CATHOLIC BOY’s Puerto Rican Grade 3 winner El Catolico was back in the winner’s circle on Thursday with a victory in the Copa 4 De Julio Stakes (PR-G1) going 1 3/16 miles.
Looking for his second straight victory and the fifth of his career, El Catolico raced wide down the stretch the first time when tracking the leader with a horse just to his inside. That horse kept the 3-year-old wide throughout the run, but his rider wasn’t concerned, sitting chilly on El Catolico and let him take off on his own.
Half-way around the turn, El Catolico had the lead and wasn’t asked for much in the stretch as he raced away to win by multiple lengths.
Trained by Keith Soto for Denian Stable, El Catolicohas won five of his nine starts and hasn’t finished off the board in his career. Those placings include a third in the Clasico Agustin Mercado Reveron Stakes (PR-G1) and Clasico Angel T. Cordero JR. Stakes (PR-G2).
He was bred by KatieRich Farms out of the stakes winning Parade of Roses. That mare is a half-sister to champion British Idiom and multiple stakes winner Royal Prince.
CATHOLIC BOY is the sire of six stakes performers this year, fifth best of all U.S. second crop sires.