More Than Ready got his second Saratoga stakes winner in three days on Aug. 30 when the 2-year-old colt Catholic Boy took the $150,000 With Anticipation S. (G3) by a length over Irish Territory (IRE).
The win marked a pair of firsts: it was the first stakes win for the bay colt and was also the first stakes win for his trainer Jonathan Thomas. Catholic Boy is More Than Ready’s 79th lifetime graded stakes winner, and one of his 9 black type winners this year.
Catholic Boy, who broke his maiden in his debut on the Gulfstream Park turf on July 20, got an inside trip under Manny Franco most of the way. He sat in sixth for the first six furlongs, but had a wall of horses in front of him at the top of the stretch.
Franco had no choice to go outside, going four-wide, then emerging from between horses in the final furlong to finish with a flourish in 1:40.94 for the 1 1/16-miles on the firm turf.
“I thought our draw was super beneficial. We were able to save ground,” said Thomas. “I thought Manny gave him a great ground-saving trip. I was hoping we could get up on the inside, but he had to tip out, and I thought Manny did everything great.
“He’s screaming for distance. I’m impressed with him knowing he didn’t get the cleanest trip and he negotiated some pockets and holes and overcame it. Obviously, the goal would be to get to the Breeders’ Cup (G1 Juvenile Turf, Nov. 3 at Del Mar) from here with possible start in the Pilgrim (G3, Sept. 30 at Belmont Park) in between, but we’ll see.”
Catholic Boy has earned $114,000 in his two wins for owner Robert LaPenta. He was bred in Kentucky by Fred Hentrich III and John Fielding.
