Expect to see more from Catalano come July

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – By now, followers of the Chicago circuit almost certainly have asked themselves, “Where’s Wayne?”

Wayne Catalano has won the Arlington training title 10 times: in 2012-13, from 2005-2010, and in 2002-03. Moreover, torrid starts to the meet have become almost annual for Catalano’s barn, which long has targeted Arlington as its major meeting. Last year, between the meet’s opening and June 12, Catalano went 69-30-9-6-6. In 2010, his barn went 21-15-11 from 74 starters, and in 2008, Catalano somehow won with 24 of 40 starters during that early-season period.

During the last 10 years, Catalano has always started at least 40 horses during the meet’s first six weeks, has always won at least seven races, and has won 11 or more eight times. But through June 12 this year, the Catalano barn had compiled a respectable but surprisingly light 22-4-1-4 record here.

It is a sea change for bettors accustomed to dealing with short-priced Catalano runners peppered throughout May and June cards. Larry Rivelli, with 21 winners through Thursday, has stepped into the void and leads the standings. Mike Stidham, a regular in Arlington’s top five, has 10 wins, but trainers like Tammy Domenosky (11 wins), Ingrid Mason (10 wins), and Mike Dini (eight wins) surely have benefited from Catalano’s relatively sparse participation.

Catalano, reached Thursday at Churchill Downs, has his stable split three ways at the moment, with about 30 horses at Monmouth – a new outpost for his operation – 28 at Churchill, and close to a full barn of 46 here at Arlington. Catalano said all three strings were in something of a “training mode” late this spring, and that his participation at both Arlington and on the East Coast would ramp up as the Churchill meet ended and Catalano condensed the outfit to two strings.

“We’ve got some nice young horses coming up,” said Catalano, who should have plenty of live 2-year-olds debuting in the next couple of months. “We’ll run more in July.”