6th-KEE, $120K, OC 80k/N2X, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 3:40 p.m.
Gary and Mary West's homebred PUNCHBOWL (Uncle Mo) opened her career with a pair of wins at Oaklawn Park this winter and put her name in the mix for the GI Kentucky Oaks with a runner-up effort in the GI Ashland S. She has not been seen since that Apr. 7 race over this same track and distance and returns here as the 4-5 morning-line favorite. The Wests will also have fellow Brad Cox trainee Insignia (Curlin) in the race. The 4-year-old filly, a daughter of multiple graded placed Keep the Peace (Touch Gold), has hit the board in all five of her races to date. TJCIS PPS

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Kelsey Danner's family has been a fixture on the racetrack for generations, so the horsewoman always knew she would dedicate her life to the industry. She started off working for her father Mark Danner, a trainer on the Kentucky circuit and at Oaklawn Park for nearly three decades, and later got experience working for D. Wayne Lukas, Ian Wilkes and Carl Nafzger. She then spent five years as an assistant for Wayne Catalano.

After 12 years of working as an assistant, Danner made the decision to go out on her own in 2017. She only had 73 starts in her first two years, but got the ball rolling with 19 wins in 2019. Two years later, she surged past her first million-dollar mark with over $1.3 million in earnings, plus 36 wins, and then one-upped herself last year when she surpassed $2 million in earnings.

Danner is based at Palm Meadows in the winter, but travels throughout the year from Gulfstream to the Kentucky circuit, Colonial Downs, and more. With 45 horses under her care, Danner's highest earner is gearing up for her 3-year-old season. NBS Stable and Elements Racing's Danse Macabre (Army Mule) got her first stakes win at Kentucky Downs last summer and was third in the GIII Matron S. in her last start.

What has been the key to your stable's growth since you first opened?

My last few years have definitely been my best years. I'm a bit more content with where I'm at as far as the clientele and the horses I have. For the last three years, I got to have some nicer, young stock and they're still in my barn now, so it has been nice to watch them develop and I've gotten to win a few stakes races.

What do you think makes your training style unique?

I think a lot of my focus is on exercise riders. I have some really good riders and we do things a little bit different in the morning. We will do breezing with groups of four and five horses so that they will get hit with dirt. We spend a lot of time on their backs. Our sets take a little bit longer. We do less sets but for a longer period of time.

Little Linda checking up on Doo Wop Don this morning. pic.twitter.com/XKYKeJacbG

— KD (@kelseyjdanner) December 2, 2022

What has been the biggest thing you have learned since going out on your own?

Some of this I already knew because not only was I an assistant for years, but I was also the daughter of a trainer. I would say the biggest challenge initially is getting horses, and the second part is maintaining your expenses and your payroll. You need to make sure that you don't spend more than what you're bringing in.

Another important thing is having good-paying clients. They're without a doubt the most important aspect of it and you learn that the hard way.

Do you think most trainers' success is defined by their ability to train or by the quality of the horses they receive?

I would say it's about the quality of the horse. You have to have the stock. It's kind of a chicken-or-the-egg thing. The quality of the horse is pretty much the factor in everyone's success, whether it is owners or trainers.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone going out on their own this year, what would it be?

(Laughs) Don't do it.

I guess it would be to have the experience before you do it. I think right now, with how the racing offices are struggling for entries to fill, be prepared with as much experience as you can get beforehand and make sure you have a decent-sized bank account.

I think a lot of times, you see with young trainers that they were only an assistant for maybe one trainer and only for a few years.

Training requires a lot of experience. There are things that can't be taught. There's not a book on how to train horses. I think that the more experience you have before going out on your own, the better your chance of having mentors. New trainers need people you can call up and ask advice. By building relationships with people that you've worked for previously, that's how you do it.

What is something that you think this incoming generation of trainers does better than the generations before them?

Probably embracing the digital age as far as communication with clients. Clients are more likely to receive videos, pictures, and text messages. I feel like when I was younger, a lot of owners lived near their horses and they would come out to the track more often. I think that now, technology is what the younger generation does more.

Last fall you became a member of HISA's Horsemen's Advisory Group. Why was that something that you wanted to be a part of?

I think that our industry is in the middle of a big change, hopefully for the better. It remains to be seen which way this is going to go, but I thought I would like to at least be part of what the change is going to be so that I could understand it a little bit more and maybe offer some advice or opinion.

Obviously racing need changes. Hopefully HISA is the organization that will help us have more uniform rules and things like that. It's easy to knock it or to sit back and say that it won't work. But I think that without change, we probably won't make it. And it takes the whole industry to get there. So we do need change and I would like to be a part of it. The industry is my career and my livelihood and I hope it lasts for many years to come.

Who is your favorite horse that you've ever had in your stable?

I would have to go with Gladys (Medaglia d'Oro). She was a full-sister to Rachel Alexandra. She was very spirited and had a neat personality.

Is there an up-and-coming horse in your barn that we should know about?

I have a couple nice young horses. Danse Macabre (Army Mule), who won a stake at Kentucky Downs last year, is getting ready to get back next month. Dunedin (Munnings), who finished fifth but only got beat by a neck in the GIII Futurity S., comes back next month too.

Ainsworth Untapable S. winner Danse Macabre is preparing for her 3-year-old debut | Coady

What is your favorite restaurant to go to after a big win?

I like the little Thai joint by Gulfstream.

If you aren't at the track, what can you be found doing?

Right now I'm in the middle of remodeling my house.

If one change was made to racing that would make your life easier, what would it be?

Probably if they got rid of statistics in the racing form. I do think it hurts the industry a little bit because you're more likely to not help the racing office fill races because you're worried about your statistics.

Carl Nafzger used to say that you needed to give a horse five races until you knew what the horse was. One going short, one going long, one on the slop, one from behind, etc.

What is your biggest hot take? It can be racing-related or completely random.

Winning first time out isn't everything. I think it can sometimes damage a horse. There's a lot of pressure that if a horse doesn't win first time out, they're not a very good horse because everyone is worried about percentages.

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Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Wayne Catalano, Aloha West was also second in last year's GII Stoll Keenon Phoenix S. and third in this year's GI Churchill Downs S. He retires with six wins from 13 starts and earnings of $1,507,290.

“This horse has the potential to be a great stallion as he had two key ingredients, speed and heart. And he is beautiful,” said Catalano.

Aloha West will be available for inspection starting Monday and every day of the Keeneland November sale at 2 p.m.

“This past week we have been syndicating Aloha West and have a foundation group of breeders participating,” said Mill Ridge Farm general manager Price Bell. “He is an exciting stallion prospect to join Oscar Performance as he has speed, pedigree blend, great looks and good price point. Eclipse is a terrific partner, and we look forward to the future for Aloha West and his stallion career. He will reside in the stall of his maternal grandsire, Gone West.”

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“100% [I thought he would turn in a winning performance],” said winning trainer Wayne Catalano. “The way the horse was training, I thought we were going to win the race. Obviously, it's horse racing and anything can happen, but I go in thinking we can win. The horses feel it. Everything went like I planned. Today we had pace and everything came together like it should. When you make a plan and everything comes together, it's a great time.”

The Bourbon victory awarded Andthewinneris an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

“He was born on my farm,” said owner/breeder Susan Moulton, who was winning her second graded race of the young Keeneland meet following Manny Wah's victory in the G2 Stoll Kennon Ogden Phoenix S. Friday. “I just bought my farm four years ago. Got my farm manager here, my husband [Shane Sellers], my trainer. We're so happy. What a beautiful race. And I'm still proud of 'Manny' from Friday.”

Andthewinneris became the first winner for his freshman sire Oscar Performance (by Kitten's Joy) when he captured his 5 1/2-furlong debut over the Keeneland lawn in April. Trying the main track in his next start, he was a well-beaten third behind Gulfport in the July 4 Bashford Manor S. Back on the turf and stretching out to 1 1/16 miles, he was outkicked when third as the favorite in the Aug. 31 GIII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga last time out.

Pedigree Notes:

A four-time Grade I winner, Oscar Performance now has 11 first-crop winners. With Deer District's runner-up effort, the stallion has three graded-placed runners, in addition to his graded winner Andthewinneris. His daughter G Laurie was third in the GI Natalma S. and his son Lachaise was third in the GIII Pilgrim S.

Acquired by Moulton for $30,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale, Run Like the Boss, in foal to Cupid, sold for $20,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale. Her now yearling colt by Enticed sold at that same sale for $42,000. The mare produced a filly by Cupid this spring and was bred back to Raging Bull (Fr).

Andthewinneris's third dam, Santona, produced 2003 GIII Pennsylvania Derby winner Grand Hombre (Grand Slam).

Sunday, Keeneland
CASTLE & KEY BOURBON S.-GII, $348,125, Keeneland, 10-9, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.27, fm.
1–ANDTHEWINNERIS, 118, c, 2, by Oscar Performance
               1st Dam: Run Like the Boss, by Scat Daddy
               2nd Dam: Seekitana, by Unbridled's Song
               3rd Dam: Santona (Chi), by Winning
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($67,000
RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP). O/B-Susan Moulton (KY); T-Wayne M.
Catalano; J-Flavien Prat. $198,013. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-2,
$282,243. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Deer District, 118, c, 2, Oscar Performance–Eagle Sound,
by Fusaichi Pegasus. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($140,000
Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Bakster Farm LLC; B-Springhouse Farm,
Vision TBs, Bruce Pieratt & Patricia Pieratt (KY); T-Dale L.
Romans. $63,875.
3–Really Good, 118, c, 2, Hard Spun–Means Well, by Smart
Strike. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($130,000 RNA Ylg '21
KEESEP; $125,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Paradise Farms Corp.,
David Staudacher, & Jason Ash; B-Colts Neck Stables LLC
(KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $31,938.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3/4, HF. Odds: 4.09, 5.28, 7.25.
Also Ran: Rarified Flair, Our Dream Rye'd, Boppy O, Reckoning Force, Accident, B Minor, Gigante, Panama (GB), Hendrickson. Scratched: General Jim, Mendel's Secret, Oscar Award, Zaici.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), who defeated GI Preakness S. hopeful Early Voting (Gun Runner) in the GII Wood Memorial S. Apr. 9 ahead of a closing fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby May 7, breezed a half-mile in the company of his GI Central Bank Ashland S.-winning stable companion Nest (Curlin) in :50.02. Owned by Donegal Racing and Repole Stable, Mo Donegal is pointing for the GI Belmont S. June 11, while Nest is under consideration for a start against the boys in the 'Test of the Champion.' Nest's sire was famously defeated by the Pletcher-trained Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) in the 2007 Belmont.

“It was a good maintenance breeze,” said Pletcher's New York-based assistant Byron Hughes. “They both were moving well and galloped out well. They were on even terms throughout and we were happy with the breeze.”

'TDN Rising Star' Wit (Practical Joke) went five furlongs in the company of fellow 'Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) in 1:01.58 Friday morning. Wit most recently returned from a six-month break to take out the GII Bay Shore S. by a nose Apr. 9 and will remain at the seven-furlong distance for the GI Woody Stephens S. on Belmont S. day. Malathaat also made a victorious return to action in Keeneland's GIII Baird Doubledogdare S. Apr. 22, besting Friday's GII DuPont Distaff romper Super Quick (Super Saver), and faces a mouthwatering matchup with champion Letruska (Super Saver) in the GI Ogden Phipps S. the same afternoon.

“Both are good breeze horses and made a good matchup,” Hughes said. “They went head-and-head throughout in 1:01 and change and had a good, solid gallop out.”

Highland Chief On to Manhattan…

Highland Chief (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who caused a 19-1 upset in the May 14 GI Man o' War S., is likely to make his next appearance on the Belmont S. undercard in the GI Manhattan S.

“I think we'll point to the Manhattan if he's doing well,” trainer Graham Motion said. “The timing is right and I don't have a concern whatsoever about the mile and a quarter for him. I think he's pretty tactical and I think we're certainly going to keep him over here and not consider taking him over to England anytime soon. It had been mentioned to me before the race, but after we all got together, I think we'll keep him for an American campaign.

BC Champ Possible for Met…

Trainer Wayne Catalano has told the NYRA racing office that his GI Breeders' Cup Sprint hero Aloha West (Hard Spun) could make the trip to the Big Apple for the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. June 11. The Maryland-bred 5-year-old made his seasonal debut in the GI Churchill Downs S. May 7, finishing third behind Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) and Reinvestment Risk (Upstart).

“He went on the dead rail and got pushed a little early,” Catalano said. “It was a tough race. The only horse that went up the rail the last eighth of the mile was the Derby winner [Rich Strike]. From what I saw, everyone else was on the middle of the racetrack.”

The Met is also likely to attract undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) and GI Carter H. hero Speaker's Corner (Street Sense).

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At 15, the New Orleans, La., native first stepped onto the Fair Grounds racetrack and into the barn of Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg. At 18, he began riding and eventually became a jockey, a job he'd hold for almost 10 years winning 1,792 races.

At 27, plagued by knee issues, he struck out on his own and began training and 38 years later he's still at it. From the countless horses that have passed through his hands he can claim three Eclipse Award-winning champions in Dreaming of Anna, Stephanie's Kitten, and She Be Wild.

“I did not grow up around horses. I was never one of those guys that tell you how they were sat on a horse when they were two and grew up that way,” said Catalano. “I grew up in New Orleans, so I came really late to the game but I had a great opportunity because I started with Jack Van Berg. He was one of the greatest trainers and greatest teachers in the business. He taught horsemanship and hard work and those two ingredients will get you a long way in this business.”

Having banked more than $72 million in career purse earnings, Catalano has no intentions of ramping down. The number that would mean the most to him now would be 3,000—the number of victories he needs to join a class of trainers to have risen to the challenge.

“I have 2,937 wins at the moment,” said Catalano. “We're not too far away considering that there are only maybe 36 trainers in the country who have 3,000-plus wins. We're not slowing down yet; we've still got a lot of life left in us.”

Sixty-three wins, while daunting, seem within the horseman's grasp. Now 65, he's been on a bit of roll in 2021, hitting the board in 95 of his 223 starts to date, 42 of those being wins. For the first time in 10 years, Catalano returned to the winner's circle on the biggest stage in Thoroughbred racing when his 4-year-old colt Aloha West claimed the title in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov. 6 at Del Mar. While the Hard Spun colt only began racing in February, he's proved himself to be a credible runner with plenty of potential to keep the momentum going as an older horse.

“It was really, really nice,” said Catalano of the Breeders' Cup win. “He (Aloha West) is a playful little boy but he's a good boy. He's a nice little horse. He gets a little excited sometimes but he's started to settle down. He's maturing and he's become a good racehorse.”

“We won the trainer's title at Churchill Downs and Kentucky Downs,” said Catalano. “I think we hold the record at Kentucky Downs of 15 wins in five days. We won over 100 races at Churchill, so we have done well.”

These days Aloha West is one of only about 20 horses in Catalano's barn, 12 or so of which are actively racing. He supplements his barn with horses he breeds and races from his own program in Illinois, raising small crops from a band of four mares with the help of his wife Renee.

“We've won a bunch of races with homebreds. They might not have been big races but just to breed a winner is hard enough,” said Catalano. “For more than 30 years we've been living on our farm. We've had a lot of winners and a lot of fun. My wife loves it and she gets to raise the babies in the backyard. It's great. We have three or four mares and we breed to small stallions. We enjoy it and to raise babies and then watch them win is the most incredible feeling.”

Lately, things have been in an ever-changing state for the Illinois resident. After nearly a century, Arlington Park has been closed to the public. The last race on the historic track was run in late September of 2021, and the Chicago Bears signed an agree to purchase the track the same month. Catalano said the general upheaval that the closure has caused in the industry is yet another sign of change in the industry, one that makes life a little bit harder on the horsemen.

“The game is not the same. It's just not the same as it used to be,” said Catalano. “A lot of racetracks are closing. If you're not established, it's even harder. In Chicago when we were there we had the horses and the clientele and it went well. Then they took that away and I got relocated to Kentucky.

“The foal crop and the horses are also light. The crops are so much smaller. There used to be 40,000 or 50,000 horses and now I think it's closer to 20,000. You can see that all the fields are light no matter the money they're giving away. It's also a deal that now the way the industry is today, it's taken a lot of fun out of the game. We used to have a lot of fun. We would gather up before and after the races and have fun. Of course, that being said, when you win the Breeders' Cup, it's always fun. Those are the moments you're there for and you hang on for.”

While his barn might have a smaller roster than his competitors, Catalano is not wanting for talent in his quest for 3,000 wins. At the moment, his most recent Breeders' Cup star Aloha West is taking time off ahead of 2022 campaign that is being mapped out by his owner, Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

“He [Aloha West] will take a couple months off, get ready for another campaign and we'll try to win the Breeders' Cup again,” said Catalano.

Also conditioned by Catalano is Manny Wah, a stakes-winning son of Will Take Charge who ran fifth in last year's Breeder's Cup Sprint.

“Manny Wah probably should have won the Breeders' Cup last year, but we're hoping he can win it this year,” said Catalano. “We can't wait to get him back on the turf. We also have a couple young ones coming.”

A personal triumph for Catalano is the up-and-coming Big Dreaming (by Declaration of War), who holds spot in the trainer's hear as the last foal out of Dreaming of Anna.

“He's a big, good-looking, good-running horse,” said Catalano. “She [Dreaming of Anna] passed away so he's the last baby and he's a good one. [Owner/breeder] Frank Calabrese was very nice to let me have the last baby out of her because we don't really train for him at the moment. He promised me the baby and we've done very well so far. He's a good horse and we're looking at big races going forward.

With a new year on the horizon and plenty of days on the racing calendar ahead, Catalano remains hopeful he'll add the elusive 3,000^th win to his résumé. Numbers aside, the lifelong horseman knows the real joy lies in just enjoying the ride.

“It'll be a little bit but we'll get there,” said Catalano. “We have been on a little run there. We've won seven races out of the last 19 and one was a Breeders' Cup. So I hope that roll continues.

“We've developed a lot of horses. I've been very fortunate to have had opportunities that I took advantage of and been able to race some really nice horses.”

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Aron Wellman, managing partner of the syndicate, said multiple graded stakes winner Independence Hall is confirmed for the final Grade 1 race at NYRA for the calendar year in his last start before going to stud.

Wellman added that Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West could also run in the Cigar Mile in pursuit of an Eclipse Award for Champion Sprinter.

“Independence Hall is definite pending his next work at Churchill,” Wellman said. “The Cigar Mile is under consideration for Aloha West, but no decisions have been made.”

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Independence Hall registered a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure last out when going gate-to-wire in the Grade 2 Fayette on October 30 over a sloppy and sealed Keeneland main track.

Owned in partnership with Twin Creeks Racing Stables, WinStar Farm, Kathleen Verratti and Robert Verratti, the son of Constitution is 2-for-2 at a one-turn mile at Aqueduct when romping to a 12 ¼-length victory in the Grade 3 Nashua in November 2019 followed by a four-length score in the Jerome on New Year's Day 2020.

Aloha West, a two-time winner at Saratoga this summer, returned to the work tab on Wednesday morning for trainer Wayne Catalano, recording a half-mile move in 49.40 over the Fair Grounds Race Course main track.

“We wanted to put the Cigar Mile in play, which is why we breezed Wednesday, but we're monitoring him closely ahead of the race,” Wellman said. “That workout was designed to try to get a gauge on if we should pursue the race or not.”

A victory would make Aloha West the first horse to capture both the Breeders' Cup Sprint and Cigar Mile. Prior to his last out coup, which saw a 100 Beyer, the Maryland-bred son of Hard Spun was second beaten a neck in the Grade 2 Phoenix on October 8 at Keeneland.

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“After 50 years of doing this, we're a bit light on horses and we don't see as much action as we used to, so to win a race like this, it's the pinnacle of my career,” said the 65-year-old, who appeared visibly moved during the post-race interview. “Given the limited opportunities that we have right now, this ranks as one of the best.”

Following Aloha West's thrilling Sprint victory, the press was quick to point out that the New Orleans native, already a three-time Breeders' Cup-winning trainer, was collecting his fourth title at the Championships. Trumpeting his prior wins with 2006 and 2009 GI Juvenile Fillies scorers Dreaming of Anna (Rahy) and She Be Wild (Offlee Wild)–both subsequent Eclipse Award champions–in addition to 2011 GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Stephanie's Kitten (Kitten's Joy), it was as if the years since had passed unmolested. But in fact, they hadn't.

Catalano enjoyed banner seasons in 2013 and 2014, highlighted by Grade I winners Stephanie's Kitten and Room Service (More Than Ready), in addition to GSWs Imposing Grace (Empire Maker), Title Contender (Pulpit), Solitary Ranger (U S Ranger), I'm Already Sexy (Ready's Image), Poker Player (Harlan's Holiday), Aurelia's Belle (Lemon Drop Kid) and West Coast Belle (Tapit). The business continued to hum along into the summer of 2014, but with just days to go to his 58th birthday, the horseman came down with acute respiratory distress syndrome after contracting Asian Avian Influenza A, which precipitated an epic battle with pneumonia. After spending 22 days in Saint Alexius Medical Center's intensive care, of which nine days were spent under an induced coma, he was finally released to go home.

“Fortunately, I had really great help at that time,” he recalled. “And the horses were really running well. During that time, I won my 1000th race at Arlington and the 2,500th race in my career. The barn was just rolling.”

According to Catalano, during his stint in the hospital, a friend and fellow horseman took to saying, “'Look this guy is in a coma and he's still kicking our ass!'”

For many, the frightening episode might have proven life-altering, however, Catalano admits that his 'coming to Jesus' moment never really materialized.

“It didn't affect the size of my operation, but you know, it should have,” he said. “Because I really thought I was going to cut down after that.”

He added with a laugh, “Any thoughts about cutting back to one division went away in about one week. I went back to the same thing. It didn't stop me. I just kept going.”

Winning connections after Aloha West's Sprint win | Horsephotos

Building on Bedrock

Catalano received his earliest racetrack education under the guidance of legendary horseman and Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg. He had spent much of his youth around horses, thanks to the influence of his 2 1/2-year older brother, Joe, who would go on to become a jockey. Working as a groom and walking hots for Van Berg, he subsequently got his start as a jockey as soon as he turned 16 in 1974. And Catalano quickly rose through the ranks while riding first call for the Hall of Famer and later for Frank Kirby at Hawthorne Race Course. As a rider, Catalano won 1,792 races throughout his career, highlighted by the 1977 season when he won 349 races, second only behind Steve Cauthen while finishing ahead of a slew of future Hall of Famers, including Chris McCarron, Laffit Pincay, Jr., Angel Cordero, Jr. and Eddie Delahoussaye. He hung up his silks in 1983.

“My knee started to aggravate me a little bit near the end and the [quality] of my mounts fell off a bit too,” he said, explaining the decision to stop riding. “I won a lot of races, titles and did really well, but I didn't have as many stakes horses as I would have liked. I was also getting a little older and I wasn't comfortable anymore.

“My knee was bugging me, but more importantly, my heart got weaker,” he said with a chuckle. “If your heart's not in it, you just got to quit.”

Whether by design or scripted by fate, Catalano had already given himself a solid foothold into the next chapter of his career as a trainer. During his tenure with Van Berg, Catalano spent much of his time learning the basics of horsemanship, even during his days as a jockey.

“It didn't matter what you were there for, Jack would teach you horsemanship,” he explained. “So, I learned how to be a horseman first. Being a jockey came afterward. Nearing the end of my riding career, I wanted to be a trainer so I started hanging around the barn, coming back after my rides and learning the ropes. I didn't just ride horses and go home, like most jockeys do.”

Underscoring the importance of learning the tools of the trade from such an iconic horseman, Catalano explained, “Jack taught me hard work and horsemanship. They are the main ingredients that I picked up from him. You have to know how to take care of a horse, first and foremost. And I had the opportunity to learn from one of the greatest trainers of all time.”

Wayne Catalano & GSW Dreaming of Liz | Horsephotos

Ebb and Flow

A considerable amount of Catalano's early success can be pinpointed through his association with oil magnate John Franks, a five-time Eclipse Award winning owner. Armed with a battalion of horses up until his death in 2004, the Louisiana mogul proved to be a valuable source of horse-power for several trainers around the country, including Catalano.

“When I went out on my own, Jack gave me a few horses and then I was introduced to John Franks. I won my first stakes race with him with Croupier Lady. We had tremendous success together,” he said.

Another owner that helped expand Catalano's operation was Chicago businessman Frank Calabrese. The often tempestuous partnership–which was highlighted by a slew of stakes winners, including champion juvenile filly Dreaming of Anna and MGSW Lewis Michael (Rahy)–ended in 2009.

“A big reason I was in Chicago so long was because of [leading Arlington owner] Frank [Calabrese],” said Catalano. “So, when we parted company, my situation in Illinois wasn't really beneficial anymore.

“I had some of my clients who didn't want to race up there. It soon became obvious it just wasn't where I needed to be at that point in time, so we moved our base of operations to Kentucky. And we've been here every year since.”

Having enjoyed a blistering record in Illinois, which included 11 training titles at the recently shuttered Arlington Park, a trio at Hawthorne Race Course and two at Sportsman's Park, Catalano finally found the rocks when transitioning his fleet to Kentucky.

“Leaving my home base of Chicago and moving to Kentucky, we did well but things got a little bit lighter,” he admitted. “We maintained a smaller group and did well, winning races at Keeneland, Churchill Downs and Kentucky Downs. But it just started to get a little bit lighter.

“At one point, when I had horses for Frank, I had about 50 horses just for him. That made a big difference. On the flipside, I once went from 50 horses in my barn to only a pony. There was another time when I had no horses. So, I've reinvented myself a few times.”

Granted the opportunity to usher a slew of top-caliber competitors to the zenith of their careers, Catalano also experienced the shaded underbelly of the game, having lost rising stars to the other trainers. Chief among them are the aforementioned Stephanie's Kitten, who went on to be a Grade I winner for Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown and Animal Kingdom (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), who would go on to win the 2011 GI Kentucky Derby and 2013 G1 Dubai World Cup for trainer Graham Motion.

Wayne Catalano & Dreaming of Anna | Horsephotos

Asked if those experiences had left a bitter taste in his mouth, Catalano's reply was almost unexpected.

“Honestly, I was sitting watching the Derby with my wife, Animal Kingdom wins and I felt great. I felt really good about it,” he said. “Why? Because I know, I had a hand in helping develop the horse and I got him to where he needed to be before Graham Motion took over. And he did a great job with the horse. It's like passing the 'Refridgerator' the ball to win the Super Bowl… Just don't drop the ball.”

He continued, “To have a good horse, to develop him and put him in that situation for him to win the Derby, that's what I do. To put in that early ground work and to see it come through, that's very rewarding. No, I didn't get the win for myself in the end, but I knew what it took to get there. It wasn't the easiest thing, but I got the satisfaction in knowing that I played a big part in that.”

Under the guidance of Catalano, Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Stephanie's Kitten won six stakes, including a pair at the Grade I level–the Alcibiades S. and Longines Just a Game S. In 2014, Brown took over training duties from Catalano and the homebred won an additional four stakes, including the 2015 GI Flower Bowl S. and GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Catalano is quick to acknowledge that much of his success was built on horses with humble credentials rather than high-voltage pedigrees and physicals that often go to many of the bigger barns.

“To take a horse like Stephanie's Kitten, a homebred that couldn't sell for $17,000 and to win the Breeders' Cup, that's something to be proud of,” he said. “Also, She Be Wild was a $19,000 buyback at the sale and also went on to win a Breeders' Cup race. Room Service and Dreaming of Anna are also homebreds that won Grade Is. These are the horses I did it with. And not with million-dollar animals. I'm very proud of that.”

Despite facing a tighter ship of approximately 20-25 horses and a more streamlined roster of owners, Catalano has seen his share of success in recent years. Among the most notable are Coffee Pot Stables' Farrell (Malibu Moon), a seven-time stakes winner and earner of over $1 million. Her most notable wins were registered in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks, GII Rachel Alexandra S. and GII Golden Rod S. The homebred also finished runner-up in the GI La Troienne S. Making it a family affair, the filly was ridden throughout her career by Channing Hill, married to his and his wife Renee's daughter Shelbi. And Catalano admits that the importance of family, which includes three grandsons and a granddaughter on the way, is what propels him so much more these days.

“God knows what he is doing,” he asserted. “You have kids, a career and then you have your own grandchildren and you get to do it all over again, but you get to enjoy it a lot better. That's what I look forward to these days.”

Wayne Catalano & grandson Wayllen | Coady

On the Catwalk

Looking ahead to a 2022 campaign, the fun seems likely to continue for Catalano and Eclipse Thoroughbreds via Aloha West. According to the horseman, among options considered for the Maryland-bred is the $1.5-million Saudi Arabian Airlines Riyadh Dirt Sprint at King Abdulaziz Racecourse Feb. 26.

“I'm going to let the horse talk to me,” he said. “If he tells me he is ready to do something, then we'll make a plan as to what we want to do. It was a long trip [from Kentucky to California] and he came back good. We'll gather back up and go from there.”

With his Sprint champion safely back at the horseman's Lexington base on Rice Road, Catalano finally found a moment to reflect on his latest Breeders' Cup experience.

“When I was sitting up in the breakfast tent at the Breeders' Cup, watching the horses train I thought to myself, 'This is what it's all about, this is how every place should be,'” he said. “You get up seven days a week, three o'clock in the morning no matter if it's Christmas, Thanksgiving or New Year's and you put your whole life into this thing. You should have some fun. If you go to work every day and you enjoy it, then it isn't like work, right? Isn't that what they say?”

He continued, “The people around you also make a difference. Ones who can show their appreciation for the job that you did. Let's enjoy it. Everybody wants to win. To get there and have these moments, that's what's important. In these big races, we know only one horse is going to win. So just enjoy it win, lose or draw. [Eclipse Thoroughbreds'] Aron Wellman said to me before the [Sprint], 'No matter what the horse does, let's just have fun.' And that's what we did. That's what it's all about.”

And in the waning hours of Nov. 6, it seemed like things had come full circle for Catalano. Following a lifetime in service to the track and its inhabitants, all Catalano's hard work and struggles appeared to have converged into a single moment with a 4-year-old Maryland-bred getting his nose down first at the wire.

“I've been there a long time,” he said. “I started out many years ago–I was 15 years old when I started and I'm now 65. I've done it all, I've seen it all. Between the jockeys, agents, trainers and horses, you can name it and I can guide somebody through just about anything. After everything that I've accomplished, all the highs and lows, and to come back at this point with much less in the barn, and to win a race like that, we've done it. I feel good about it. I'm happy. All I want to do is make a good living, be close to my grandchildren and stay in the business…and to have fun.”

The post Catman’s Nine Lives…and Counting appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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He has just sired his 12th domestic Grade I winner, to add to three in Australia, and looks booked for the top 10 in the general sires' list for the third year running. He finished fourth in 2019, ninth last year and stands eighth this time round. To take an incontrovertibly high-class stallion as benchmark, Uncle Mo was 13th in 2019, fourth last year and-basking in the brilliance of his 10th Grade I winner, Golden Pal–lies 10th as we turn for home in 2021. Uncle Mo duly stood at $175,000 this year, and will trade at $160,000 next spring.

Yet Hard Spun remains at $35,000.

Is there better proven value anywhere in Kentucky? Okay, so the late bloom of his GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West (unraced until four) confirms that the Jonabell stallion's foals won't always offer what is perceived as “commercial” precocity. But such brilliant acceleration in a dirt dash round a track as dizzy as Del Mar confirms that Hard Spun can get you any kind.

To take a brisk sample: Hard Spun's first crop, which ultimately yielded a record 17 stakes winners, had by midsummer featured a Group 2 juvenile winner in Britain. His biggest earner is a turf sprinter in Australia; he has had a Group 2 winner on the downhill five at Goodwood; and also a GI Arlington Million winner on the grass. At the same time, he has had pour-it-on dirt runners round two turns, like Questing (GB) and Smooth Roller (another who only surfaced at four, but explosively). Spun To Run won his GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile from the front, Hard Not To Love cut them down from the rear in the GI La Brea S. But their sire has also had a dual winner of the GII Marathon, briefly a Breeders' Cup race, at 13 and 14 furlongs.

Moreover Hard Spun is already developing a scarcely less diverse international profile as a broodmare sire, through the likes of Good Magic (Curlin) in the U.S.; Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), winner of two Group 1 miles in Britain this year; and elite Japanese sprinter Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}).

The one thing he hasn't yet managed, unlike another of Danzig's later sons in War Front, is to secure his own branch of the dynasty. Several of his best performers have been fillies and geldings. Spun to Run drew a solid first book of 119 at Gainesway, however; and Silver State, as a GI Met Mile winner, goes to a farm of corresponding resonance in Claiborne-once, of course, home to Danzig himself. Now Aloha West has emerged from nowhere as another feasible heir, so let's take a quick look at his antecedents.

Aloha West was bred in Maryland by Robert T. Manfuso and Katharine M. Voss from the graded stakes-winning sprinter Island Bound (Speightstown). Expectations for the mare appear to have slightly downgraded of late: having been afforded several chances with Kentucky stallions, she has made down with $5,000 covers in Maryland the last couple of years. But her sights may need to be raised again now, as she has transformed her record in 2021. At the start of the year, her sophomore daughter by Nyquist and 4-year-old son by Hard Spun both remained unraced. But Moquist is now unbeaten in four starts for trainer Dale Capuano, the latest a Laurel optional claimer just a week before the Breeders' Cup; and Aloha West, of course, has been thriving for Wayne Catalano since the summer, winning twice at Saratoga before an unlucky defeat when tried in a Grade II at Keeneland. That emboldened a tilt at the big one at Del Mar, and spectacular vindication for local resident Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, who had moved to buy the horse privately after he showed promise (won on debut, messy start next time) in a belated start to his career for Gary and Mary West at Oaklawn last winter.

Now nobody needs to give the Wests any instruction in the ups and downs of this business. In fact, when they won one of their very first Grade Is, nearly 20 years ago, their second runner in the race collapsed on the track with heatstroke. (Happily, he was okay to fight another day.) That was also the year when they had the favorite break down in Derby week. They've seen it all before, they trade to support their program, and one day everything is going to fall right to redress the disqualification of Maximum Security (New Year's Day). In the meantime, however, you have to hope that they're satisfied with the prices they took for the two 2021 Breeders' Cup winners who left their ownership.

One was the devastating GI Dirt Mile winner Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who made $525,000 as a yearling. His dam is still only eight, so here's a rising tide that floats all boats. (Less happy will be the vendors of the Grade I-placed second dam, at Keeneland November two years ago, for just $15,000–exactly one percent of her cost when carrying her first foal, eight years previously! Purchasers SF Bloodstock clearly realized that her yearling grandson, purchased in the same ring a few weeks previously, was something special.)

Hopefully the Wests also got a fair price for Aloha West back in the spring. Their program is oriented towards the Triple Crown and clearly that moment had passed. Regardless, it turns out that he was yet another typically astute discovery by Ben Glass. The long-serving manager of their operation bought the dam of Life Is Good as a yearling, and picked out Aloha West for $160,000 as Hip 1025 at the Keeneland September Sale.

The overall pattern of the pedigree is actually not dissimilar from that of Life Is Good: a top line representing one of the speedier Northern Dancer lines (Danzig in Aloha West, Storm Cat in Life Is Good); a dam by a grandson of Mr. Prospector (Speightstown in Aloha West, Distorted Humor in Life Is Good); and the second dams respectively by A.P. Indy (in the case of Aloha West) and his son Mineshaft (in the case of Life Is Good).

Aloha West's granddam was a three-time winner with some minor black type, but Island Bound represents the only distinction she had achieved in what proved to be a curtailed breeding career. There is, however, real depth in behind.

The next dam, by Afleet, also showed some talent and soundness (3-for-19) and produced two graded stakes winners (and also a Grade II runner-up) including GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile third Rogue Romance (Smarty Jones). The unraced fourth dam was a Manila half-sister to Ogygian, damsire of Johannesburg; and the next dam is also granddam of a huge modern influence in Fappiano. And, best of all, that means that she in turn is out of the Tartan Farms foundation mare Cequillo (Princequillo).

These aristocratic embers have now been stoked up by Hard Spun, whose own background mirrors the shape of Island Bound's family. Both represent a dashing sire-line, Hard Spun as a son of Danzig; Island Bound as a daughter of Speightstown. And both complement that with sturdy influences seeding the bottom line. We've seen that Island Bound was out of an A.P. Indy mare, for instance, while Hard Spun's second dam was by Roberto-and, moreover, shared a dam with Darby Dan champion Little Current (Sea-Bird {Fr}). This, indeed, becomes a very deep well of aristocratic Darby Dan blood for Hard Spun to draw on: his fourth dam is Banquet Bell (Polynesian), dam of two farm legends (both by Swaps) in Chateaugay and Primonetta.

Even the intervention of the hulking Turkoman, Hard Spun's pedestrian damsire, has not diluted the potency of this blood. Hard Spun's stakes-winning half-sister by Stravinsky has further decorated the family as second dam of multiple Grade I winner Improbable (City Zip).

With these auspicious foundations, Aloha West had the best possible start in life. Bob Manfuso has already bred a top-class runner at Chanceland Farm, which he co-owns with Voss, in Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss), winner of the GI Kentucky Oaks in 2016. And for the sale his breeders had the good sense to send this colt to Nursery Place, a privilege no young horse in the Bluegrass can exceed.

So there have been many different contributors to the flowering of Aloha West-both genetically, and in terms of horsemanship. But he is certainly stamped with the Hard Spun brand, as a horse flourishing with maturity and touched by brilliance.

Just imagine if Hard Spun himself had been permitted to remain in training at four! As it was, his new owner was then investing heavily in a reset of his international stallion program. Of course, Darley is a global program and Hard Spun was sent off to Japan for a year at a critical stage, in 2014. That hiatus, leaving him without U.S. juveniles in 2017/sophomores in 2018, was doubtless what allowed his fee to stabilize at such an accessible level. Remember he was $60,000 before he went to Japan, and $35,000 for his return-even though he had dominated the fourth-crop sires' table in the year of his absence, whether by prizemoney, winners or graded stakes success, finishing ahead of no less a trio than Street Sense (who had accompanied him to Hokkaido), English Channel and Scat Daddy.

I am often rebuked, when lamenting the stampede for rookie sires who will rarely command so high a fee again, that there is no alternative but to roll the dice; that the “proven” sires have all put themselves way out of reach. It's a free world, a free market, and we're all entitled to our opinions. But I would say that here is one stallion that makes that view, well, just a little Hard to understand.

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