Ce Ce, defending winner Ollie's Candy meet again in Clement L. Hirsch

Grade 1 winners Ce Ce, Ollie’s Candy and Hard Not to Love -- along with multiple graded stakes winner Fighting Mad -- will clash as part of a talented six-horse field entered for Sunday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar.

Ce Ce, who has already tallied a pair of Grade 1 wins this season to rank near the top of the older distaff division, will look to bounce-back from a disappointing third-place effort behind winner Fighting Mad and runner-up Hard Not to Love in the May 31 Santa Maria (G2) at Santa Anita Park.

In addition, Ce Ce will attempt to provide owner-breeder Bo Hirsch with a victory close to the heart. The Clement L. Hirsch Stakes is named after Bo’s father, who was a pillar of southern California racing for decades before his death in 2000 at the age of 85. 

Prior to the Santa Maria, Ce Ce easily dispatched of both Ollie’s Candy and Hard Not to Love in the Beholder Mile (G1) at Santa Anita, and just eked out a head victory over Ollie’s Candy in the April 18 Apple Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn Park. The daughter of Elusive Quality out of Grade 1 winner Miss Houdini will break from post No. 2 under regular rider Victor Espinoza.

Ollie’s Candy--winner of last year's Clement L. Hirsch -- has been a tough-luck loser in her two most recent starts. In the Apple Blossom, she dueled through a sharp pace before getting nailed late by Ce Ce; and in the subsequent Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont Park, she again attended a hot pace before getting beat a neck on the wire by She’s a Julie.

Trained by John Sadler, Ollie’s Candy will break from post No. 5 under Flavien Prat.

Hard Not to Love is a Grade 1 sprinter for trainer John Shirreffs who finished runner-up in both the Beholder Mile and Santa Maria in her two tries going two turns. Hall of Famer Mike Smith retains the mount on the daughter of Hard Spun.

Fighting Mad shot to the front under Abel Cedillo in the Santa Maria--contested at the same 1 1/16-miles trip as the Hirsch--and had no problem holding at bay both Hard Not to Love and Ce Ce Ce. The daughter of New Year’s Day’s only other two-turn race was a similar front-running score in last year’s Torrey Pines (G3) at Del Mar for trainer Bob Baffert. 

Rounding out the field are Dogtag, who will go turf-to-dirt for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella; and Hang a Star, who will be seeking her first stakes win for trainer Ian Kruljac.