abel (Cedillo, whom the agent also represents),” said Knust.

“They're both great riders who hope to pick up promising 2-year-olds and stakes horses. I spoke with Abel and he wasn't hesitant at all. He was fine with it so we decided to give it a try.”

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