White-hot Cedillo relishing Southern California successes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Prior to Saturday, Abel Cedillo had three career wins in graded stakes. He equaled that number over the weekend at Santa Anita.

Saturday, Cedillo won the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship with Cleopatra’s Strike and the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes with Mongolian Humor. Sunday, he won the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes with Paradise Woods, a mare he is likely to ride in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff here on Nov. 2.

“I feel so awesome,” Cedillo said at the end of Sunday’s program. “I never dreamed of this.”

Cedillo, 30, began riding in Southern California in early summer after relocating from Northern California. He finished third in the standings at the Del Mar summer meeting, prompting him to stay in Southern California.

Cedillo has mounts in several of the leading stakes next Saturday and Sunday, including Andesh in Saturday’s Grade 2 City of Hope Mile, Commander in Sunday’s $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes, and War Beast in Sunday’s Zuma Beach Stakes.