Ce Ce

Ce Ce, a filly by Elusive Quality owned and bred by Bo Hirsch, won her career debut in impressive fashion on April 12, 2019, taking a six-furlong race at Santa Anita Park by 2 ¼ lengths. The Mike McCarthy trainee then finished second by a neck in a Santa Anita allowance race and fourth in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes after shipping to Saratoga, but then was sidelined for the rest of the year.

The filly returned for her 4-year-old bow in a 6 ½-furlong allowance race at Santa Anita on Feb. 17, 2020, which she won by 4 ¼ lengths. She then stepped up to Grade 1 company in the Beholder Mile on March 14, and took command in the stretch of the two-turn race to score an emphatic 3 ¼-length win over 3-5 favorite Hard Not to Love. She followed with a hard-fought win by a head over Ollie's Candy in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap April 18 at Oaklawn Park.

Ce Ce earned her first graded stakes win of 2021 on July 3 at Gulfstream Park. She won the Grade 2 Princess Rooney Invitational Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths, rating off the pace and drawing off in the stretch. For her win, Ce Ce earned a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on November 6. 

McCarthy kept Ce Ce on the East Coast for her next start, and she finished third in the Ketel One Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga in late August. She returned to her California base on Oct. 3 for a final Breeders’ Cup tune-up and romped by five lengths in the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes at odds of 1-5.

Ce Ce pulled off the 6.20-1 upset in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 6. While favorites Gamine and Bella Sofia dueled with each other in the early stages, Ce Ce rated off them. She made her move in the four-path as they entered the stretch, and drew away to victory. 

Ce Ce’s impressive win in the Filly and Mare Sprint secured her the Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter of 2021.

After a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes to start her season, Ce Ce earned her first victory of 2022 in the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Mar. 12. She rated off the early pace, moved to the front on the far turn, and won an exciting stretch battle with Shedaresthedevil and Pauline's Pearl. In her next start of 2022, Ce Ce attempted to secure a second win in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park, but she finished third behind Letruska and Clairiere.

Ce Ce returned to Gulfstream on July 2 for the Grade 2 Princess Rooney Invitational Stakes. She took the lead in the stretch and powered away to win by 6 1/2 lengths, covering seven furlongs in an impressive 1:22.20. She made her next start on Aug. 28 in the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga, where she finished a disappointing fifth of seven as the 1.55-1 favorite.

Sent back to California, Ce Ce got back on the winning track with an easy 2 ¼-length score in the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 2, her second consecutive win in the 6 ½-furlong race.

Ce Ce subsequently returned to the Breeders' Cup to try to defend her championship in the Filly & Mare Sprint on Nov. 5 at Keeneland. She finished fourth.

Ce Ce’s dam is Grade 1 winner Miss Houdini, by Belong to Me, who also produced Arkansas Derby winner and millionaire Papa Clem.