Mendelssohn’s Cecile Catches Eye at Churchill

It was an eye-catching Maiden Special Weight victory for Cecile (3f Mendelssohn x Great Look, by Giant’s Causeway) at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

Racing over a mile on the Churchill turf course, Cecile raced in last place for much of the race, not making many moves until the stretch. It was at that point that she gave viewers a look at her talent when she flew from last to first for a half-length win with a huge late kick.

Trained by Lindsay Schultz for Choctaw Racing Stable, the Thoroughbred by Design-bred filly was purchased for $150,000 by her racing owners from the Scanlon Training and Sales consignment as a 2-year-old last year.

The filly is one of four winners out of a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Winning Cause and half-sister to stakes placed Ventry Bay. The family includes Group I winners Emerging Talent, Lindalevesolta, and Summer Love.

Cecile’s dam had another Mendelssohn filly this February.

Mendelssohn’s 29 winners winning 34 races this year leads all second crop stallions with the group led by three stakes performers and one stakes winner. His 49 winners overall is second best among all horses in his crop.