Levy Trail South

 I walked Levy Trail South at lunchtime today in 29:48. Then I watched Gunsmoke and drove to Oaklawn to report on the Azeri Stakes:

PETE PERKINS

HOT SPRINGS — Two turns were almost too easy for Ce Ce.

Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza said Bo Hirsch’s champion sprinter Ce Ce lost interest late but responded in time to win the Grade III $350,000 1-mile-and-1/16th Azeri Stakes for fillies and mares four years old and up in 1:43.55 before an estimated crowd of 30,000 at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort on Saturday.

“Sometimes, I think, she does things so easy, she just gets bored and wants to do some silly things,” Espinoza said. “She heard a little noise, and then she says, ‘Hey, we’re happy,’ and everything worked out.” 

Ce Ce, trained by Mike McCarthy, won by 3/4 lengths over second-place Pauline’s Pearl, ridden from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen by Joel Rosario. Shedaresthedevil, winner of last season’s Azeri and the 2020 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, led from the gate through the final turn under rider Florent Geroux but finished third, 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner and 2 3/4 lengths in front of fourth-place She’s All Wolfe, ridden by Francisco Arrieta and trained by Donnie Von Hemel in the field of seven.

Lavender and Super Quick scratched.

Racetrack stars shined across the Azeri field. It included a cluster of Eclipse Award winners and two members of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

Espinoza was named to the Hall of Fame in 2017, two years after he rode American Pharoah to the Triple Crown, the first in racing since 1978. Ce Ce won the 2021 Grade I 7-furlong Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 6 and was named the 2021 Eclipse female sprinter of the year.

Rosario is the 2021 Eclipse-winning jockey of the year. Asmussen won the Eclipse as trainer of the year in 2008 and 2009. He has trained 9,659 winners in his career, more than any other horseman, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Brad Cox, trainer of Flurry Racing Stables,' Qatar Racing Limited’s, and Whisper Hill Farm’s Shedaresthedevil, won the Eclipse as trainer of the year in 2020 and 2021.

“There were three great fillies in front of [She’s All Wolfe],” Von Hemel said. “Coming into the meet, to see her run this well in a graded stakes is a pleasant surprise.”

Shedaresthedevil led through the opening quarter-mile in 23.44. Golden Curl and Lady Mystify were second and third, respectively, with Ce Ce fourth, two lengths off the lead.

Shedaresthedevil remained a length in front of second-place Golden Curl and two lengths up on third-place Lady Mystify through the half in the 47.53.

Golden Curl would finish sixth, 19 lengths behind the winner, and 5 1/4 lengths in front of last-place Lady Mystify.

At three-quarters of a mile, Ce Ce had moved into second, a length behind Shedaresthedevil. Pauline’s Pearl, the 5-2 third-choice, was fourth, 1 1/2 lengths behind the leader.

It was Ce Ce’s second start at Oaklawn. Before she became a one-turn champion, Ce Ce won Oaklawn’s 2020 Grade I 1-mile-and-1/16th Apple Blossom Stakes.

“[Shedaresthedevil] ran pretty regular fractions,” Geroux said. “There was nothing out of the ordinary. The [mare] that beat me is a pretty nice [mare], too, you know. Ce Ce won the Apple Blossom two years ago, so we know she liked the track. She’s a tough customer.”

The Azeri was Shedaresthedevil’s first race in more than four months.

“Hopefully, we got the rust out of her, and she’ll be tough the next time,” Geroux said. 

As they turned for home, Ce Ce, off at 8-5, put a nose in front of Shedaresthedevil, who ran just off the rail, and seemed geared to pull away. Stonestreet Stables’ Pauline’s Pearl also appeared full of momentum, 1 1/2 lengths off Ce Ce’s right flank.

Ce Ce was a length in front of Shedaresthedevil at the 1/8th pole and had begun to open up. Pauline’s Pearl was two lengths back in third but seemed full of run.

“I thought she was going to win by many lengths, but suddenly everything changed,” Espinoza said.

For a moment, Pauline’s Pearl seemed a likely winner, but Ce Ce dug in through the final strides to hold on.

“I thought for a second we were going to win big,” Rosario said. “But [Ce Ce] broke again and kind of got a jump on me, but [Pauline’s Pearl] ran hard. Like I said, she ran well.”

McCarthy was in California and said he watched the Azeri on his smartphone.

“It was hard to see,” McCarthy said. “I watched it on my phone, so I really couldn’t tell whether she lost interest or not. I’m just glad she was able to kind of re-rally and get herself in the game.”

Next up for the winner is likely the Apple Blossom, scheduled for April 23.

“We’ll have to take a long, hard look at it, for sure,” McCarthy said. “We’ll see how she looks over the next 24 to 48 hours and go from there.”