Catholic Boy, Glorious Empire Head Knickerbocker

Grade 1 winners Catholic Boy  and Glorious Empire headline a competitive field of eight for the $200,000 Knickerbocker Stakes (G2T) Oct. 14 at Belmont Park.

A dual grade 1 winner on dirt and turf as a sophomore, Catholic Boy arrives at the 1 1/8-mile feature for 3-year-olds and upward off a runner-up finish as the favorite in the July 6 Suburban Stakes (G2) at Big Sandy, 4 1/2 lengths back of Preservationist .

Owned by Robert LaPenta, Madaket Stables, Siena Farm, and Twin Creeks Racing Stables, the 4-year-old son of More Than Ready  has amassed over $2.1 million in earnings. He won his 2019 debut in the May 18 Dixie Stakes (G2T) on the Pimlico Race Course turf in his first start since finishing 13th in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs in November.

Unbeaten in two starts on the Belmont grass, Catholic Boy won the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T) and Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) last year. In both efforts, he commanded the pace and was passed at the top of the stretch by two-time graded stakes winner Analyze It but found a second wind and re-rallied for victory. Following the Belmont Derby, Catholic Boy won the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, earning a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Jonathan Thomas said the Knickerbocker will be used as a determining factor for Catholic Boy's potential Breeders' Cup start, which will be contested in three weeks at Santa Anita Park.

"We're happy with him at the moment. It seemed like a good opportunity to run looking right at us," Thomas said. "It's at home and he's run well here. We're just trying to get a gauge on him and see where we're at. If he runs well, it's a good platform into a possible Breeders' Cup start. It's a bit of a learning experience on where we're at with him at the moment, but we've been happy with his training. We're one step at a time, but it'll point to where to go."

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who piloted Fishy Advice to victory in the 2007 Knickerbocker and has been aboard Catholic Boy in his past six efforts, will guide him from post 7.

Matthew Schera's Glorious Empire will be seeking to make amends following a sixth-place finish as the favorite in the Sept. 21 Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) at Laurel Park, his first start since winning the Fort Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park in December.

Trained by Jim Lawrence ll, the 8-year-old Holy Roman Emperor gelding was a two-time graded stakes winner last summer at Saratoga, where he took the Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) in a dead heat with Channel Maker and the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) in wire-to-wire fashion.

"I hope he's the same horse he was last year," Lawrence said. "Going distances like a mile and an eighth, a mile and three-eighths, and a mile and a half are where he's at his best. A mile is a little too short for him. I was a little disappointed we went after the horse on the lead last time. He was on the lead at the seven-eighths and went 1:21 flat, which was nice to see. Since then, he's trained forwardly, eating well, and he looks good. It all comes down to pace, so we'll see how it sets up."

Glorious Empire led at every point of call in his three graded stakes wins, but Lawrence said the trip is up to jockey Edgar Prado, who piloted the Irish-bred to victory in the Fort Lauderdale as well as a Delaware Park allowance in June 2018.

"I'll leave that up to the Hall of Famer Edgar Prado. I wouldn't be surprised if he rode him the way he did at Delaware last year, which was not on the lead but just off it," Lawrence said.

Glorious Empire will break from post 2.

Godolphin's Lucullan, who finished third but was disqualified to fourth in the Sept. 14 Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) last out, will go after his first graded stakes win for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

The homebred son of Hard Spun  won the Fasig-Tipton Lure Stakes at Saratoga two starts back after notching an allowance victory on the Belmont inner turf coming off a 14-month layoff. A three-time winner in five starts on the Belmont lawn, Lucullan placed in both his graded stakes efforts at Belmont, finishing second to Yoshida in the Hill Prince Stakes (G3T) in 2017 and third the following year behind subsequent grade 1 winners Robert Bruce and Spring Quality in the Fort Marcy Stakes (G3T).

Luis Saez retains the mount from post 3.

Entries: Knickerbocker S. (G2T)

Belmont Park, Monday, October 14, 2019, Race 8

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Inner turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:11 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dr. Edgar (KY)	Dylan Davis	124	Barclay Tagg	10/1
2	2Glorious Empire (IRE)	Edgar S. Prado	122	James L. Lawrence, II	9/2
3	3Lucullan (KY)	Luis Saez	120	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	5/2
4	4Argonne (KY)	Junior Alvarado	118	H. James Bond	20/1
5	5Olympico (FR)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	124	Chad C. Brown	8/1
6	6Cullum Road (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Michael J. Maker	15/1
7	7Catholic Boy (KY)	Javier Castellano	124	Jonathan Thomas	7/5
8	8Noble Indy (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Todd A. Pletcher	12/1