Ce Ce, Speech stay fit for Breeders' Cup
Regular workouts and maintaining fitness are the focus with the stakes-winning fillies Ce Ce and Speech in coming weeks. Specific race plans may not be determined until early November.
Friday at Santa Anita, Ce Ce and Speech worked five furlongs in company for scheduled starts in Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. Both are likely to be cross-entered in the Distaff at 1 1/8 miles and the Filly and Mare Sprint at seven furlongs, trainer Michael McCarthy said.
Ce Ce, winner of consecutive Grade 1 races in March and April but beaten in her last three starts, worked in 59 seconds, while Speech was timed in 59.40.
Ce Ce was fourth in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at seven furlongs on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs. Speech won the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Keeneland in July and was fourth, beaten 8 3/4 lengths, in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs.
Their workout times Friday were the two quickest times of 35 at the distance.
“They were side by side,” McCarthy said. “My rider on Speech thought they were doing too much.”
McCarthy said he has no urgency to finalize race plans.
“I’ll make sure they’re healthy and going well,” he said. “As it gets closer, we’ll figure it out.”
McCarthy has four hopefuls for Breeders’ Cup races, including Rombauer for the Juvenile. Rushie, a candidate for the Dirt Mile, worked five furlongs in 1:00 on Friday at Santa Anita. He won the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile for 3-year-olds on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.
Maxim Rate, second in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes on Sept. 26 at Santa Anita, worked a half-mile in 49.40. Her main goal for the autumn is the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes on Nov. 29 at Del Mar, with a possible start in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita, trainer Simon Callaghan said. Both races are run at a mile on turf for fillies and mares.