Trainer Jonathan Thomas wanted to see how Catholic Boy handled the Churchill Down surface as well as give him a stamina enhancing work two weeks out from the Breeders' Cup Classic and it was thumbs up all around after the Travers winner breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:02.41 under the lights early Sunday morning.

After joining the 5,000 win club Saturday at Belmont Park, Javier Castellano hopped a plane and flew to Louisville later that evening to be on hand when the racetrack opened for training at 5:30 a.m. to guide Catholic Boy through the important work.  Catholic Boy cruised a very easy opening three-eighths in 13.31, 26.23 and 38.36 before finishing with nice energy once settling into the stretch, finishing without urging before punctuating the move with a terrific gallop out, six furlongs in 1:15.23, seven eighths in 1:28 and up a mile in 1:42.20. 

Thomas was all smiles immediately afterwards, having watched the work from the clocker's stand on the fourth floor of the Churchill Downs clubhouse.

"I felt two weeks out, we wanted him to get a good feel for the racetrack, break off kindly then pick up the work incrementally and I thought he came home really well to the wire and then showed a lot of energy galloping out," said Thomas. "I liked the fact that he galloped out so strongly and it still took [Castellano] a little time to finally get him pulled up down the backside. It looked like he was moving well. Historically he's handled every surface we've thrown at him and we're hoping this won't be different but we wanted to get him here early and let him breeze twice here so he could get the opportunity to learn it himself, and this was very good this morning."

Thomas said he'd likely bring Catholic Boy back for an easy half-mile breeze under the twin spires next Sunday.