Ce Ce Set to Defend Princess Rooney Title

Bo Hirsch's Ce Ce is scheduled to ship from Santa Anita Park to Gulfstream Park June 29 for a planned title defense in Saturday's $300,000 Princess Rooney Invitational Stakes (G2).

The Michael McCarthy-trained 6-year-old mare tuned up for the Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares with a five-furlong workout in :59.60 June 25. 

"Her breeze was excellent," McCarthy said. "She'll ship on Wednesday."

Ce Ce ran seven furlongs in a swift 1:21.94 while winning the 2021 Princess Rooney to give McCarthy his second big-race success at Gulfstream, where he saddled City of Light   for an impressive victory in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) in 2019.

After earning a fees-paid berth for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) with her dominating Princess Rooney triumph, Ce Ce went on to prevail by 2 1/2 lengths at Del Mar in the Nov. 6 seven-furlong race for fillies and mares, clinching the 2021 Eclipse Award female sprinter title.

Ce Ce, a multiple grade 1-winning daughter of Elusive Quality , captured the March 12 Azeri Stakes (G2) before finishing third behind victorious Letruska  in the April 23 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1). Both Oaklawn Park appearances were around two turns at 1 1/16 miles.

Other contenders include Mark Casse trainee Make Mischief , a stakes-winning, grade 1-placed 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief  , and grade 3 winner Glass Ceiling  who is owned in partnership by trainer Charlton Baker and Michael Foster.

G1 Winner Drain the Clock Makes First Start Since Seventh-Place Finish in Dubai

Drain the Clock will seek to regroup in the $100,000 Smile Sprint Invitational Stakes (G3) Saturday while making his first start since competing in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Atlantis Dubai (G1) on the March 26 Dubai World Cup (G1) undercard at Meydan Racecourse.

"He came back good. He had to fly back to Kentucky because that's how the flight arrangement was organized. We left him at WinStar, and they took care of him for a month," trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. "He had a little freshening because the Smile was always the plan to bring him back in."

The 4-year-old colt is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, and earned grade 1 credentials last year while defeating Jackie's Warrior  in the Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (G1) on the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) undercard.

"Our goal right now is to win a grade 1 with him this year, hopefully," Joseph said. "Obviously, the Breeders' Cup is at the end of the year. If he was in good form and he did win a grade 1 before then, we'd give it a try."

Drain the Clock has won four of six starts at Gulfstream, including a victory in the Claiborne Farm Swale Stakes (G3). The son of Maclean's Music   also stretched out last year to finish second behind Greatest Honour  in the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).

Prior to shipping to Dubai, the Kentucky-bred colt lost a photo finish in his 2022 debut, edged by 2021 Smile Sprint winner Miles Ahead  in a swiftly run Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes Feb. 19.

"Right before he went to Dubai, he got beat a head, but he was coming off his best races numbers-wise," Joseph said.

Drain the Clock recovered from a rather slow start to lead the way in the six-furlong Dubai Golden Shaheen before fading to seventh under Irad Ortiz Jr., more than five lengths behind victorious Switzerland .

"He was a little tardy out of the gate, and Irad had to use him a bit to get to the lead. I thought he was in the perfect spot, but he stopped—something he doesn't usually do," Joseph said. "He traveled well in the race but just stopped the final eighth.

"It was a bit shocking to see him do that. The track was playing heavy because we watched later in the day and Life Is Good looked like he was going to win and he stopped the same way. It was uncharacteristic because when (Drain the Clock) made the lead, I felt really comfortable. I didn't think he would get beat from there to be honest."

Edwin Gonzalez will ride Drain the Clock for the first time Saturday.

Also entered is Lea Farms' Willy Boi  who comes to the Smile off of his 2022 debut in an allowance optional claiming allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs, which he won by 7 1/2 lengths, and a victory in the May 28 Big Drama Stakes. Rohan Crichton trainee Absolute Grit  enters with four victories in five starts since being claimed for $20,000 in December of 2021.