Farrell's win, Dreaming of Anna's death make bittersweet weekend

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – It was a bittersweet opening weekend for trainer Wayne Catalano at Oaklawn. He sent out stable star Farrell to win her 4-year-old debut in the $125,000 Pippin Stakes on Saturday, but later learned of the passing of champion Dreaming of Anna, whom he trained for breeder-owner Frank Calabrese.

Catalano said Dreaming of Anna, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2006, died in Kentucky. She was 14.

“We’re very sad,” Catalano said. “Mr. Calabrese and I had a lot of fun with her.”

Dreaming of Anna won nine stakes during her career, topped by the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in wire-to-wire fashion in 2006 at Churchill Downs. Overall, she won 10 races from 17 starts for earnings of $2,204,550.

“She was similar to Farrell,” Catalano said. “She had speed and she’s very smart and she controlled the races at all times.

“She was special to me. She was my first Breeders’ Cup winner.”

Other highlights of Dreaming of Anna’s racing career included five Grade 3 wins on turf, including the Summer at Woodbine at 2 and the Mint Julep at Churchill Downs in her final season of racing in 2008.

Dreaming of Anna, by Rahy and out of the Broad Brush mare Justenuffheart, to date has produced two stakes winners in Grade 3 winner Dreamologist and Fast Anna.

Farrell started her season with a rousing win in the Pippin, wiring the field for a three-quarter-length victory. It was her second straight stakes victory behind the Grade 2 Chilukki in her 3-year-old finale Nov. 4 at Churchill. For her effort in the Pippin, Farrell earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 87.

“What impressed me about the race was there were some older mares that were very talented and she had to overcome pretty strong pace pressure, then hold off [Ever So Clever] coming at her like that,” Catalano said. “It was a good race.”

Catalano hopes it’s the start to a big year for Farrell, a four-time Grade 2 winner for owner-breeder Coffee Pot Stables who has earned $802,077. She swept the 3-year-old filly series last year at Fair Grounds, where Catalano also has a division this winter. He said he likes the transition Farrell has made from 3 to 4.

“She’s filled out,” Catalano said. “She’s stronger. She looks awesome.

“We’re looking to get a Grade 1 this year and we thought maybe Oaklawn’s race at the end of the meet here would be a good spot, the Apple Blossom.”

The $700,000 Apple Blossom will be run April 13.

The path Farrell will take to get there is to be determined, Catalano said. The next two races in the Oaklawn series are the Grade 3, $150,000 Bayakoa on Feb. 17 and the Grade 2, $350,000 Azeri on March 17.

“We’ll look it over and see how she comes out of the race and see what our options are,” Catalano said. “The main goal is to win a Grade 1, so whatever’s going to get us to win a Grade 1, that’s the way we’re going to go.

“We’re hoping to have a lot of fun with her.”