Chelsea Durand Photo

G1 Belmont Derby winner Catholic Boy works on main track as trainer Thomas eyes G1 Travers, G3 Saranac

by NYRA Press Office

• Wonder filly Wonder Gadot joins list of early probables for Travers; Mid-Summer Derby decision pending for G2 Jim Dandy runner-up Flameaway

• Voorheesville resident Bob Baron basks in afterglow of Promises Fullfilled's G3 Amsterdam victory

• ‘Quirky’ Vino Rosso still on target for G1 Travers after Jim Dandy effort

Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational winner Catholic Boy breezed four furlongs on the Saratoga Race Course main track on Sunday as trainer Jonathan Thomas mulls his options with the 3-year-old.

Working under exercise rider Tracy Price, Catholic Boy ran the opening quarter-mile in 23 4/5 seconds and wrapped up his move in 48 3/5. The breeze was Catholic Boy’s first since his victory in the Belmont Derby on July 7. He hadn’t worked on the dirt since May 19 in what was his second breeze following his fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in April.

“First and foremost, it looks like he came out of the Belmont Derby really well,” said Thomas, who conditions the More Than Ready colt for Robert LaPenta, Madaket Stables, Siena Farm, and Twin Creeks Racing Stables. “His energy level was good, but he was nice and relaxed and was moving really well. Solid eighths to the wire, and he wanted to really gallop out when Tracy reached up to grab him. He really jumped into the bridle and really looked full of himself. Purely a maintenance drill. We weren’t looking for anything fancy.”

Catholic Boy, winner of the Grade 2 Remsen on the dirt last November at Aqueduct Racetrack, most likely will make his next start in either the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on the main track August 25 or the Grade 3, $300,000 Saranac on the turf September 1.

“We wanted to keep the Travers in play and learn about his action over this track,” said Thomas. “We wanted to give him an opportunity. We’re not going to make a decision off one breeze. We want to have a body of work over it, and then make a determination. The timing into the Travers is very good, and the Saranac is a great backup because it’s a week later. We have always been of the mindset that he’ll tell us through his training where we are going. We have a circle around that seven-day span.”

The Belmont Derby was the first Grade 1 victory for both Catholic Boy and Thomas, a former assistant to Christophe Clement and Todd Pletcher. Catholic Boy was headed in the stretch by Analyze It before coming back to win by a nose in what was a virtual carbon copy of his victory in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge in June at Belmont.

“As a team, we were really proud to deliver a Grade 1 for the horse and for our clients," said Thomas. "He has always trained like a Grade 1-caliber horse. He’s a horse I bought as a yearling and we broke, so it was a real team effort. He’s a real house horse for us. There was a lot of satisfaction. The style of it added a little dramatic flair to both efforts. He’s acquired some fans. I’ve had a lot of people comment on how fun it was to watch him. That part has been cool.”

Wonder filly Wonder Gadot joins list of early probables for Travers; Mid-Summer Derby decision pending for G2 Jim Dandy runner-up Flameaway

Trainer Mark Casse reported that Flameaway emerged from his runner-up performance in Saturday’s Grade 2 Jim Dandy in good shape. Where Flameaway will be pointed next is yet to be determined, but the decision on whether the colt will start in the Grade 1 Travers will be made by his owner John Oxley as Casse has announced that Gary Barber’s Wonder Gadot is likely to likely to bypass the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama on August 18 in favor of facing males in the Mid-Summer Derby.

“In horse racing, nothing is ever 100 percent,” Casse said. “But I would tell you I'd bet it's about 90 percent [to run Wonder Gadot in the Travers]. We've talked about it. Gary always thinks out of the box, and a lot of it makes sense. One, if you look for the most part, I guess some of them did run a mile and a quarter in the Derby, but she's already got a mile and a quarter under her. She's got a mile and three sixteenths under her, and she gets five pounds. It's a big deal going a mile and a quarter, and I can tell you this, when they go over to the paddock on Travers Day, she may be the biggest horse in the race. She doesn't look like a filly. She’s a big, stout mare.”

Earlier this week, Casse announced that Wonder Gadot would skip the Breeders' Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, after two consecutive wins in the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales, and instead run in the Alabama.

The 3-year-old Medaglia d’Oro filly could become the eighth female to win the Travers since its inaugural running in 1864, and would be the first filly to run since Davona Dale in 1979.

The chance at history is exciting for Casse.

“Anybody that knows me, knows that I love horse racing and that it’s my entire life, and any time we can get excitement, it’s good for horse racing,” he said. “I think anything that gets people's attention is good for Saratoga and it’s good for the Travers. We just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope everything stays well. I think it spices it up a little because it's going to be males against a female. I'm sure she's going to have the ladies on her side.

“I think if you look at the numbers and everything, she's probably got as good a shot as anyone; again, we're going to have five pounds. The question is whether or not we’re going to have Johnny [Velazquez]. We threw this curveball at Johnny, and obviously they have the horse that ran third yesterday [Vino Rosso] in the Jim Dandy. We haven't talked to him about it. I know that will be tough. He rides so much for Todd, it may not even be about who he thinks is best, but where his loyalty lies.”

Casse said he always defers to the owners when he has multiple horses under consideration for the same race.

"I never ever, ever base my decisions on what some other horse is doing unless it’s owned by the same owner,” said Casse. “We may choose to go different paths but that will be up to Mr. Oxley. He'll ask my opinion and I'll tell him, but he'll ultimately make the final decision.

“A lot of people don't know, but Flameaway was supposed to go to the Prince of Wales. He's a Canadian-bred as well, but Mr. Oxley said, ‘I don't want to run against Wonder Gadot.’ He's seen her in action many times. I don't know. There’s only one Travers, so we may give it a try.”

Voorheesville resident Bob Baron basks in afterglow of Promises Fullfilled's G3 Amsterdam victory

For thoroughbred owner and Voorheesville, New York. resident Bob Baron, Saturday's Grade 3 Amsterdam fulfilled a dream. 

Baron's Promises Fulfilled tracked a fast pace and took over at the top of the stretch to win the 6 ½-furlong Amsterdam by 3 ¼ lengths and give the owner his first Saratoga stakes victory. 

“When you first get into horse racing and come to Saratoga you dream of having a horse win here,” said Baron, who was accompanied on Saturday by his wife, brother, sister, and two of his children. “I’ve had winners, but winning a stakes takes you to a whole other level. It was a lot of fun. We did our yelling and cheering, all of the stuff you are supposed to do. We went a little overboard, but we loved it.”

Baron, a native of Mohawk, New York, played quarterback at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, earning All-America honors his senior season and graduating with a degree in civil engineering. He was inducted into RPI’s athletics hall of fame in 1976. Baron currently owns construction and automobile dealership companies in the Albany area.

“Three things: It’s good to win a stakes, no matter what. It’s really good to win for a good friend. And it’s even better to win for a good friend in his backyard,” said trainer Dale Romans. “Bob checks all those boxes. Only somebody who grows up here can realize how special it is to win a race here. I think it really does makes a difference. They grow up always hearing about Saratoga, knowing how special the place is, how special it is to the Capital Region. To come here and win a race is big, and to win a stakes is even bigger.”

Promises Fulfilled clinched a spot in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby starting gate with a gate-to-wire victory the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in February at Gulfstream Park. He faded to ninth the Grade 1 Florida Derby in April and 15th in the Kentucky Derby in May, and Romans and Baron subsequently decided to focus on sprints with Promises Fulfilled. The colt entered the Amsterdam off a third in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens on June 9 at Belmont Park.

“We went to the Derby and after that Dale said, ‘Let’s cut back for the Woody Stephens at seven furlongs,’” said Baron. “He ran well in there. There were crazy fractions, but he still finished. He got some time off and put some weight on, and he looks good. It’s been a great journey. I’m happy for the horse because he’s such a neat horse. I think he got a little respect yesterday.”

Romans said Promises Fulfilled will now target the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds on August 25, Travers Day.

“The biggest problem we’ve had with him is keeping weight on him,” said Romans, who has now won at least one race at Saratoga for 26 consecutive years. “He’s a natural athlete. He came out of the race perfect, and we’re pointing for the Allen Jerkens.”

Promises Fulfilled could give Baron and his wife Deborah a belated wedding anniversary gift with a victory in the H. Allen Jerkens. The couple will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary August 18. Baron named the colt Promises Fulfilled last August in commemoration of their 44th anniversary.

“He proved he had another dimension, and I think he’ll do well going seven furlongs, but I think he’ll be able to go longer now that he can rate,” said Baron. “It will be interesting where we can go with them. Dale will make the calls and we’ll go from there.”

On the Sunday worktab for Romans was Coach Rocks, winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. Coach Rocks, second in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan and Grade 3 Delaware Oaks in her past two starts, breezed five furlongs on the main track in 1:00 2/5 under Tammy Fox as she trains for her upcoming engagement in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama on August 18.

“She looked good,” said Romans. “I think she’s ready to roll.”

‘Quirky’ Vino Rosso still on target for G1 Travers after G2 Jim Dandy effort

One day after Vino Rosso rallied to finish third in the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy, trainer Todd Pletcher said the Curlin colt remained on target for the Grade 1 Travers.

Vino Rosso was last of five through the opening half mile of the Jim Dandy. Under John Velazquez, the Grade 2 Wood Memorial winner saved ground and made a late bid in the stretch, with his Hall of Fame jockey using a left-handed whip as Vino Rosso finished a head back of runner-up Flameaway.

“He came out of it well,” Pletcher said at the Oklahoma training track Sunday morning. “He didn’t get quite as involved early on as we’d hoped, and he kind of regained his position going into the far turn and lost a little bit of that position. He was closing well at the end, we just need to keep him motivated in the turn a little better but overall, we were pleased with his effort. Hopefully, he’ll come back and train well for the Travers.”

After debuting a winner on November 11 at Aqueduct Racetrack, Vino Rosso wintered in Florida, where he ended his juvenile campaign with a win against optional claimers on December 22 at Tampa Bay Downs and finished third behind Catholic Boy and Flameaway in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis over the same track on February 10 in his 3-year-old bow.

Pletcher said Vino Rosso, owned by St. Elias Stable and Repole Stable, has habitually fallen off the pace before making a late push, a trend that continued when he improved from 18th through a half-mile to finish ninth in the Kentucky Derby on May 5.

“He’s a little quirky,” Pletcher said. “To me, the race yesterday reminded me of a couple of his races at Tampa where he kind of had decent position going into the far turn and lost it and came on again in the stretch. We’ll continue to work on it.”