Filly wows at the end in feature

HOT SPRINGS — Even the disappointed connections of also-rans were impressed by what they had just seen.

Fourteen of the nation’s top horses in their category entered Oaklawn’s Grade I 1 1/16 $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap for fillies and 4-years-old and up, and jockey Victor Espinoza rode a relatively inexperienced youngster named Ce Ce through a stretch-run charge to pass front-running Ollie’s Candy 10 feet short of the wire.

Bo Hirsch’s Ce Ce, trained by Michael McCarthy, won by a head in 1:43.14 before zero fans at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resorts’ Racing Festival of the South on Saturday.

“Turning for home, I was just loaded,” Espinoza said. “It’s always fun to ride horses like Ce Ce. She’s an amazing filly.”

Among the few missing was American racing’s topranked mare Midnight Bisou, but eight of the best finished within 51/2 lengths of the Apple Blossom winner.

Tom Amoss trains 4-yearold filly Serengeti Empress, the 2-1 Apple Blossom favorite ridden by Joe Talamo, who finished 11th, 121/4 lengths back.

“The race was fabulous,” Amoss said. “From a fan’s perspective, it was a fabulous race. These are the kind of races the fans want and they want to bet on and they want to have opinions on. So, good for Oaklawn.”

Ollie’s Candy finished 21/4 lengths in front of third-place Point of Honor. Street Band was fourth, 21/2 lengths behind the winner.

Fans have been excluded from racing at Oaklawn since March 13 as part of the track’s effort to protect the public, horsemen, and all essential personnel and media from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Apple Blossom was the sixth career start for Ce Ce, a 4-year-old filly by Elusive Quality.

Serengeti Empress, who has never won from any position other than from wire-to-wire leadership, was compromised early by her post position, the 11th stall in Oaklawn’s gate, and the sprint-speed start of Cookie Dough and Ollie’s Candy. The two were a head apart through an opening quarter-mile in 22.20, with Cookie Dough in front.

“It just didn’t go our way,” Amoss said. “They ran very, very fast. We were in a tough post position. That’s not an excuse. The post position hurt us, but they ran very fast up front. I was fearful of that for sure.”

“Obviously, our intention was to go to the front, but those two in front of us were just going at sprinters speed,” Talamo said. “It’s definitely disappointing because I know Tom really had her primed for this race.”

Though Ce Ce held up, Cookie Dough would eventually stop and finish last, 431/4 lengths back.

Ce Ce started from the 14th stall, which McCarthy said forced an adjustment in strategy.

“That was a tough one,” McCarthy said. “Unfortunately, the horses I thought we had to beat were all inside of us. I thought Serengeti Empress would go ahead and be the controlling speed. Things didn’t work out that way, obviously. The complexion of the race changed after that, and we were able to sit in a perfect spot, 3 to 4 lengths off them.”

Ollie’s Candy, under rider Joel Rosario, led through the half-mile 45.51, with Ce Ce 5 lengths back in fifth, and three-quarters in 1:10.27. Ce Ce was then 41/2 lengths off the lead.

Ce Ce began to unwind shortly thereafter and was in second, 21/2 lengths off Ollie’s Candy’s lead at the head of the stretch.

Bit by bit, Ce Ce gained on the runner-up until she won the photo finish.

Despite the narrow loss, Ollie’s Candy’s trainer John Sadler seemed delighted.

“I’m thrilled,” Sadler said. “I thought she ran great. The instructions to Joel were to just not waste the post.”

Ollie’s Candy started from the first stall.