Trainer Bios

Wayne Catalano

Born: July 24, 1956, in New Orleans

Record at Keeneland

Total Wins: 80

Stakes Wins: 5

Career Firsts

First Grade 1 Win: 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs with Dreaming of Anna

First Stakes Win: 1986 Ruffian at Sportsman’s Park with Croupier Lady

First Graded Stakes Win: 1990 Hawthorne Budweiser Breeders’ Cup at Hawthorne with Cuzzy Bear

First Career Win: Aug. 11, 1983, at Arlington Park with Dreamin’ of You

Starters in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes

At Keeneland

Won first Keeneland race during the 2000 Fall Meet.

First Keeneland stakes win was the 2011 Darley Alcibiades (G1) with Stephanie’s Kitten, who next won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2).

Sent out Room Service to win the 2014 Central Bank Ashland (G1) in a dead heat with Rosalind. Also won the 2013 Bourbon (G3) with Poker Player.

During the 2022 Fall Meet, he sent out Manny Wah to win the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) and Andthewinneris to win the Castle & Key Bourbon (G2).

Career

Breeders’ Cup wins (3): 2006 Juvenile Fillies with Dreaming of Anna; 2009 Juvenile Fillies with She Be Wild; 2011 Juvenile Fillies Turf with Stephanie’s Kitten.

Trained Eclipse Award winners She Be Wild (2009) and Dreaming of Anna (2006). Both were champion 2-year-old fillies.

Won 3,000 career race July 21, 2024, when he sent out Alilnalot to win the fourth race at Ellis Park. Career earnings exceed $76 million.

Won 2,000th race on Feb. 24, 2010, at Hawthorne with Dunscombe in the third race.

Click here for his Equibase record.

Background

Wayne grew up in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans and was 15 when an uncle, Jack Links, introduced him to Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg. Wayne “learned the game from the ground up,” he said of his experience cleaning stalls and tack, hot-walking and grooming.

Another groom in the Van Berg operation was future trainer Frank Brothers. Wayne began exercising horses and became a jockey when he turned 18. He won his first race on May 20, 1974, at Churchill Downs on a horse trained by Van Berg named Hellfire. He rode until 1983, winning 1,792 races, before chronic knee problems forced him to retire. Turning to training, Wayne sent out his first starter in 1983.