Back to work for Catholic Boy

Catholic Boy, one of the more highly regarded prospects for the 144th Kentucky Derby, was sent through his first breeze of the year last weekend as trainer Jonathan Thomas begins pointing the colt to his 3-year-old debut in the Feb. 10 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Catholic Boy went an easy half-mile in 49.20 seconds Friday at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Fla., in his first serious move since the colt won the Grade 2 Remsen by 4 3/4 lengths Dec. 2 at Aqueduct.

“Off a short break, it was exactly what I wanted to see,” said Thomas, whose main winter base is at Bridlewood. “He’s moving well and he did it within himself. We gave him a little bit of down time here after the Remsen with a bit of light training. We just tried to replenish him after his run in New York and all his traveling. He’s put on some weight and filled out and really looks good.”

Catholic Boy, a More Than Ready colt owned by Robert LaPenta, raced three times on turf before trying dirt for the first time in the Remsen. It was the kind of breakout effort to make anyone start dreaming about the Derby, although his tenure as an assistant under Todd Pletcher finds Thomas being very realistic.

“We definitely are excited, but I’m also very pragmatic,” Thomas said. “The colt is healthy and he’s done well, which obviously are the important things. The beauty of working for Todd is you maybe let yourself think about races down the road, but in the end, you take everything one day at a time.”

Thomas has the following schedule in mind prior to the 1 1/16-mile Sam Davis – a second breeze at Bridlewood this weekend, a trip to Tampa on the weekend of Jan. 27-28 for a breeze over the track as well as schooling sessions in the gate and paddock, and a Feb. 3 breeze at Bridlewood.

The Grade 3, $250,000 Sam Davis, a Kentucky Derby points event, is among the first group of graded stakes of the 2017-18 Tampa meet, along with the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes and Grade 3 Endeavour on the Feb. 10 card.

Stakes fields taking shape

Fields are taking shape for the three stakes that comprise the Skyway Festival Day program Saturday at Tampa. The $125,000 Pasco Stakes, which usually produces a starter for two for the Sam F. Davis Stakes, is expected to have at least three stakes winners in its lineup of 3-year-olds – He Hate Me, Driven by History, and Awaken.

The Pasco will be run at seven furlongs, as will its sister race, the $125,000 Gasparilla for 3-year-old fillies. Among the likely starters for the Gasparilla are Almond Roca, a romping winner of the Sandpiper last month for Graham Motion, along with Homemade Salsa and Barrier Island.

The third stakes, the $50,000 Wayward Lass, will have Tapa Tapa Tapa as the likely favorite among filly and mare routers.

Saturday entries will be taken and drawn Wednesday.

Another triple for Gallardo

Leading jockey Antonio Gallardo won three races Sunday at Tampa Bay Downs, marking the sixth time in the last 11 racing days the 30-yearold Spaniard has racked up a three-bagger.

Gallardo, who dominated the Tampa jockey colony for three straight years before opting to ride in New York last winter, is back in a familiar spot atop the 2017-18 meet standings. Into Wednesday, he topped all riders in starts (154), wins (35), and mount earnings ($544,750).

◗ Two turf routes highlight a 10-race Wednesday card, with race 3 being a $22,500 first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and race 7 a $23,000 starter allowance for older horses. First post is the usual 12:25 p.m. Eastern.