Catalina Cruiser Back for San Diego Defense

One year after the San Diego Handicap (G2) served as his coming-out party, Catalina Cruiser returns to the 1 1/16-mile test at Del Mar July 20 as one of the stars of the handicap division.

Hronis Racing's Catalina Cruiser will start from the rail in the $200,000 race for 3-year-olds and older that has drawn six runners. After getting in light last year at 115 pounds, he is the 123-pound highweight, spotting his five rivals anywhere from four to eight pounds.

Last year's San Diego was the stakes debut for Catalina Cruiser. He won his career debut at 3 in October 2017 and last year won an allowance optional claiming race May 19 at Santa Anita Park ahead of his frontrunning San Diego score. He won his first two starts by a combined 4 1/2 lengths before overwhelming four rivals in the San Diego, drawing off in the stretch by 6 3/4 lengths.

Catalina Cruiser, who has two wins in as many starts at Del Mar, is the only horse in the San Diego with a win over the track. After watching him the morning of July 17 at Del Mar, trainer John Sadler said the 5-year-old son of Union Rags  appears to be ready.

"He's looking good, and we're excited to have him running here again," Sadler said.

Last year, Catalina Cruiser ran his unbeaten string to four races when he followed the San Diego with a win in the Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at the Del Mar summer meeting. The streak ended in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), where Catalina Cruiser veered at the start and raced wide, fading to sixth as the 4-5 favorite.

This year, Catalina Cruiser impressed in his season opener, rallying from fourth to win the June 7 True North Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park. In his second race outside California, Catalina Cruiser scored a half-length victory as the 9-5 favorite in the 6 1/2-furlong race, possibly overcoming a track bias. The other four horses to win dirt races that day led at every call.

Since winning his season debut, Catalina Cruiser has worked four times at Santa Anita, including a bullet five-furlong move June 29 in 1:00 2/5 and a solid six-furlong work July 6 in 1:14.

Sadler will also send out Hronis Racing's Higher Power, a stakes-placed four-time winner who finished fifth in this year's Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1).

Trainer Peter Eurton will send out a pair of runners: Gary Broad's Core Beliefs, who won the New Orleans Handicap (G2) in March at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and will try to bounce back from a sixth in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, and CRK Stable's Draft Pick, a grade 3 winner who opened 2019 with a narrow victory in a one-mile allowance optional claiming race June 15 at Santa Anita.

Dr. Dorr, owned by Natalie Baffert and trained by Bob Baffert, won last year's Californian Stakes (G2) and has graded stakes placings in his two starts this year.

Rounding out the field is longshot Mongolian Groom, who did pick up a grade 1 placing in this year's Santa Anita Handicap Presented by San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino (G1).