Accelerate, West Coast get green light for Breeders' Cup Classic

Accelerate, who enhanced his case for Horse of the Year honors with an authoritative 2 1/4-length triumph as the favorite in Saturday’s Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes, came out of the race fine and it’s on to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 3 for trainer and owner Hronis Racing.

“At first blush he looks really good,” Sadler said Sunday morning. “We’re thrilled with his performance, he’s staying in rhythm and running good. We’re on schedule.”

Sadler’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile favorite, Catalina Cruiser, meanwhile, worked five furlongs Sunday in 59.80 under assistant trainer and former jockey Juan Leyva.

“He went beautiful,” Sadler said. “He looked super.”

Trainer Bob Baffert said West Coast got what he needed from his second-place finish behind Accelerate in the Awesome Again, and it’s on to the Breeders’ Cup Classic for him as well. It was the first race for champion West Coast since last March 31, when he was second in the Dubai World Cup.

Additionally, unbeaten Game Winner gave a “workmanlike performance” winning the American Pharoah Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths, putting him in prime pouncing position for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 2.