LaPenta and Kumin Share Strong Belmont Derby Hand

There was a time when Robert LaPenta preferred to go it alone as an owner of Thoroughbreds.

Not anymore.

"I was not a big partnership guy and now half my horses are in partnerships," LaPenta said. "Your probability of success in getting a stakes winner with a horse you buy at a sale is maybe 5%. Partnerships are now the wave of the future."

A partnership is also the wave that will carry LaPenta and Sol Kumin into the $1.2 million Belmont Derby Invitational (G1T) July 7 with a powerful hand covering three of the nine contenders in the 1 1/4-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park.

The two friends are owners of graded turf stakes winners Catholic Boy and Hawkish, while Kumin owns a share of My Boy Jack, who was a turf stakes winner at 2 and a Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) starter at 3.

"They are three different types of horses and they each have a chance," said the 43-year-old Kumin, who also owns a share of a rather famous 3-year-old mega star in Triple Crown winner Justify. "You never know about the Europeans, but I think they fit with all the Americans and they all seem to be doing very well at the moment."

The grade 1 stakes looms as a rich and prestigious prize, with an expected field that includes three European invitees and a strong contingent of American runners with the Kumin/LaPenta horses among the leaders in the hometown pecking order. Aside from Analyze It, the beaten favorite in Belmont's Pennine Ridge (G3T), the Belmont Derby field includes Channel Cat, Hunting Horn, Kingstar, Encumbered, and Maraud.

"It's the marquee race for 3-year-old boys on the turf. It's a lot of money and a grade 1 at Belmont Park. I can't imagine a race carrying any more clout for that division," said Jonathan Thomas, who trains Catholic Boy. "I'm happy to have a horse who should be competitive in it."

A little more than a month ago, the undefeated Analyze It seemed a heavy favorite for the Belmont Derby until Catholic Boy handed him his first defeat through a neck victory in the Pennine Ridge. After Catholic Boy set the early pace in the 1 1/8-mile turf stakes, Analyze It surged past him in mid-stretch and the 1-5 favorite seemed to be en route to a fourth straight win. Then in the final furlong, jockey Javier Castellano checked Catholic Boy, moved him from the rail to outside of Analyze It, and prevailed in the final strides for the colt's fourth win in seven starts. 

"I've seen thousands of races and how often do you see a horse get checked like him in the stretch and still win the race?" LaPenta said.

Catholic Boy's remarkable manner of victory and resurgence in the final furlong has also inspired a strong dose of confidence in Kumin.

"I think Catholic Boy has a big chance and I wouldn't switch places with anyone," he said. "He has good spacing for this race and some nice time off before that last race. He's coming into the race in good form and will be really tough in there."

The Belmont Derby marks Catholic Boy's first start beyond a 1 1/8-miles, but Castellano is confident the Kentucky-bred will handle the added ground.

"I liked the way he ran (in the Pennine Ridge)," Castellano said. "He likes to fight. The way he ran last time, he can handle a mile-and-a-quarter. He doesn't have to be on the lead. He was there last time because there wasn't much speed. I give all the credit to Mr. Thomas. He told me how to ride the horse and it worked out great."

Owned by LaPenta, Kumin's Madaket Stables, Siena Farm, and Twin Creeks Racing Stable, Catholic Boy started his career on turf, winning a maiden race and the With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) before finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), just 1 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Mendelssohn.

After that, Thomas opted for one more start at 2. With an eye toward the Triple Crown, Thomas entered the son of More Than Ready  in the Remsen Stakes (G2) on dirt at Aqueduct Racetrack and was rewarded with a 4 3/4-length victory that stamped Catholic Boy as a serious Kentucky Derby candidate.

"He's a very versatile horse who can handle turf or dirt," Thomas said. "But he's also very genuine and has been very reliable for us every time we've put a bridle on him."

Bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding, Catholic Boy was second in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs in his 3-year-old debut. But then he bled in the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) and finished fourth, ending any thoughts of the Kentucky Derby.

"He runs well on dirt, no question about that," said the 72-year-old LaPenta, who owned Catholic Boy on his own until he brought in partners for the colt's 3-year-old season. "He was on his way to the Derby but he bled in the Florida Derby and that's why he didn't have a closing kick. We had to put him away and give him a lung treatment, and, knock on wood, he's been clean since then."

While Catholic Boy, who has earned $522,000, is making a switch from dirt-to-turf, if all goes well in the Belmont Derby, both LaPenta and Kumin can envision a return to the main track next month for the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 25.

"This race is beyond a grade 1. It will be a loaded field and you can only hope for the best, but Catholic Boy is a special animal. We'll see how he does and then maybe take one more shot on dirt in Travers," LaPenta said. "Even if Justify's there, it would not deter me from running."

Hawkish, on the other hand, has nothing but turf in his future. The Artie Schiller gelding trained by Jimmy Toner was last seen posting a convincing three-length victory in the Penn Mile Stakes (G2T) for LaPenta, Madaket Stables, and AJ Suited Racing Stable in his fourth start.

"Hawkish's last race was super impressive," Kumin said. "The question is if he can get a mile-and-a-quarter. I think he's an elite horse and Jimmy's done an unbelievable job with him. He deserves to be in the race and we'll see what happens in the stretch."

LaPenta bought a share of Hawkish from AJ Suited after the gelding rallied from seventh at the eighth pole to record a half-length victory in his career debut on Jan. 6 at Gulfstream Park. Kumin came aboard after Hawkish's fourth-place finish in the Palm Beach Stakes (G3T) in his next start. It was the lone loss in that quartet of starts for Hawkish, who has earned $359,700.

"The way Hawkish closed in his first race was frightening," LaPenta said. "There's no question he has a lot of ability. I'd love to see them run 1-2, but have Catholic Boy win."

My Boy Jack, a winner of three of 11 starts with earnings of $705,145, has followed a path similar to Catholic Boy. 

After finishing sixth in his career debut for Don't Tell My Wife Stables and Kumin's Monomoy Stables and trainer Keith Desormeaux, the $20,000 purchase at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale was shifted to turf where he went on to win the Zuma Beach Stakes and finished a wide seventh by three lengths in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

In spite of the newfound success on turf, Desormeaux was convinced My Boy Jack had a bright future on dirt as well.

"When we qualified for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, Keith wanted to cross enter in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) because he was training so well on the dirt. We felt there was a lot of opportunity to try dirt at three and we had a good chance in the Breeders' Cup, so we decided to wait," Kumin said.

That first dirt race at three was a third by 7 1/2 lengths in the Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park that was followed by a much more promising 4 1/2-length triumph in the Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park.

"When he ran on dirt in the Sham," Kumin said. "I thought he was better on turf. But Keith said, 'You can't tell from one race,' and he was dead right."

After a third in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) and a win by a head in the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3), the Creative Cause  colt bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones earned enough points to run in the Kentucky Derby, where he was bet down to a shockingly low 6-1 only to finish a troubled fifth.

"He ran a big race in the Derby. He wasn't going to catch the top two (Justify and Good Magic), but he might have been third if he wasn't checked," Kumin said.

After some initial thought about the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), My Boy Jack was re-rerouted back to the lawn, where Kumin expects an improved performance.

"My Boy Jack has some good turf races to fall back onto. In the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, he had the second-best speed figure in the race because he had an awful post (13) and a wide, wide, wide trip around the track," Kumin said. "If there's a good pace in front of him, he can close from the back as good on turf as he can on dirt. He has good spacing since the Kentucky Derby after doing a lot of running before it in a short period of time. He's a really cool horse. He's one of my favorite horses. He always shows up, he always tries, he's always in the picture."

Even if My Boy Jack wins the Belmont Derby, his stay on turf figures to be short-lived. Kumin says the plan for My Boy Jack is to use the Belmont Derby as a springboard to the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) and the Travers, if all goes well.

"Our plan has been to give him a nice break after the Derby, come back on the turf, which will be a little easier on the body, and if he's doing OK then go Haskell and then Travers," he said. "We'll let the horse tell us what to do."

While My Boy Jack will tackle two other horses owned by Kumin in the Belmont Derby, the Haskell could present a similar scenario, only with dramatically higher stakes. Trainer Bob Baffert is expected to give Justify his first workout since the Belmont Stakes this week and that could put the Triple Crown winner on a course for the Haskell as well.

"I think the Haskell is a real possibility for Justify," Kumin said. "Bob will take his time and make sure the horse is doing well and if he is, then Bob and (WinStar Farm CEO Elliott Walden) will get together and make the right decision. Obviously, we'll do what's right for the horse, but Bob has a great history with the Haskell (with eight wins). It's a logical spot if everything goes well."

Whether Justify and/or My Boy Jack and Catholic Boy run in the Haskell or the Travers, there's one thing for certain. As in the Belmont Derby, if LaPenta or Kumin run a horse in either race, they will not be alone in the owners' boxes.

You can count on them having a partner.

Entries: Belmont Derby Invitational S. (G1T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, July 07, 2018, Race 10

• Grade I
• 1 1/4m
• Inner turf
• $1,200,000
• 3 yo
• 6:50 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Channel Cat (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Todd A. Pletcher	30/1
2	2Encumbered (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	122	Simon Callaghan	30/1
3	3Analyze It (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Chad C. Brown	5/2
4	4Hunting Horn (IRE)	Ryan L. Moore	122	Aidan P. O'Brien	7/2
5	5Maraud (KY)	John R. Velazquez	122	Todd A. Pletcher	12/1
6	6Kingstar (FR)	Pierre-Charles Boudot	122	Pia Brandt	12/1
7	7Catholic Boy (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	Jonathan Thomas	4/1
8	8Hawkish (KY)	Manuel Franco	122	James J. Toner	7/2
9	9My Boy Jack (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	122	J. Keith Desormeaux	6/1