Catalina Cruiser Returns in True North

There were few more exciting horses last summer than Hronis Racing's Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags), but after going four-for-four to start his career, the chestnut went up in flames at odds-on in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He'll make his much-anticipated return and debut as 5-year-old in Friday's GII True North S. at Belmont.

Victorious on debut in October of 2017 at Santa Anita, the $370,000 Keeneland September purchase repeated in an optional claimer there last May and had his coming-out party when romping by 6 3/4 lengths in the GII San Diego H. July 21 at Del Mar. He added to his legend with a similarly easy score in the GII Pat O'Brien S. Aug. 25, but faded to finish a well-beaten sixth at 9-10 at Churchill Downs. The John Sadler trainee shows a half-dozen works at his Arcadia base in preparation for this comeback, capped by a half-mile spin in :47 3/5 (3/37) June 2.

Courtlandt Farms' Strike Power (Speightstown) returns to the big stage looking to reclaim the cachet he earned last winter at Gulfstream. An eight-length debut graduate to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors in December of 2017, he scored in the GIII Swale S. next out and was a good second stretching out in the GII Fountain of Youth S. The wheels fell off after that though, as he could manage no better than fourth in his next four outings and was beaten by double-digit lengths each time. Laid up for nearly eight months and dropped into optional claiming company when resurfacing Apr. 25 at Gulfstream, the homebred looked much like his old self, going wire to wire in a five-length score that produced a 101 Beyer, easily Strike Power's best output since the 102 he earned in his unveiling.

Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) looks to avenge a tough beat from last year's True North as the most accomplished runner in the group. Missing by a neck to the brilliant MGISW Imperial Hint (Imperialism) in the 2018 renewal, the gelding was runner-up by the same margin in the GII Belmont Sprint Championship before picking up his first Grade I success in the Forego S. Aug. 25 at Saratoga. Completing the exacta behind champion Roy H (More Than Ready) in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, he debuted as a 6-year-old with a conquest of the Hot Springs S. before running into the streaking buzzsaw Mitole (Eskendereya) when second in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. and fifth in the GI Churchill Downs S. last out.