Fore Left wins Tremont Stakes and Catalina Cruiser takes True North Stakes at Belmont

There may not be any Southern California horses in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes but the region put up some big wins on Friday.

Fore Left, a once-raced 2-year-old for Doug O’Neill, won the $150,000 Tremont Stakes for horses going 5½ furlongs. One race later, Catalina Cruiser, won the Grade 2 $250,000 True North Stakes for horses 4 and older going 6½ furlongs. He is trained by John Sadler.

Even the ownership groups were Southern California mainstays. Catalina Cruiser runs for the Eclipse Award-winning owners Kosta and Pete Hronis, and other family members. Fore Left is owned by two-time Kentucky Derby winners Paul and Zillah Reddam.

Fore Left’s win was impressive in that he just romped almost from gate to wire. He won by 4½ lengths under an unhurried stretch ride by Mario Gutierrez. Fore Left paid $5.30, $3.50 and $2.70.

“When he broke on top, I thought he’d be tough,” Paul Reddam told the New York Racing Assn. communications staff. “We hope he can run a mile and going forward, but you never know. … He has the pedigree to go 1¼ miles. Usually, with earlier speed you don’t see that, but we hope he’s the exception.”

When asked by text if this was his Derby horse, O’Neill said: “That’s a dream of ours for sure!”

Catalina Cruiser, coming off a disappointing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, had to work from mid-pack, passing two other horses in the stretch to win by half-a-length. He was ridden by Joel Rosario.

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Catalina Cruiser paid $5.60, $4.00 and $3.50.

“The Breeders’ Cup race was tough,” said Stephanie Hronis, part of the ownership group and married to usual spokesman Kosta. “But sometimes that happens when they just need a little break: rest and reset. That’s where John Sadler is great. He’s patient with horses and he can back them up, shift the gears down a little bit, the build them back up again. This says a lot for [Catalina Cruiser] to travel as well as he did.”

Catalina Cruiser had not raced since Nov. 3.

More Southern California-based horses will be running on Saturday’s stakes-filled card, headed by McKinzie in the Metropolitan Handicap.

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