Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sun. Sept. 12

                       

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Graham Ross

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graham.ross@arlingtonpark.com

Barn Notes: Sunday, September 12, 2010                                                                             

 

In Today’s Notes: 

 

·        Wondering About Wonderlandandbynight’s Next Start

·        Major Gain Moves Up After Arlington-Washington Futurity Win

 

WONDERING ABOUT WONDERLANDBYNIGHT’S NEXT START

            There’s such a thing as extra virgin olive oil, and there’s also such a thing as a female breaking her maiden twice, but after Mark Dedomenico’s Wonderlandbynight won Saturday’s Grade III Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes, the latest instance of the latter would cost more.

 

            Wonderlandbynight, the filly who gave Illinois-based trainer Mike Reavis his second Lassie victory, was bred by her conditioner but sold earlier this summer.

 

            “Now people are asking me why I sold her and I just give them a one word answer, Reavis said Sunday morning.  “I just say: ‘Fear.’  Then they ask me what I mean by that, and I say: ‘Fear of going broke.’

 

            “I’ve made my living mostly in the claiming game these last few years,” said Reavis who saddled Flaxbeard, Oliphant and Sharp’s Shining Light to win Arlington’s main event for 2- year-old fillies in 1994.  “You’ve got to make a living somehow if you want to keep going in this game, and right now we’ve got a lot of younger horses.”

 

            Wonderlandbynight was second under the wire in her first career start (facing male Illinois-bred rivals) June 4 at Arlington, and then broke her maiden in her second start June 27.  However, after her second start, the daughter of Sky Mesa was subsequently placed first in her career debut. Out of the aptly-named mare Onemiracleatatime, the chestnut filly then went to Woodbine where she captured the $150,000 Ontario Debutante Stakes Aug. 14 in her start prior to Saturday’s Lassie.

 

            What might be Wonderlandbynight’s next start, and was the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs a possibility in her future?

 

            “Right now, we’re looking at three possible races for her next start,” said Reavis.  “She would have to be supplemented to the Breeders’ Cup, but we haven’t ruled it out yet.  These people (her new owners) don’t have to worry about money. 

 

“I haven’t seen the Keeneland book yet, but they tell me there’s a race for her there in October (probably the Grade I Darley Alcibiades Oct. 8 but possibly the Grade I Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity against boys Oct. 9),” Reavis said.

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Barn Notes

September 12, 2010

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 “And there’s also a race at Woodbine in late November that we’re looking at,” Reavis said.  “Obviously, she won’t run in all three, but as to which one it will be – we haven’t decided yet.

 

“The one thing about Wonderlandbynight’s win yesterday that I feel a little bad about was that we had to beat Catalano’s horse (Darrell and Evelyn Yates’ Lassie runner-up Jordy Y) to do it,” Reavis concluded.  “He’s a good friend of mine, and I also think he’s the greatest trainer in the world, and Darrel and Evelyn are good friends of mine, too.”

 

 

 

MAJOR GAIN MOVES UP AFTER ARLINGTON-WASHINGTON FUTURITY WIN

 

            Defending Arlington trainer champion Wayne Catalano, who saddled Darrell and Evelyn Yates’ Dixie Band to win last year’s Arlington-Washington Futurity, started three horses in Saturday’s renewal of the Grade III test, but the only one of the three that hadn’t broken his maiden did so in Arlington’s main event for 2-year-olds after finishing second in his only previous start.

 

            “We thought he could win this race all along,” said Catalano Sunday morning. “He’s been working very well.  He just raced a little greenly in that last start.”

 

            What might be next for the juvenile son of More Than Ready?

 

            “We don’t know that yet,” answered Catalano, “but we hope that the (Grade I) Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs) is a possibility down the line.

 

            “All of our horses (three in the Futurity and two in Saturday’s Grade III Arlington-Washington Lassie) seem to have come out of their races yesterday (Saturday) without any problems.”

 

            Catalano finished second in Saturday’s Lassie with Darrell and Evelyn Yates’ Jordy Y, but Catalano was very happy for the Lassie’s winning trainer Mike Reavis.

 

            “Somebody’s got to be second,” said Catalano after being told that Reavis had described him as the best trainer in the world.  “I’ve always said that if you have the respect of your peers, that’s the greatest compliment in the world.

 

            “Mike’s a great guy, and I’m very happy for him,” concluded Catalano.  “He bred that horse and he deserves all the credit in the world, so I’m very glad that he was the guy that beat me.”

 

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