Catalano has solid new filly

After Frank Calabrese, the perennial leading owner at Arlington Park, successfully negotiated to buy a filly named Formal Rush, trainer Wayne Catalano liked what he saw when he began training her on a daily basis.

Sure enough, Formal Rush won at first asking at Arlington, and now the Calabrese-Catalano juggernaut has another live bullet at their disposal. Formal Rush figures as a prime contender in a full field of fillies and mares in a $31,000 second-level allowance that serves as the featured event Friday at the Arlington Heights, Ill., track.

"Word came through that the horse was for sale down in Texas," said Catalano.

The connections reviewed the filly's past performances, and Steve Leving, Calabrese's longtime bloodstock adviser, approved the purchase, said Catalano.

"Once she came to me, I was really impressed with her," Catalano said. "I really liked her first out."

That lone appearance at the Arlington meet came in an entry-level turf allowance on July 13, nearly six weeks after Formal Rush has finished fifth in a similar spot at Lone Star Park. Last of nine early, she cruised to a three-length victory under Francisco Torres, who has the mount back Friday.

Besides Formal Rush, the featured eighth of nine races also drew such logical plays as Delicate Dynamite, who knocked out her first allowance condition when she scored as an odds-on choice here Aug. 5; Walklikeanegyptian, who two starts back finished second for this same condition at Churchill Downs; Jennie R., who looms an early danger with Hall of Famer Earlie Fires named to ride; and Sobresaliente, an El Prado filly trained by Bobby Springer who won a first-level allowance two starts back.

The only other allowance race on the Friday program directly precedes the feature. Friendsturnedfoes, with Robby Albarado riding for Kentucky trainer Jeff Talley, looks like a solid choice in that 6 1/2-furlong race for Illinois-bred 3-year-olds and upward.

Friendsturnedfoes has had six starts, all versus open company at Churchill Downs, so he figures to appreciate what amounts to a class-drop by facing restricted foes for the first time.