Wayne Catalano

Built Lowers Track Record at Fair Grounds on Return to Main Track

BUILT (c, 4, Hard Spun--Sea Garden, by Curlin) twice hit the board last season on Louisiana's Road to the Kentucky Derby, second and third in the GIII Lecomte Stakes and GII Risen Star Stakes, respectively, before missing the money in two subsequent starts. Sent to the shelf in early May after disappointing in the GII Pat Day Mile, he resurfaced Dec. 18 at this venue to wrap his '25 season with a win against allowance company. Tried on the turf last out Feb. 14 to kick off his 4-year-old campaign,...

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Thursday's Racing Insights: With Race Return In The Offing, Built To Run Again At Fair Grounds

7th-FG, $56K, OC50k/n2x, 3yo/up, 6f, 4:45 p.m. ET. In last year's Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds, BUILT (Hard Spun) went gate to wire and won by 6 3/4 lengths for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. After running through the rest of the Louisiana series, the colt bypassed the Derby and opted for the GII Pat Day Mile, finishing well-beaten. Now ready to return to the races in New Orleans he will have the services of Jareth Loveberry. Initially an $82,000 Keeneland September grad, Eclipse acquired Built for $260,000 at the 2024...

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Friday Insights: Not this Time Filly After Black Friday Debut Deal At Fair Grounds

6th-FG, $54K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 4:15 p.m. ET. Brittlyn Stable homebred CHARGING OVATIME (Not This Time) goes out for trainer Shane Wilson in New Orelans on Friday. Out of SW Charged Cotton (Dehere), the dark bay counts as half-sisters the late 15-time winner Ova Charged (Star Guitar) and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', & UAE group stakes winner Manama Gold (Star Guitar). The first-time starter hails from an extended female family which includes MSW Walkwithapurpose (Candy Ride {Arg}) and MGISW Schossberg (Broad Brush). Another homebred heads to...

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Monday's Racing Insights: Well-Bred Into Mischief Filly Trust Account Debuts At Ellis Park Monday

9th-ELP, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 4:42 p.m. ET. TRUST ACCOUNT (Into Mischief) is set to be unveiled after going for $1.5-million to the Heider Family during Keeneland September. Sent to trainer Brendan Walsh, the filly is out of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf champ Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), who also produced GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Sharing (Speightstown). This dam counts as half-sisters Canadian GSW Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap) and GSW Sparkle Blue (Hard Spun). Also headed to the gate for the first time is...

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Friday Insights: Pricey Into Mischief Colt Valiant Set For First Start At Ellis

6th-ELP, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:12 p.m. ET. Robert Clay's Grandview Equine went to a cool $1-million to acquire VALIANT (Into Mischief) at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Partnering with LNJ Foxwoods and Hubert Vester, the ownership group sent the colt to trainer Brad Cox. The debuting bay is the first foal out of unraced Validest (Medaglia d'Oro)--a Vester purchase for $350,000 from the 2021 Keeneland November Sale while she was in foal to Authentic. Validest is a half-sister to GII American Turf Stakes hero Global View (Galileo {Ire})...

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Built to Bypass Kentucky Derby in Favor of Pat Day Mile, Neoequos Draws In

Built (Hard Spun) will bypass the GI Kentucky Derby and point to the GII Pat Day Mile, according to a Friday post on X by owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. A $260,000 OBS April purchase, Built worked five furlongs in :59.40 (1/9) at Churchill Downs Thursday. "It's a huge honor to have qualified for the Kentucky Derby, but we have opted for the GII $600k Pat Day Mile, a race we believe is better suited for Built," the post read. "Thanks to our wonderful Eclipse TBP & Cat Racing Stable for...

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Owen Almighty, Built Work Five Furlongs for Kentucky Derby

Owen Almighty (Speightstown) and Built (Hard Spun) turned in five-furlong workouts Thursday morning over a fast track at Churchill Downs in preparation for the GI Kentucky Derby. Working during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. ET training window reserved for Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks horses, Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing's Owen Almighty breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 with Antonio Orellana aboard for trainer Brian Lynch. Working in company with the maiden 3-year-old filly Nosleeptilbrooklyn (Ghostzapper), Owen Almighty started two lengths behind his workmate and posted fractions of :26, :37.60, 1:01.60 and...

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Following Runaway Gun Runner Victory, Built Takes on Full Field in Lecomte

Built (Hard Spun), a 6 3/4-length, front-running winner over Magnitude (Not This Time) in the Gun Runner Stakes Dec. 21, has been tabbed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GIII Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds. The Lecomte offers 42 points (20-10-6-4-2) on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. The Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners colorbearer was able to dictate the pace through easy fractions of :24 3/5 and :49 1/5 and drew off impressively to earn a field-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure while facing just four rivals that day. Built...

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Built Different: Hard Spun Colt Romps in Gun Runner Stakes

Built (Hard Spun), a maiden winner at second asking at Keeneland Oct. 6, stretched to two turns in style with a daylight victory in Saturday's Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds, good for 10 points on the Road to the GI Kentucky Derby. Off at odds of 7-2, the rail-drawn Built showed the way through fractions of :24.64 and :49.23 and dropped the hammer in the stretch to win by 6 3/4 lengths. Magnitude (Not This Time) was second; Render Judgment (Blame) was third. Heavily favored 'TDN Rising Star' Admiral...

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Frank Calabrese Passes Away, Illinois Horseman And Breeder Of Fast Anna

Breeders' Cup-winning owner Frank Calabrese, who took home 10 consecutive leading owner titles at Arlington Park starting in 2000 and bred late sire Fast Anna, passed away on his 96th birthday, Monday, Nov. 4 at his home in Park Ridge, Illinois. A pioneer in the printing, Calabrese founded FCL Graphics in 1973 and sold the business in 2004. The avid horseplayer ran under FCC stables and paired primarily with trainer Wayne Catalano. With homebred Dreaming of Anna (Rahy), the duo won the 2006 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Woodbine,...

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Built Constructs Nice Road To Break Maiden At Keeneland

7th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-6, 2yo, 7f, 1:23.96, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. BUILT (c, 2, Hard Spun--Sea Garden, by Curlin) finished fourth on debut, but then was elevated to third after another horse was disqualified at Ellis Park Aug. 24. The winner who collected a 'TDN Rising Star' badge for his effort and was just crowned as the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity champ was East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro). As the 2-1 second choice here, Built raced in between runners out of the chute and then set up shop off sole leader...

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Trainer Wayne Catalano Celebrates 3,000 Career Wins Sunday

Trainer Wayne Catalano celebrated his 3000th career win Sunday when 4-year-old gelding Alilnalot (Tapiture) won race four at Ellis Park, a $30,000 maiden claimer. Catalano, who began his training career in 1983 following a successful riding career, has seen over 15,000 horses start under his name including the likes of GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West (Hard Spun) and dual Breeders' Cup winner Stephanie's Kitten (Kitten's Joy). "I've been waiting on this one a long time," said Catalano after the milestone Sunday. "I got to have my...

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