For Lucullan, mission accomplished in Knickerbocker Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. - For both Lucullan and Catholic Boy, things have not quite worked out this year the way their connections had hoped they would.

Monday, though, Lucullan finally achieved his first graded stakes victory, taking the Grade 2, $200,000 Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont Park, while Catholic Boy left his connections wondering what to do next after the dual-surface Grade 1 winner finished fourth.

Lucullan, under Luis Saez, showed a pretty strong turn of foot in the final furlong to run by the pace-setting Dr. Edgar while outsprinting Olympico to beat that foe by one length. It was two lengths back to Dr. Edgar, who held third by a head over Catholic Boy.

Glorious Empire, another Grade 1 winner, was fifth, while Argonne finished last of six. Cullum Road and Noble Indy were scratched.

Catholic Boy, the Belmont Derby and Travers winner from 2018, was making just his third start of 2019, and first since a second in the Grade 2 Suburban on dirt on July 6. His connections were hoping to this as a stepping-stone to a Breeders’ Cup race on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

Despite Catholic Boy getting beat by three lengths, trainer Jonathan Thomas did not immediately rule out the Breeders’ Cup and said if he goes to Santa Anita it would be for the $6 million Classic going 1 1/4 miles on dirt and not for the Mile or Dirt Mile.

“To me, watching that, he would definitely scream a little more real estate,” Thomas said.

Catholic Boy was kept four wide early by Javier Castellano and was basically one-paced throughout, though he showed a little spark late, galloping out past the field.

“He’s a little bit even around there,” Thomas said. “I was hoping maybe turning for home he’d kick on a little, but he looked like he stayed on and went ahead and galloped out well and came back with a lot of energy. It’s one of those races where I’m not disappointed but I’m not thrilled, either.”

The Knickerbocker was Plan C for Lucullan after he was excluded from the Grade 1 Shadwell Mile on Oct. 5 at Keeneland and after his connections opted against training him up to the Breeders’ Cup Mile for fear or not getting into that field.

Lucullan, off 14 months from May 2018 to July 2019 due to a hind leg fracture, was coming off a decent race in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 14. He crossed the wire third, but was disqualified to fourth for interference with Raging Bull in the stretch.

In the Knickerbocker, Saez had Lucullan third, inside of Catholic Boy, while Dr. Edgar set the pace chased by Glorious Empire. Saez sat chilly while Castellano made his move into contention on Catholic Boy around the turn and Saez guided Lucullan to the outside.

Turning for home, Saez let Lucullan roll and he collared Dr. Edgar just above the sixteenth pole while holding Olympico at bay.

Lucullan, a 5-year-old son of Hard Spun owned by Godolphin Racing, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.87 and returned $5.10 as the 3-2 second choice, while going from 5-2 to 3-2 very late. He improved his record to 6-2-2 from 14 starts.

“I felt like he was traveling great and that’s the way he probably wants to run,” said winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, noting that Lucullan was probably too close to the pace in winning his first two starts this year before missing the break in the Woodbine Mile. “Today was perfect and he flew home.”

McLaughlin said he wouldn’t wheel Lucullan back in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Instead, he would look to possibly run him in the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Lauderdale at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 14 as a way to maybe get to the $7 million Pegasus Turf at Gulfstream next Jan. 25.