Elusive Quality

With the end of the championship meet at Gulfstream Park, Oaklawn Park and its Racing Festival of the South is, for all intents and purposes, the current focal point of Thoroughbred racing in North America in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Saturday's GI Apple Blossom H., one of two top-level events staged at Arkansas's spa meeting, attracted an incredibly diverse group of main-track distaffers, including California raiders Ollie's Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), who book-ended the 14-strong field when gates were drawn Wednesday. Despite enterprising...

Ce Ce sprung the upset in the GI Beholder Mile, defeating heavily favored Hard Not to Love. Four wide rounding the first turn, the chestnut stalked from a joint third early as the favorite was hounded on the front end as she set early splits of :22.63 and :45.72. Ranging up outside of Hard Not to Love on the backstretch, Ce Ce drew even entering the far turn and the duo battled halfway down the lane before Ce Ce kicked clear for the win. A debut winner at Santa Anita...

Manganaro Bloodstock and David Ingordo's Remanded (Elusive Quality) entered her unveiling Sunday at Gulfstream with an upbeat worktab at Payson Park, and was given a 4-1 chance for trainer Cherie DeVaux, who had won with five of her first 23 debuters. Out-breaking only 4-5 favorite Union Maiden (Union Rags), the bay sat toward the back of the pack behind a :22.45 opening quarter before launching a sweeping move into the turn that found her three deep and vying for command after a :45.85 half. She went on with it from...