Wayne Catalano

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...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency MCCARTHY UNVEILS PRICEY UNCLE MO COLT 2nd-SA, $55K, Msw, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 3:00p.m. Michael McCarthy saddles a firster with a big price tag in Mr. & Mrs. William Warren Jr.'s $1.4-million KEESEP purchase BELIEVE NOW (Uncle Mo). He is out of the Street Cry (Ire) mare Secret, who is a half-sister to MSW Inspired (Unbridled's Song); SWs & GSP Silver City (Unbridled's Song) and Elope (Gone West); and SW Initiation (Deputy Minister). Bob Baffert has a pair of firsters who cannot be overlooked in American...