Wayne Catalano

5th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 3:08 p.m. ET Gold Square's AIR OF DEFIANCE (Quality Road), a $400,000 Keeneland September purchase, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite after running a solid second behind 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) over a muddy strip at Saratoga in his six-furlong debut Aug. 25. The Brad Cox trainee is the second foal out of graded stakes winner Faypien (Ghostzapper). St. Elias and Starlight Racing's It'smyluckytime (Not This Time), a $450,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, makes his first trip to the post for trainer Todd Pletcher....

Last year, we conducted a popular Q and A series called 'Smaller But Still Super,' where we featured veteran trainers who have built a competitive racing stable with relatively small numbers (click here to view the archive). This year, we will highlight trainers who have already cut their teeth as novice trainers, but now have a few years of experience under their belt and are looking to make a name for themselves as they grow their stable. We'll talk about the challenges that come with hanging out your single, advice...

Aloha West (Hard Spun--Island Bound, by Speightstown), winner of the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, has been retired from racing and will begin his stud career next year at Mill Ridge Farm at a fee of $10,000 live foal. 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...

Susan Moulton's Andthewinneris came flying late to win the GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. at Keeneland Sunday, leading home an exacta for his freshman sire while also becoming the Mill Ridge stallion's first stakes winner. The 4-1 shot broke from the far outside in the field of 12, angled over and settled near the back of the field. Still some 10 lengths back approaching the stretch, the bay made eye-catching progress leaving the turn and closed stoutly down the center of the course, hitting the front at midstretch and...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-SAR, $105K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 3:21 p.m. EDT D J Stable's RENEGADE REBEL (Nyquist) makes her career bow in this spot for trainer Mark Casse. Privately purchased from Shadwell by Barry Eisaman, the gray summoned $700,000 from OBS April after breezing in :10 flat. Her second dam is MG1SW Sierra Madre (Fr) (Baillamont), who is also responsible for European champion Aljabr (Storm Cat). Wayne Catalano unveils Coffeepot Stables homebred Mirus (Medaglia d'Oro). The dark bay is out of MGSW & GISP Farrell (Malibu Moon),...

A trio of 3-year-olds from the barn of Todd Pletcher took to the Belmont dirt training track Friday morning as they prepare for stakes engagements during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. 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...

During the best of times, racing can be a rollercoaster. And for Wayne Catalano, like most other horsemen and women in the sport, that tumultuous lifestyle quickly becomes a way of life. However, despite facing several challenges--both professionally and personally--over the past decade, including a showdown with his own mortality after teetering scarily close to the edge of the eternal precipice, the 'Catman' lived up to his nickname at this year's Breeders' Cup by righting himself midair and landing squarely on his feet in the winner's circle following Aloha West...

Hard to put a price on a stallion like this. Apart from anything else, he is the parting legacy of Danzig--conceived when the great patriarch was 26--and his maternal line brings a daughter of the wartime foal My Babu (Fr) as close up as third dam. True to that venerable seeding, his stock has emulated both the class and constitution that sustained his own speed--carrying commitment on the racetrack. Though his career was compressed into barely a year, he didn't just "dance every dance," but turned the pages for the...

DEL MAR, CA - Aloha West (Hard Spun) rocketed down the Del Mar stretch to just nail Dr. Schivel (Violence) by a painful nose in an absolutely thrilling renewal of Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Shuffled between runners and outsprinted toward the back of the pack in seventh as heavily favored star sophomore Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) was hounded through fractions of :21.91 and :44.11, Aloha West was ready to pounce in sixth as they approached the top of the stretch. The 1-2 favorite was the first to blink as...

4th-Keeneland, $73,000, Alw (NW2X), Opt. Clm ($100,000), 10-8, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.18, ft, 1 1/4 lengths. BIG DREAMING (c, 3, Declaration of War--Dreaming of Anna {Ch. 2yo Filly, GISW-US, GSW-Can, $2,024,550}, by Rahy), a first-out second over the Tampa turf for Mike Stidham, was turned over to the trainer who conditioned this dam to a victory in the 2006 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and graduated at Churchill June 20. A popular Arlington allowance winner Aug. 1, the homebred made the running in the Dueling Grounds Derby when last seen...

7th-Churchill Downs, $78,268, Msw, 5-25, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:16.56, ft. OCEAN BREEZE (f, 3, Curlin--Oceanwave {MGSP, $245,449}, by Harlan's Holiday) the actual post-time favorite at 9-5 over Union Maiden (Union Rags), powered away from her rivals to graduate by 8 1/4 lengths Monday at Churchill. Quickly into stride from her high draw, Ocean Breeze settled in an early fifth and got under way in earnest three wide at the half-mile. Cruising up while traveling well nearing the stretch, she was cut loose by Martin Garcia to take over three-sixteenths...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. In this edition, Pit Boss (Union Rags) is highlighted following a second-place finish on debut for trainer Wayne Catalano at Oaklawn Park last weekend. Previous runners featured in this column include: MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), the highly regarded GII San Felipe S. runner-up Honor A. P. (Honor Code) and GII...