2023 Fleet Treat Stakes Preview | Ceiling Crusher Leads Seven In Del Mar Thursday Feature

The quick 3-year-old filly Ceiling Crusher, who has been nothing short of exceptional in her brief four-race career so far, has found another ideal spot to strut her stuff Thursday against six rivals at Del Mar in the 38th edition of the $175,000 Fleet Treat Stakes.

The race is for 3-year-old fillies who have been bred in California and is part of the rich Cal-Bred stakes series that is worth $4.85 million for this year. Eight of the races in that series will be run at Del Mar this summer.

Ceiling Crusher is a bay daughter of Mr. Big who has won all four of her starts, including two state-bred stakes this spring by a combined 32 1/2 lengths. She was a bargain $22,000 yearling buy who was sold privately to her current connections, who consist of Wonderland Racing Stables, Todd Cady, Tim Kasparoff and Ty Leatherman.

The new owners turned her over to trainer Doug O’Neill and the sky has been the limit since, including her runaway tallies in the Evening Jewel and Melair stakes at Santa Anita. The conditioner has chosen to keep his charge in the Cal-bred ranks and she looms a standout in Thursday’s seven-furlong affair.

As she has in all four of her outings so far, Ceiling Crusher will be handled by top rider Juan Hernandez.

Here’s the lineup in post position order for the Fleet Treat, which goes as Race 7 on Thursday’s eight-race card:

1. Jaime Renella’s Chimosa (Tiago Pereira in the saddle)
2. Reddam Racing’s Absolutely Zero (Mario Gutierrez)
3. Ceiling Crusher; Hanson, Pearson or Scott, et al’s Cholly (Ricardo Gonzalez)
4. Flores, Carrillo or Zondio, et al’s Tom’s Regret (Kyle Frey)
5. George Kirkorian’s Big Pond (Ramon Vazquez)
6. Phil Lebherz’s Smiling Lady (Armando Ayuso)