A special horse is required to win the Eclipse Prize and Bo Hirsch’s cross Ce Ce just that. Great-grandfather’s daughter Elusive quality and two-time 1st grade winner at age 4, won the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Martop competitor — and defending champion and Eclipse Award nominee—Gamine is on her way to becoming a female champion sprinter in 2021.
Ce Ce’s lineage is full of class. She’s not from Hirsch’s breed Belong to me mare Miss Houdini, winner at the 1st grade level, won the 2nd Del Mar Debutante in 2002. Miss Houdini was also the dam of the 2009 Arkansas Derby (G1) winner. Papa Clem and respectively that of Lord Avie mare Magical Maiden, who was purchased by Hirsch’s father – the late Clement Hirsch – and went on to win Hollywood Stars in 1991 (G1) and 1992 Las Virgenes (G1).
Coached by Michael McCarthy, Ce Ce begins her 2021 season at Santa Anita where she was an easy winner in the mid-April seven bonus extended option ownership race. That made the score for the unsuccessful attempt to extend within 1/16 km of Santa Maria Stakes (G2). Moving on, Ce Ce moved to South Florida and was a 3/4-length winner of the Princess Rooney Stakes (G2) and then proceeded to Saratoga, where she didn’t falter as she finished in third place. after Gamine in 7 tables Ketel One Ballerina Handicap (G1).
Before the Breeders’ Cup, she was the winner of the Chillingworth Stakes (G3) on October 3 in Santa Anita.
Facing the much-favored Gamine in the Breeders’ Cup, Ce Ce hit a scorching pace: 22.31 and: 44.92 in the seven-content race. She came with a strong rally under Victor Espinoza to win by a 2 1/2 length difference in 1:21. Gamine comes in third. Now 6, Ce Ce is training at Santa Anita for the 2022 campaign. Her four wins from six starting in 2021 grossed $888,000. Her career track reading 8-1-3 from the age of 16 started with an income of $1,753,100. In 11 starting a mile or less she is 7-0-1.
“She was very professional, from what I heard from Victor Espinoza,” Hirsch said. “She’s smart and she does what she says. I’m just so lucky and lucky to have a mare like this.”
