SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Catholic Boy pulled away from Mendelssohn down the stretch and won the $1.25 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday.
Catholic Boy and Mendelssohn, with Ryan Moore aboard, were at the front of the 10-horse field heading at the top of the stretch before jockey Javier Castellano put Catholic Boy in the lead, and he pulled away to win by four lengths. It was Castellano’s sixth win in the Travers, extending his record.
Catholic Boy covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2 minutes, 1.94 seconds and paid $16.20, $8.20 and $5.80.
Last in the Kentucky Derby after being the second choice, Mendelssohn acquitted himself well after finishing third in the Grade 3 Dwyer in July and paid $12.00 and $8.70. Bravazo finished third and returned $6.60.
King Zachary was next, followed by Vino Rosso, Trigger Warning and Tenfold. Gronkowski, the second choice, and Good Magic, who went off as the favorite, finished eighth and ninth for trainer Chad Brown, who was seeking his first victory in the Midsummer Derby. Only six favorites have won the Travers since the turn of this century.
Wonder Gadot, the first filly entered in the Travers since Davona Dale finished fourth as the favorite in 1979, finished last on a track labeled as fast and firm on a picture-perfect late-summer day.
Meistermind, a 30-1 long shot trained by Steve Asmussen, was scratched earlier Saturday. Meistermind was slated to go from post position 6 in his stakes debut with jockey Manny Franco.