Ce Ce’s Breeders’ Cup Prep Comes In Chillingworth, One Of Four Undercard Stakes Serving Zenyatta

ARCADIA, CA – Two-time Grade 1 winner Ce Ce returns to Santa Anita for Sunday’s $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes (G3), where she’ll go 6 1/2 furlongs in her final prep for the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

The Chillingworth is 1 of 4 undercard stakes serving the Zenyatta Stakes (G2), a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” for the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). The other stakes on the 10-race card are the $75,000 Unzip Me, the $200,000 Zuma Beach, and the $200,000 Surfer Girl. First post is 1:00 PM.

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Owned and bred by Bo Hirsch, Ce Ce is trained by Michael McCarthy and comes off a third-place finish behind superstar Gamine in the 7-furlong Ballerina Handicap (G1) at Saratoga on Augist 28. A 5-year-old mare by Elusive Quality out of the Grade 1-winning Miss Houdini, Ce Ce drew off to a 3 1/4-length win going 7 furlongs 2 starts back in the Princess Rooney Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park July 3.

A winner of 4 of 7 starts at Santa Anita, including a Grade 1 tally in last year’s Beholder Mile, Ce Ce, who will again be ridden by Victor Espinoza, should appreciate a return to the home front and softer company. With 6 wins from 14 overall starts, she has earnings of $1,173,100.

Second, beaten one length in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) going 6 1/2 furlongs on August 20 at Del Mar, Peter Miller’s Proud Emma appears well spotted in what will be her third consecutive sprint. Owned by Gem Inc. and Tom Kagele, this 5-year-old mare by Include seeks her second graded stakes victory.

Kaleem Shah’s California-bred Bella Vita, who earned a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure in taking a 6 1/2-furlong allowance in open company by 4 1/2 lengths on August 29, draws the far outside with Juan Hernandez up and rates a big look for trainer Simon Callaghan.

Scotish Star (jockey Flavien Prat, post 2), Eyes Open (Geovanni Franco, 3), and On Deck (Ricky Gonzalez, 4) complete the field of fillies and mares.

The Chllingworth, carded as race 5, is named for the late Sherwood C. Chillingworth, a highly respected longtime director and Executive Vice President of the Oak Tree Racing Association, which conducted a fall meeting at Santa Anita from 1969 through 2009.

MacKinnon Heads Field Of Ten In Zuma Beach

An authoritative 1-mile turf winner in his last 2 starts, Doug O’Neill’s Mackinnon comes back under the same conditions this Sunday as he heads a promising field of ten 2-year-olds in the Zuma Beach.

Attentive to the pace in both of his 1-mile races, Mackinnon broke his maiden by 1 3/4 lengths on July 31 at Del Mar and came back to win by the same margin in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf September 6. With a total of five Zuma Beach starters exiting the Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, Mackinnon, who was off as the 8/5 favorite among a field of nine, merits top billing on Sunday.

Although he hopped at the break, Thirty Four Coupe was quickly into stride and gave way grudgingly late after showing the way inside the 1/16 pole in the Juvenile Turf. Off at 25/1, he gave a solid account of himself following a fourth-place finish going a mile on dirt August 19. Trained by George Papaprodromou and owned by Santa Anita’s Chief Operating Officer, Racing Operations Aidan Butler, Thirty Four Coupe gave a solid account of himself in the Juvenile Turf, finishing second, beaten 1 3/4 lengths.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, English-bred Silver Surfer made his U.S. debut in Del Mar’s Juvenile Turf and responded with a big third-place finish at 4/1. Mid-pack around the far turn, Silver Surfer had to wait for racing room in deep stretch while beaten 1 3/4 lengths. Owned by Sierra Racing and Sterling Stables, LLC, look for marked improvement in what will be his seventh career start.

Law Abiding (jockey Umberto Rispoli, post 2), Picota (John Velazquez, 3), Aquitania Arrival (Abel Cedillo, 6), La Deuxieme Etoile (Mario Gutierrez, 7), Il Capitano (Kent Desormeaux, 8), Carbonite (Edwin Maldonado, 9), and Birth of Cool (Drayden Van Dyke, 10) complete the lineup.

The Zuma Beach is carded as race 10.

Helens Well Prominent In Surfer Girl

Separated by less than 2 lengths when last they met, a trio of talented 2-year-old fillies, headed by Irish-bred Helens Well, figure prominently among a field of 11 going 1 mile on turf in the Surfer Girl.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Helens Well was taken in-hand out of the gate in Del Mar’s Juvenile Fillies Turf at 1 mile and rallied well late to just miss by a head to longshot Liam’s Dove as the 3/1 favorite in a field of 11. A 1-mile turf maiden winner 2 starts back on August 15, Helens Well, who will be ridden back by Flavien Prat, is a deep closer who would certainly appreciate a realistic early pace. Owned by the Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig, et al, Helens Well, who debuted in her native Ireland on May 31, will be making her fourth career start on Sunday.

Ridden by Kyle Frey, Liam’s Dove was hustled from her number 10 post position in the Juvenile Fillies Turf and prevailed over a fast-finishing Helens Well in game gate-to-wire fashion at 34/1. Owned by Gary Barber and trained by Peter Miller, this Liam’s Map filly will also be making her fourth start.

Irish-bred Dolly May, who is trained by John Sadler and owned by Hronis Racing, LLC, broke from post position 2 in Del Mar’s Juvenile Fillies Turf, settled nicely well off the pace, was shuffled back a bit 3 furlongs from home, but rallied nicely to finish third, beaten 1 3/4 lengths by Liam’s Dove. A first-out maiden winner going 7 furlongs on turf in a field of 13 in Ireland June 12, Dolly May should show marked improvement in what will be her third start.

Miss Bellatrix (jockey Abel Cedillo, post 1), It’s Simple (Mario Gutierrez, 2), Cairo Memories (Kent Desormeaux, 3), Saturday Nite Girl (John Velazquez, 4), Brandon’smylawyer (Geovanni Franco, 6), Hemmerle (Joe Bravo, 7), Sax (Ricky Gonzalez, 8), and Sterling Crest (Umberto Rispoli, 11) complete the lineup.

The Surfer Girl is the 10th and final race on the card.

Irish Import Hamwood Flier Debuts Stateside In Unzip Me

After breaking her maiden at fourth asking overseas in June, Hamwood Flier was privately purchased and sent stateside, where she’ll debut for her new connections in the Unzip Me, a 3-year-old fillies restricted race that returns to the 6 1/2-furlong hillside turf course.

The field from the rail out (with jockeys):

1. Burgoo Alley (Umberto Rispoli)
2. Thrilling (Joe Bravo)
3. Equilove (Ricky Gonzalez)
4. Brilliant Cut (Juan Hernandez)
5. Miss Costa Rica (Geovanni Franco)
6. Zero Tolerance (Flavien Prat)
7. Carpe Fortuna (Abel Cedillo)
8. Hamwood Flier (John Velazquez)

The Unzip Me is the first race on the card.