Catholic Boy battles back to take Pennine Ridge

ELMONT, N.Y. – Jonathan Thomas went into Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park believing his horse, Catholic Boy, was going to finish second to heavily favored Analyze It. In midstretch, after Analyze It had forged to a clear advantage, Javier Castellano, the rider of Catholic Boy, felt the same way.

But in a stunning turnaround in the last 100 yards, Catholic Boy, the 4-1 second choice in the five-horse field, came back again and caught Analyze It, the 1-5 favorite, at the wire to win the Pennine Ridge by a neck.

It was the first defeat for Analyze It after he won his first three starts by 15 3/4 lengths.

Catholic Boy had to withstand a claim of foul from Jose Ortiz, the rider of Analyze It, who alleged that Castellano hit Analyze It in the face with a whip before the quarter pole and then precipitated a bump in upper stretch. The stewards disallowed the claims.

Catholic Boy was making his first start since he bled while finishing fourth as the 2-1 second choice in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 31. He was making his first start on turf since he finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last fall at November. He had won his first two career starts on turf.

Though Catholic Boy had done his best running from off the pace, Thomas felt the only chance his horse had to beat Analyze It was to go to the lead and make Analyze It come after him.

“I wanted to get control of the pace and make that horse kind of come off the bridle and keep contact with us,” Thomas said. “If we turned it into a sprint … I was afraid we wouldn’t outfoot him. I wanted to go ahead and send our horse – he’s fit – and get into a good rhythm and make that horse try to keep contact with us.”

Catholic Boy had the lead for the opening six furlongs with Analyze It stalking from second. Down the backside, Untamed Domain came to the outside of Analyze It.

But around the turn, it became a two-horse race as Analyze It, on the outside, drew on equal terms with Catholic Boy at the quarter pole.

The two made contact in upper stretch, and by the eighth pole Castellano steadied as Analyze It opened up at least a length lead.

“At that point where I checked, I was disappointed because I knew I was not going to win the race,” Castellano said.

Castellano moved Catholic Boy to the outside and he re-rallied to just get up by a neck. It was 4 1/4 lengths back to Channel Cat in third. Untamed Domain and Irish Territory completed the order of finish. Hawkish, Up the Ante, and Archaggelos scratched.

Ortiz lodged an objection claiming that Castellano’s whip hit Analyze It in the face. Ortiz also alleged that Catholic Boy initiated the contact in upper stretch.

“When I made my horse switch leads, I didn’t make the bump. He did it, and then he stood up for no reason,” Ortiz said of Castellano. “I guess he was faking a foul just in case I win.”

Castellano refuted Ortiz’s assertions and said in the stretch he was just trying to protect himself anticipating Analyze It coming over on him.

“I don’t want to get to the spot, let him clip heels, and go down,” Castellano said.

Castellano said he was impressed the way Catholic Boy battled back.

“My horse has got such a good heart, you don’t see too many horses like that check at the top of the stretch come back again and win the race,” he said.

Catholic Boy, a son of More Than Ready owned by a partnership that includes Robert LaPenta, Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, Siena Farm, and Twin Creeks Racing, completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:45.78 and returned $10.80 to win. Catholic Boy got a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for his effort.

As Analyze It had continued on when he made the lead in the stretch of his previous three starts, Brown was puzzled at what happened Saturday.

“He sort of put the brakes on I guess, that hasn’t been him,” Brown said. “The horse has kicked clear alone when he’s made the front in his races before, so I’m not sure why he did that. I’ll just have to regroup with the horse and see why he did that today.”

Both horses are likely to meet again in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Belmont Derby on July 7.