Accelerate points to Awesome Again Stakes as last BC Classic prep

DEL MAR, Calif. – Accelerate seemed to come out of his runaway victory in the Pacific Classic on Saturday in good condition, trainer John Sadler said Sunday morning at his Del Mar barn, allowing Sadler to move forward with the overall plan he has to attack this year’s Breeders’ Cup, with Accelerate headed toward the Classic and stablemate Catalina Cruiser to the Dirt Mile, both on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.

The plans for both runners – both owned by brothers Kosta and Pete Hronis – were solidified on Saturday. Had Accelerate turned in an inexplicably poor race, perhaps Catalina Cruiser would have gone to the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 1 to try to earn a berth in the BC Classic through the Win and You’re In program.

But with Accelerate performing as hoped in the Pacific Classic, he earned a fees-paid berth in the BC Classic, and now Catalina Cruiser will be pointed to the Dirt Mile. He runs on Saturday at Del Mar in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes, a Win and You’re In qualifier for the Dirt Mile.

Accelerate got a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 115 in the Pacific Classic, which he won by 12 1/2 lengths. Owing to the late post, he didn’t get back to his stall until nearly 8:30 Saturday night.

“It was a late night for him,” Sadler said. “He looks good this morning.”

Sadler said the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 29 would be the next start for Accelerate and would serve as his final prep for the BC Classic.

“That’s been the plan,” said Sadler, who said he was gratified to see Accelerate continue to churn out strong speed figures.

“He ran a really good number in the Gold Cup,” Sadler said, referring to his previous start at Santa Anita. “He didn’t regress.”

Accelerate is one of the top contenders for an Eclipse Award as champion male dirt horse, along with East Coast-based Diversify and City of Light, the only horse to defeat Accelerate this year.

The unbeaten Catalina Cruiser, who won the 1 1/16-mile San Diego earlier in the meet, will cut back to seven furlongs for the Pat O’Brien. Sadler said there were numerous reasons to prefer that race over the Woodward.

“It’s a Win and You’re In for the Dirt Mile, which is the race we're looking at,” Sadler said. “We don’t have to ship into dubious weather. And it’s in our own backyard.”

Drayden Van Dyke will ride Catalina Cruiser. Van Dyke also has been riding City of Light, who runs on Saturday in the Forego at Saratoga. With Van Dyke staying at Del Mar, Irad Ortiz Jr. has picked up the mount on City of Light, said City of Light’s trainer, Michael McCarthy.