Undefeated Catalina Cruiser Rolls Into Dirt Mile

Hronis Racing's Catalina Cruiser will make his first appearance at Churchill Downs in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 3, and looks to keep his unblemished record intact. 

Undefeated in four starts, the 4-year-old son of Union Rags  earned an automatic berth in the Dirt Mile when he took the Aug. 25 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar, handily beating last year's Dirt Mile winner Battle of Midway by 7 1/4 lengths. He was installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the Dirt Mile, and will start from post 10.

Catalina Cruiser broke his maiden in October of 2017 in a six-furlong sprint at Santa Anita Park. Sidelined until May, the strapping chestnut described by trainer John Sadler as "probably the biggest horse in Southern California" kick-started his 4-year-old campaign with another easy, 2 1/4-length win in an optional-claiming allowance race over the same distance.

The step up to graded company was a no-brainer for Catalina Cruiser, who sailed to victory in the July 21 San Diego Handicap (G2) over 1 1/16 miles by an impressive 6 3/4 lengths before he took the seven-furlong O'Brien by an even larger margin a month later. 

Catalina Cruiser worked five furlongs Oct. 27 in :59 4/5 at Santa Anita in his final timed move before shipping to Kentucky. 

Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.'s City of Light , arrived in the Bluegrass State a week before his competition in the Dirt Mile, and if his works are any indication, the Quality Road  colt will provide stiff competition for Catalina Cruiser come Saturday. 

A talented runner who has never finished off the board in nine starts, the 4-year-old boasts a victory over Catalina Cruiser's stablemate Accelerate , the likely favorite for the Classic. City of Light prevailed by a neck over Accelerate in the April 14 Oaklawn Handicap (G2), his third consecutive graded score. He won the Triple Bend Stakes (G1) in March and the Malibu Stakes (G1) in December. 

"He's never at any time disappointed me," said trainer Michael McCarthy after the colt breezed four furlongs Oct. 28 in :47 3/5 at Churchill, his final workout before the Breeders' Cup. "I thought his work was more or less what we've been seeing. He's a wonderful work horse and enjoys his job."

While his competitors may be unfamiliar with the feel and frenzy of the Louisville, Ky. oval, a trip beneath the Twin Spires will be old hat for Katherine Ball's Limousine Liberal, who has won six times in eight starts on the Churchill dirt.

Racing at Churchill for the first time since a troubled, sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) is Calumet Farm's classic-placed Bravazo. Bravazo is trained by Racing Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, who leads all conditioners with 20 Breeders' Cup victories.

Entries: Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 03, 2018, Race 5

• Grade I
• 1m
• Dirt
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 1:16 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1City of Light (KY)	Javier Castellano	126	Michael W. McCarthy	5/2
2	2Trigger Warning (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	123	Mike L. Rone	20/1
3	3Isotherm (KY)	Geovanni Franco	126	Philip D'Amato	20/1
4	4Seven Trumpets (KY)	Robby Albarado	123	Dale L. Romans	15/1
5	5Awesome Slew (FL)	Corey J. Lanerie	126	Mark E. Casse	15/1
6	6Seeking the Soul (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	126	Dallas Stewart	5/1
7	7Firenze Fire (FL)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Jason Servis	6/1
8	8Bravazo (KY)	Luis Contreras	123	D. Wayne Lukas	20/1
9	9Giant Expectations (NY)	Julien R. Leparoux	126	Peter Eurton	15/1
10	10Catalina Cruiser (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	126	John W. Sadler	8/5