Catalano Trio Point to Col. Bradley, Silverbulletday
Trainer Wayne Catalano’s formidable stable could have two chances to win next Saturday’s Grade III $100,000 Colonel E. R. Bradley Handicap. In a race expected to be headlined by Gainesway Stable’s graded stakes winner Villandry, Catalano is seriously considering the race for the talented and lightly raced Highball, while also keeping it on the radar of the more accomplished Infinite Magic.
Owned by Gary and Mary West, Highball exits a game runner-up finish in the off-the-turf $60,000 Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course on Dec. 27. In his first attempt on a sealed and sloppy surface – and any surface other than grass – the son of Lemon Drop Kid closed from 11 lengths back to finish less than four lengths behind winner Rise Up in second.
“He spotted that horse a lot the other day,” Catalano said. “He ran good, though. He’s training great and working good. We’re going to enter and look at the race.”
A winner of two races – including a rich allowance at Kentucky Downs in September – Highball has kept capable company in his septet of starts. He was a late-closing fourth in the Grade III $100,000 Commonwealth Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 15 two starts back, a game fifth in the Grade I $500,000 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington International this summer and third beaten 1¼ lengths in the Grade III $200,000 American Derby one race prior to that.
“I watched his last work and liked how he did it,” Catalano said. The Kentucky-bred 4-year-old colt worked an excellent four furlongs on Jan. 7 in :48.80 – second best of 62 moves at the distance.
Catalano also mentioned that Grade III winner and Grade II-placed 5-year-old ridgling Infinite Magic is also possible for the first major open turf stakes of the meet. Owned by Team Valor International, Infinite Magic has yet to win in three starts for Catalano, but ran a plucky race when fourth last out in an allowance at Churchill Downs going a grassy flat mile. The son of More Than Ready won the American Derby in 2013 and followed that effort with a valiant second in the Grade II $250,000 Del Mar Derby while under the care of former Team Valor private conditioner Rick Mettee.
“He’s doing okay and training good right now,” Catalano said. “We have been trying to find an allowance. He ran a good race last time. We’ll see how the (Bradley) comes up and make a decision.”
Source: Fair Grounds Barn Notes