Catalina Cruiser, winner of the San Diego Handicap earlier in the meet, will remain at Del Mar for the Grade 2, $200,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes on Saturday, with trainer John Sadler saying it's the best option to move Catalina Cruiser along toward his intended year-end goal, the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.

His regular rider, Drayden Van Dyke, has the mount.

Sadler also had the Woodward Stakes on Sept. 1 at Saratoga under consideration. That race is at 1 1/8 miles. The Pat O'Brien, like this year's Dirt Mile, is around one turn.

"It's a Win and You're In for the Dirt Mile, which is the race we're looking at," Sadler said Sunday morning, outlining the reasons the Pat O'Brien is preferred. "We don't have to ship into dubious weather. And it's in our own backyard."

The Woodward is a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic, but Sadler and owners Kosta and Pete Hronis already have a top candidate for that race in Accelerate, winner on Saturday of the Pacific Classic.

"I wanted to see what happened Saturday before we decided," Sadler said, referring to the Pacific Classic.

Accelerate won the Pacific Classic by 12 1/2 lengths and got a Beyer Speed Figure of 115.