Contenders

Wayne Catalano

Catalano, 50, is a native of New Orleans who got involved with racing upon a suggestion from an uncle. After working for Hall of Fame trainer Jack van Berg, Catalano began a career as a jockey, actually scoring his first lifetime win at Churchill Downs in 1974. Following a nine-year span that included 1,792 wins, Catalano took out his trainer's license. He has based himself in Chicago, where he has dominated the circuit, winning seven training titles at Arlington Park, as well as several at Sportsman's Park and Hawthorne Racecourse. His main client over the years has been Calabrese. Catalano has had one Kentucky Derby starter, Crypto Star, sixth in 1997.

Rene Douglas

Journeyman rider Douglas is from Panama, where he went to jockey school and began riding in the early 1980s. Douglas has found success throughout the United States since coming here in 1983. He has won riding titles at Calder, Hialeah, Hollywood Park, and a record four consecutive at Arlington (2001-2004). His lone classic win came aboard Editor's Note in the 1996 Belmont. 2004 saw him finish 14th nationally with 242 wins. Dreaming of Anna gave him his first Breeders' Cup victory in 11 mounts. Douglas currently resides in Miami with his wife and three sons.

Frank Calabrese

Lifelong Chicagoan Calabrese became involved in racing some forty years ago, running Standardbreds with money made from his printing firm. After 14 years, he switched to Thoroughbreds. Noted for switching trainers on a regular basis, Calabrese is actually on his second go-around with Catalano. They have had great success together, including a record-setting 66 wins for the 2003 Arlington Park meet. The 2006 meet at Chicago's marquee track saw him win his seventh consecutive owner's title. He has had a handful of stakes winners over the years, but is looking for his first Oaks victory.

Frank Calabrese (KY)

Lifelong Chicagoan Calabrese became involved in racing some forty years ago, running Standardbreds with money made from his printing firm. After 14 years, he switched to Thoroughbreds. Noted for switching trainers on a regular basis, Calabrese is actually on his second go-around with Catalano. They have had great success together, including a record-setting 66 wins for the 2003 Arlington Park meet. The 2006 meet at Chicago's marquee track saw him win his seventh consecutive owner's title. He has had a handful of stakes winners over the years, but is looking for his first Oaks victory.

Rahy, sire of Dreaming of Anna, has over 75 horses that have gone on to be stakes winners. He will forever be known for siring the great Serena's Song, winner of over $3 million and a member of the Racing Hall of Fame. He has also sired the European Horse of the Year Fantastic Light, a champion on three continents and winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf (GI). The winner of the Bel Air Handicap (GII), Rahy finished his career with a 6-4-1 record from 13 starts. He is out Glorious Song, horse of the year in Canada, champion older mare in the United States, and winner of over $1 million in her career. She is the dam of Singspiel (by In The Wings), winner of the Vodafone Coronation Cup (G1-Eng).

Dreaming of Anna's dam, Justenuffheart, was a stakes winner on the turf, earning $373,229 in eight career wins. Besides Dreaming of Anna, her only other foal to race is Anna's full brother Lewis Michael, an enigmatic colt that has won on the dirt and turf. Also trained by Catalano, Lewis Michael performed very well last year against top 3-year-old competition, running third to Barbaro in the Tropical Park Derby (GIIIT) and second to Sunriver in the Peter Pan (GII). Justenuffheart is a half-sister to Kitten's Joy, champion grass horse in United States, winner of seven graded turf events, including the 2004 Secretariat (GI). Their dam, Kitten's First, is a half-sister to Down the Aisle, a $1 million earner who set three turf marathon track records. Dreaming of Anna is a complete outcross in her first four generations, and as laden as she is with distance influences on both sides of her pedigree, she is likely to be able to handle races much further than the Oaks' nine furlongs. - by Mark Hoard

DREAMING OF ANNA has had an interesting journey since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) last November. After getting a couple of months off, she came back in a sprint, finishing a disinterested third. She followed that up with a dueling second-place finish on the grass two weeks later. Since then, she’s had another two-plus months off, not even recording any workouts form late February through mid-April. Seemingly out of consideration for the Oaks, she was even removed from the single betting interests in Pool 3 of the Future Wager. It’s difficult to get a gauge on her fitness, but she sure looks good in the mornings, with trainer Wayne Catalano in the saddle for her a.m. exercise. She’ll probably get some play at the windows, but maybe not as much as she should because of her downtime and the presence of the Pletcher trio. Makes a very interesting proposition if she can withstand the early pressure.