Catalina Cruiser drills for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – Unbeaten in four starts, Catalina Cruiser will start as the expected favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3 with a growing reputation in the nation’s older horse division.

On Sunday, Catalina Cruiser had his most strenuous workout of October, a seven-furlong exercise in 1:26.60 at Santa Anita. Trainer John Sadler clocked the 4-year-old colt galloping out a mile in “1:39 and change.”

After a five-furlong workout next Saturday, Catalina Cruiser will be sent to Kentucky for the biggest race of his career.

“That was his long work, and it went well,” Sadler said. “He’s just a good work horse. He doesn’t know to not put in a good workout.”

Owned by Pete and Kosta Hronis, Catalina Cruiser won two Grade 2 races at Del Mar during the summer – the San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles by 6 3/4 lengths on July 21 and the Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs by 7 1/4 lengths on Aug. 25.

Catalina Cruiser was one of four Breeders’ Cup probable starters with recorded workouts on Sunday.

Selcourt, a candidate for the BC Filly and Mare Sprint, worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 and was somewhat lucky to complete her workout. Shortly after Selcourt began the breeze, another horse unseated its rider and began to gallop in a clockwise direction toward the first turn. The horse was caught by an outrider at about the same time Selcourt reached the finish line.

Trained by Sadler, Selcourt has not raced since winning the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes here in March and has been in steady training in recent months.

West Coast, the champion 3-year-old male of 2017, and McKinzie, the winner of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby in September, worked for trainer Bob Baffert in advance of the BC Classic.

West Coast worked in company with Roman Rosso, a Group 1 winner in Uruguay in March who was fourth in his American debut behind Accelerate in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 18. Roman Rosso began in front of West Coast, who caught his rival in the stretch and finished in front, going six furlongs in 1:11.80. Roman Rosso, who is scheduled to start in the $75,000 Comma to the Top Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 28, was timed in 1:12.

“Everything went smoothly,” Baffert said of West Coast’s workout. “He does as much as he needs to.”

West Coast is winless in three starts this year, with second-place finishes in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January, the Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in March, and to Accelerate in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes here on Sept. 29.

McKinzie, who won his third stakes in the Pennsylvania Derby, worked six furlongs in 1:11.20 in company with Dabster, who has won minor stakes in his last two starts. Dabster was timed in 1:11.60.

“He looked super,” Baffert said of McKinzie.

McKinzie returned from a six-month layoff to win the Pennsylvania Derby.

Four stakes winners not bound for the Breeders’ Cup had workouts.

Vasilika, who won the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes for fillies and mares on turf Sept. 29, worked five furlongs in 1:02 for the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at a mile on turf Nov. 4.

Battle of Midway, who won the 2017 BC Dirt Mile, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 for the Comma to the Top Stakes.

River Boyne, a winner of three turf stakes for 3-year-olds, went five furlongs in 1:01.20 for the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at 1 1/8 miles on Nov. 4.

Spiced Perfection, who has won two stakes for California-breds, worked five furlongs in 1:02.20. Trainer Brian Koriner said he plans to run Spiced Perfection in the $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes for Cal-bred fillies and mares at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 11.