They say some poker players have a “trick,” a change in their behavior that can make them feel about their chances of winning a particular hand. Hall of Fame racer Victor Espinoza says the winner of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, Ce Ce (Exclusive quality) is no different.
“Most of the times I ride her, I know before I get to the gate what kind of race she’s going to run,” he said.
“So, do you know in Breeders’ Cup?” I eagerly asked.
“Oh, sure,” he replied. “As she entered the track, I was like, ‘Oh yeah,’ and I looked at the rest of the horses and thought, ` `Oh, I feel so sorry for you guys! ‘”
The rest, of course, is history. Ce Ce beat the Breeders’ Cup and crowned the women’s sprint champion at Santa Anita’s Eclipse Awards on February 10, but not before tasting defeat at the hands of Merneith (American pharoah) at GII Santa Monica S. just days before her coronation.
I interviewed CeCe Bo Hirsch’s owner before Santa Monica and asked him, “win or lose, what does she have left to prove in her 6 year old?”
Hirsch was blunt and simply said, “She has nothing to prove and she owes us nothing. I’m getting older and I love watching my horses run. You know, I might not live long enough to see her ponies run, so why not enjoy her for another year now? ”
This is something 72-year-old Hirsch repeated in his Eclipse Awards keynote, where he said, “I love this business. This is the greatest sport in the world.”
So, to find the key to Ce Ce’s longevity, I set out to Mike McCarthy’s warehouse.
Horses love routine, and in that, champion Ce Ce is no different. Training every morning when the sun rises at 6:30, she doesn’t go to Santa Anita’s main track, but to the six-leaf training track that lies hidden inside the turf.
It’s something McCarthy started a few years ago and it’s stuck.
“It was a walk to and from, from the training track. It’s something she likes and we let her take her time.”
So we went with her. I followed Ce Ce down the tunnel, going as fast as I could to let my too short legs try to keep up.
While on the training track, Ce Ce took his usual seat next to his superior Camacho and his pony Justin, enjoying the cuddles from her rider Lydio as the morning sun soon cast long shadows on the track.
I’m pretty sure she’ll be standing there all day!
“Run one, gallop two.” These are the instructions given by McCarthy.
She goes – nothing flashy, just does her job, circling three times before standing up with a clapping. “She was a coach’s dream,” McCarthy explained later that morning. Training a mare like her is a huge undertaking. She shows up all the time, all the business, she’s the racehorse, from breaking her maiden for the first time, which the stats say shouldn’t have happened,” McCarthy said. said,” to win GI Beholder. “
“We had a bit of a hiccup at the end of the year,” he added. “We had a hard time finding races that she liked. She seems to like it a little harder and a little faster. We got away with that a bit here in California, so she struggled with that a bit. “
McCarthy went on to explain that Ce Ce had become a bit picky in his old age, preferring the more vibrant racetracks of the passage of time. When pressed about her Breeders’ Cup achievement, the always reserved coach seemed excited.
“There was a perfect set-up with Gamine and Bella Sofia in it. Victor asked a question and she answered. I believe it was probably a Breeders ‘Cup performance as good as you’ll see on Breeders’ Cup day,” he said, with just a hint of pride.
As for what happened in Santa Monica, McCarthy admitted Baffert led a very fine horse running through her eyeball. Plus, Ce Ce is about to get short-term layoffs, with the track going against her.
“But I’ve seen what I need to see and we’ll start from there,” he added.
But where?
McCarthy did his best dodge dance, with the practice of “ keeping our picks open”, followed by a list of sensible picks that would suit a champion. “Oaklawn. Keeneland. May display in another country. Can stay here. ”
“Wait,” I said. “Other country?”
“Well, we’re not the only place that holds races,” McCarthy was now smiling wryly. “There are races like the Golden Shaheen in Dubai, or she could even try the grass. We know her likes and dislikes and will try to play those for the rest of the year. ”
I ask is there more pressure to train a six-year-old with seemingly nothing left to prove?
“There was a bit of pressure because we always wanted her to do the right thing. I feel like we’re responsible for the effort, not the outcome. Sometimes it’s out of our control.”
