Michael McCarthy

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....

GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint heroine Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) could launch her 6-year-old campaign in the GII Santa Monica S. at Santa Anita, trainer Michael McCarthy told the Santa Anita notes team before adding that she remains a possibility for the GII Inside Information S. on Pegasus Day at Gulfstream Park next Saturday, Jan. 29. A run in the Santa Monica would come five days before the 2021 Eclipse Award ceremonies, where Ce Ce is among the three candidates for champion female sprinter. "We're very proud of...

Rombauer (Twirling Candy--Cashmere, by Cowboy Cal), who upset Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) and GI Kentucky Derby first past the post Medina Spirit (Protonico) in last year's GI Preakness S., has been retired from racing, according to his owner John Fradkin, who bred and raced the colt in partnership with his wife Diane. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Rombauer was an eye-catching maiden winner at first asking over the Del Mar turf course and finished runner-up when trying dirt for the first time in the GI American Pharoah S. before a creditable fifth...

Queen Goddess was trying dirt for the first time, but looked right at home with an easy wire-to-wire victory in the GII American Oaks--which was automatically downgraded after it came off the turf Sunday at Santa Anita. Kicked straight into the lead by Juan Hernandez, Queen Goddess assumed command after the opening furlong and cut out the running while racing a bit off the inside turning down the backstretch. Moving comfortably through a half in :47.62, the dark bay filly lobbed them along comfortably as she began to work clear...

With a 7-6-1-0 record since being imported from Ireland, and having already bested a number of these foes previously, Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is strictly the one to beat in Sunday's concluding event at Santa Anita, the GI American Oaks. The Phil D'Amato trainee's lone runner-up effort in the States came when she was beaten a half-length in the GII San Clemente S. over a Del Mar mile in July, but she bounced back with a victory in that venue's nine-panel GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 21. Closing Remarks...

Independence Hall (Constitution), coming off a 7 1/4-length win in the GII Fayette S. at Keeneland Oct. 30, breezed a bullet half-mile in :46.80 (1/25) Saturday at Churchill Downs ahead of next Saturday's GI Cigar Mile. "I'm very happy with the way he worked," trainer Michael McCarthy said. "We wanted to go ahead and put a little air in his lungs and that's definitely what we got. A race like the Cigar Mile doesn't come around very often and we wanted to make sure we're nice and sharp." Independence Hall...

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...

Independence Hall (Constitution) capped a highly productive 20 minutes or so for his sire Saturday afternoon, splashing home a decisive winner of Keeneland's GII Hagyard Fayette S. shortly after fellow WinStar Farm co-owned colt Americanrevolution dominated his elders by nearly a dozen in Belmont's Empire Classic H. A dominant winner of both the GIII Nashua S. as a late season juvenile and the Jerome S. as newly turned sophomore last New Year's Day, Independence Hall was eventually transferred from Mike Trombetta to Michael McCarthy ahead of an optional claiming sprint...

There are folks who sound like broken records when it comes to first-crop sires, complaining that breeders who use them and buyers purchasing those yearlings at auction are about as foolish as dunk-tank clowns. However, when one of those sires succeeds with his first 2-year-olds, those same people are usually the first to wax eloquent with platitudes, forgetting what they'd said earlier. That's human nature, I suppose. What they forget is that all sires start out with first crops, and there are people on the other end that wildcat for...

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...