Elusive Quality

Hailing from the Norelands consignment, That Which Is Not (Elusive Quality--Shiva {Jpn}, by Hector Protector) became the third mare to clear the €3-million mark from the Niarchos family's bloodstock restructuring, with MV Magnier shelling out €3.3 million at Goffs late in the session. Lot 1260, in foal to Juddmonte's Frankel (GB), has already produced G3 Ballysax S. hero Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}), who was runner-up in the G1 Irish Derby and third in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. Her dam did win the Tattersalls Gold Cup, and this is...

Typically part of Saratoga's Runhappy Travers Super Saturday card, the GI Ballerina H. gets the spotlight all to itself this year as the lone graded event on Sunday's card. It is a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint S. Champion Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) could only manage third behind the fleet-footed Gamine (Into Mischief) in last year's Ballerina, but a victory in the Breeders' Cup more than made up for it. Just like last year, she enters this test off a tour de force in...

Champion Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) successfully defended her title in Gulfstream's GII Princess Rooney S. Saturday and stamped her ticket to Keeneland in November to attempt another title defense in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint S. Heavily favored at 2-5 as the pure class of the field, Ce Ce broke alertly, but was content to track from a two-wide third as Make Mischief (Into Mischief) clicked off an opening quarter in :23.01 and half in :45.46. Charging up two wide to take control exiting the bend, the chestnut sailed...

Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), game winner of the 2020 GI Apple Blossom H., underscored her affinity for Oaklawn with another game victory in Saturday's GII Azeri S. The 2021 champion female sprinter was squeezed slightly at the start by the wayward Lady Mystify (Bernardini), while Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) took the worst of it and was forced back sharply as defending Azeri champ and race favorite Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) raced out to take control. Showing the way through an opening quarter in :23.44 followed by a :47.53 half, the leader continued to...

Ce Ce (Elusive Quality)'s upset victory over heavily favored Gamine (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint appeared to make all the difference Thursday, as she was named champion female sprinter. The Bo Hirsch homebred, previously a MGISW at route distances, cut back last season for a breakthrough win in Gulfstream's GII Princess Rooney S. in July. She also took October's GIII Chillingworth S. before her 6-1 score at Del Mar in the Breeders' Cup. The now 6-year-old Michael McCarthy representative was last seen finishing second in the...

Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), last seen upsetting the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 6, returns to launch her 6-year-old campaign in Saturday's GII Santa Monica S. at Santa Anita. The 2020 GI Apple Blossom H. and GI Beholder Mile S. heroine focused on races going around one turn during her 2021 campaign. In addition to her victory at the Championships, her season also included strong wins in the GII Princess Rooney Invitational at Gulfstream July 3 and GIII Chillingworth S. at Santa Anita Oct....

It had looked as though she had missed her cue. If the notoriously random behaviors of the Thoroughbred were really governed by some benign destiny, Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) would surely have recognized her prompt last year in the Grade I race named for the father of her owner-breeder Bo Hirsch. As it was, she was jostled leaving the gate in the Clement L. Hirsch S., took a wide trip and had to make do with third. So there you had it. We couldn't deceive ourselves that anybody up there...

DEL MAR, CA - With all eyes on defending champion and 2-5 favorite Gamine (Into Mischief) and star 3-year-old Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot), it was Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) who came rolling over the top in the stretch to upend Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar. Last year's Filly & Mare Sprint heroine Gamine, looking to become only the second two-time winner of the race following Groupie Doll (Bowman's Band), went to the front, as expected, and was shadowed by GI Longines Test S. heroine...

Southern California-based Ce Ce ventured all the way to Florida to stamp her ticket to the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint back at Del Mar. A winner of both the GI Beholder Mile and GI Apple Blossom H. last term, the homebred went winless for the rest of the season, including when fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 7. She cut back and gained some confidence with an Apr. 17 optional claiming win going this distance at Santa Anita, but could only manage fourth--again around two...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency DOC GIRL (Elusive Quality), a $320,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase and the most expensive of her late sire's progeny to sell in 2019, is a half-sister to MSW Doc Boy (Into Mischief) and is out of an unraced daughter of Eclipse Award-winning turf distaffer Perfect Sting (Red Ransom), herself the dam of GSW Smart Sting (Smart Strike) and GSP Perfect Bullet (El Prado {Ire}). TJCIS PPs

Peter Bradley has hand picked a number of yearlings that have gone on to become top-class runners--from GISW and now-sire Klimt (Quality Road) to Eclipse Champion Lady Eli (Divine Park). And while he can distinctly recall the days when he purchased those eventual headliners, so too can he remember the yearlings that he passed on who would go on to do big things. Bradley first saw She's a Julie (Elusive Quality) at the 2016 Keeneland September Sale, and while impressed with her physical, a simple vet issue kept him from...

Dismissed at 14-1 in Saturday's six-horse GI Ogden Phipps S. at Belmont, Steve Asmussen trainee She's a Julie (Elusive Quality) rediscovered her best form to narrowly defeat favored Point of Honor (Curlin) and earn a guaranteed spot into the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff later this season. Ollie's Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}) had to settle for third after chasing hot splits early. She's a Julie took the GI La Troienne S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard some 13 months ago, but hadn't returned to the winner's circle since then and...