Venetian Harbor, Ce Ce Ship East for Stakes at Oaklawn

Las Virgenes Stakes (G2) winner Venetian Harbor is among those heading to Oaklawn Park from Southern California, according to trainer Richard Baltas. Slated to leave the evening of April 13, she will get acclimated and work over the track before taking on 3-year-old fillies in the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) May 1.

The 1 1/16-mile test awards points toward a start in this year's Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1)—rescheduled from the first Friday in May to Sept. 4—on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the top four finishers.

Owned by Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm, and Dominic Savides, Venetian Harbor has won two of three starts, including a 9 1/4-length romp in the Feb. 8 Las Virgenes at Santa Anita Park.

"I have a string out there," Baltas said from his Southern California base Monday. "They all seem to be training well, that's the main reason we decided to send her."

Baltas said the daughter of Munnings  has also been training well. Her last timed work came April 4 when she completed five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 over the fast main track at Santa Anita.

He noted that with the lack of racing at Santa Anita right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of when it will restart, along with the fact most of the stakes schedule around the nation is in flux, he has not made plans beyond the Fantasy Stakes for the filly. He also said that due to the weather at Santa Anita in the past week it has been too wet to train.

"We will be OK," he said about the current shutdown. "It may take a couple months to get back to racing but people in racing are resilient. We've been through a lot, especially in California last year."

Other Southern California trainers, including Bob Baffert, Peter Miller, Doug O'Neill, and John Sadler, have shipped horses east to Oaklawn where racing continues without fans in the stands and under strict operational guidelines to ensure social distancing and other precautions are taking place. Many now have strings at the Arkansas track.

Also heading to Oaklawn is Bo Hirsch's Beholder Mile (G1) winner Ce Ce, who will look to add to her record in the $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1), a 1 1/16-mile event for fillies and mares 4 years old and up on April 18.

Trainer Michael McCarthy said Ce Ce is scheduled to fly out of Southern California the morning of April 14.

Ce Ce, a 4-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality, returned from an eight-month layoff in February to win a 6 1/2-furlong allowance optional claiming race by 4 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita, then rallied past grade 1 winner Hard Not to Love to take the March 14 Beholder Mile by 3 1/4 lengths. 

"She's a bigger, stronger mare this year. Always had plenty of size, but she's filled out nicely into her frame," said McCarthy. "She trains with a lot of purpose in the morning. Just seems like she's all business this year."

McCarthy said Ce Ce worked five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 April 12, though the work he called in was not officially timed.

Ce Ce has won three of five lifetime starts, once placing second and also finishing fourth in last year's Acorn Stakes (G1), and has earned $366,600.