Catholic Boy works five furlongs for BC Classic

ELMONT, N.Y. - Catholic Boy, who missed a workout last weekend due to a temperature, got back on schedule for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Sunday morning by working a sharp five furlongs in 1:01.08 over the Belmont Park main track.

With regular rider Javier Castellano aboard, Catholic Boy worked in company with the graded stakes winner March. Catholic Boy started about two lengths behind, was within three-quarters of a length of March after an opening eighth in 12.70 seconds. Catholic Boy was actually in front of March approaching the quarter pole before Castellano allowed March to come through his inside and gain a narrow advantage.

Catholic Boy, with Castellano still not asking, had a head in front coming to the wire, getting a final quarter in 24.48 seconds. After the wire, Castellano did ask Catholic Boy a little bit and the horse responded with a six-furlong gallop-out in 1:13.59 seconds and seven furlongs in 1:26.53.

“I thought it was a really well-executed work by Javier,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said. “I wanted him to sit right off March’s hip, relax, then by the quarter really join in and then hit the wire in front and go ahead and gallop-out. I thought it was good.”

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This was Catholic Boy’s third work since he won the Travers on Aug. 26. He missed a scheduled work last weekend due to a temperature.

“When you’re preparing for the Breeders’ Cup, you don’t want anything to go wrong, but I don’t know that it cost us anything,” Thomas said. “I was happy seeing that breeze today. This will move him up quite a lot going into his next breeze.”

That next breeze will take place next weekend at Churchill Downs, Thomas said.

Thomas plans to van Catholic Boy to Churchill Downs on Tuesday with the horse expected to arrive early Wednesday morning. He should be able to get two works over Churchill’s main track before the Nov. 3 Classic.