BELMONT DERBY

INVITATIONAL STAKES

(group 1)

JONATHAN Thomas stood in the Aqueduct winner’s circle a few minutes after last year’s Remsen Stakes. He talked about winning it with Catholic Boy, mentioned the Kentucky Derby and how to get there and allowed himself to dream.

The Derby was five months away but a victory a nine-furlong race in the autumn with a two-year-old certainly plants the seeds of those Derby dreams. Catholic Boy had never run on the dirt prior to his victory that clear and cool afternoon. The fact he handled it as well as he did didn’t make the dream seem so far-fetched.

The dream eventually became derailed, Catholic Boy finishing a decent second in a Derby prep at Tampa Bay Downs and a well-beaten fourth in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Off the Derby trail, Catholic Boy earned a freshening back at Thomas’ training base at Bridlewood Farm in Florida before resuming more serious training in late April and returning to the Derby trail. Come again?

The trail this time led to the $1.2 million Belmont Derby Invitational, a Grade 1 fixture that was part of the Stars and Stripes Racing Festival at Belmont Park July 7. The festival, just a few days removed from America’s Independence Day holiday, also featured the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, Group 2 Suburban and two other stakes.

Star

Catholic Boy emerged as the one-day Festival’s star with a determined victory under Javier Castellano over Analyze It and Jose Ortiz. A head separating the first two, with one and three-quarter lengths back to Coolmore’s Hunting Horn in third for the Aidan O’Brien team at Ballydoyle.

Catholic Boy did nearly all the running early and midway through the 10-furlong Belmont Derby.

He lost the lead inside the final furlong and came back in the last 40 yards to win and earn $650,000 for owners Robert LaPenta, Madaket Stables, Siena Farm and Twin Creeks Racing Stables. He also helped Thomas realize another dream.

“It’s the pinnacle,” said Thomas, a former steeplechase jockey and assistant to top U.S. trainers Todd Pletcher, Christophe Clement and Dale Romans. “It’s one of those dreams you don’t really think about until it happens. I’m happier for him because he’s a deserving Grade 1 winner. He deserves it. I’m like a proud parent.”

Thomas got his start in racing growing up on the late Paul Mellon’s Rokeby Farm in Upperville, Virginia, and rode jump races before breaking his back in 2000.

After recovering from that injury, he worked his way through the ranks, taking a job as Bridlewood’s farm trainer.

He was involved with the purchase of 2017 Belmont winner Tapwrit, who is campaigned by Bridlewood, LaPenta and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

Winner

Catholic Boy is Thomas’ first Grade 1 winner and became his first stakes winner with a victory in last summer’s Grade 2 With Anticipation at Saratoga Race Course. He eventually earned a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, where he finished a late closing fourth to Mendelssohn about a month before moving to the dirt to win the Remsen.

Thomas praised Catholic Boy’s versatility after the Remsen and the More Than Ready colt’s tenacity and determination after the Belmont Derby.

“What a stretch drive … it was a hell of a horse race,” he said. “He really has an awful lot of heart. I didn’t expect him to fight back this time. I thought we were going to finish a really good second, (but) somehow he got it done.

“He’s always been a real generous training horse. You never know how they will respond in that scenario because we never put them in that situation in the mornings. Between his heart and Javier’s ride, what can you say?

“We had no instructions before the race. We just wanted him to ride him by gut instinct and do what he thought was best.”