Catalina Cruiser might ship for Woodward

DEL MAR, Calif. – Catalina Cruiser, the impressive winner of the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap in his stakes debut on July 21 at Del Mar, may be bound for the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes on Sept. 1 at Saratoga.

“It’s something we can consider,” trainer John Sadler said on Thursday.

Sadler wants to keep Catalina Cruiser apart from Accelerate, the stable’s leading older horse, who won two Grade 1 races at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita earlier this year – the Santa Anita Handicap in March and the Gold Cup at Santa Anita in May.

Accelerate was scratched from the San Diego Handicap in favor of a scheduled start in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Aug. 18. The $1 million Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles is the richest race of the track’s summer meeting.

The $750,000 Woodward is run at 1 1/8 miles.

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Catalina Cruiser and Accelerate are owned by Pete and Kosta Hronis.

Hronis Racing is scheduled to have a starter in Sunday’s Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes in Shenandoah Queen, who was supplemented for $3,000 on Thursday when entries were taken.

Shenandoah Queen, also trained by Sadler, was second to Fault in the Grade 3 Adoration Stakes at Santa Anita on May 6, and eighth in an allowance race with a $100,000 claiming option on turf here on July 21.

A minor stake winner last summer at Del Mar, Shenandoah Queen faces the daunting task of racing against Unique Bella, the champion female sprinter of 2017 who was an easy winner of the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita on June 2.

Because of the presence of Unique Bella, the Clement Hirsch Stakes at 1 1/16 miles will have a small field. Other candidates are Bernina Star, La Force, and Yuvetsi.

The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.