Suburban up next for Catholic Boy

ELMONT, N.Y. – Following a successful return to the races in Saturday’s Grade 2 Dixie Stakes on turf at Pimlico, Catholic Boy will return to the dirt for his next start in the Grade 2, $700,000 Suburban Stakes at Belmont Park on July 6, trainer Jonathan Thomas said Monday.

Thomas said the Dixie fit nicely as a comeback race because it was six weeks out from the Suburban and turf can sometimes be a kinder surface to bring a horse back on. At age 3, Catholic Boy won back-to-back Grade 1’s, taking the Belmont Derby on turf and then the Travers Stakes on dirt. At 2, Catholic Boy won the Grade 2 Remsen on dirt after finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

“It was an honestly run race from start to finish. He showed good tactical speed that we’re definitely going to need as we go forward on the dirt,” Thomas said. “With a good tightener under his belt, that should springboard him fitness-wise to races down the road.

“We can only lean on the history, and historically it’s worked very well for him going from turf to dirt,” Thomas added.

Meanwhile, Diversify, last year’s Whitney winner, had his second workout for Thomas, going a half-mile in 51.59 seconds by himself Sunday over the Belmont Park training track.

Thomas has not picked out a return spot for Diversify, who has not run since finishing fifth in last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup.