A rough start and long odds did not deter Catholic Boy in Wednesday’s $150,000 With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga. The unbeaten juvenile colt by More Than Ready fought gamely to win his first Graded stakes going away in his second start, becoming his sire’s 79th Graded/Group winner and 175th black-type winner [watch race].
After being bumped and pinched at the start, jockey Manny Franco settled the 12-1 shot mid-pack on the rail going into the first turn, where he remained until the turn for home. He ran into more traffic trouble at the top of the stretch, but Franco kept his cool until a gap opened. Franco guided the colt from the rail to the three path, and, from there, Catholic Boy did the rest, challenging the leader and pulling away strongly to win the race by a length.
Catholic Boy, who gave his trainer Jonathan Thomas the first stakes victory of his career, will be pointed for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) as the year-end goal.
Bred in Kentucky by Fred Hertrich lll & John Fielding, Catholic Boy is the third foal out of Bernardini mare Song of Bernadette. The promising bay colt was RNA’d for $170,000 as a short yearling at the Keeneland January 2016 sale. Catholic Boy’s half-brother by Super Saver will be offered at the Keeneland September sale as Hip 2656 from the Taylor Made Sales consignment.
With the win, Fred Hertrich lll & John Fielding earned $20,000 in WinStar Incentive Network (WIN) awards, which they will be eligible to use towards WinStar stallion seasons in 2018.
