BC Juvenile Fillies

Last updated: 11/4/06 7:58 PM

Dreaming of Anna (far right) led the way home in the Juvenile Fillies
(Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com)

Frank C. Calabrese’s homebred DREAMING OF ANNA (Rahy) made her owner’s 78th
birthday a memorable one by scoring a wire-to-wire
victory in Saturday’s $1,832,000
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at
Churchill Downs, extending her unbeaten mark to four-for-four and likely
securing an Eclipse Award as champion two-year-old filly. Adding poignancy to
the occasion, the chestnut was named in memory of Calabrese’s late sister, Anna.

Breaking alertly from
the rail with Rene Douglas, the Wayne Catalano pupil sped to the lead through
splits of :23 3/5, :47 4/5 and 1:12 1/5, with Appealing Zophie (Successful
Appeal) prompting the pace in second.

Turning for home, Douglas took a confident look back over his shoulder. The
only challenger to emerge in the stretch was the Todd Pletcher-trained Octave (Unbridled’s
Song), who angled off the rail and loomed up on the outside, but Dreaming of
Anna found another gear and strode home a convincing winner by 1 1/2 lengths. Her final time for
1 1/16 miles on the fast track was 1:43 4/5.

“I’m still dreaming,” Douglas marveled. “She’s amazing — the best
filly I’ve ever ridden. She proved it today, and you haven’t seen all of
her yet. I know she won, but you’re going to see more from her.”

“Mr. Calabrese turned down a lot of money for this horse,” Catalano
said. “He said to me, ‘Wayne, I want to take her to the big dance.'”

Octave gave a game chase in second, and her stablemate, Cotton Blossom
(Broken Vow), rallied to finish another 1 1/4 lengths back in third. Appealing Zophie held fourth, followed by Cash
Included (Include), She’s Included (Include), Adhrhythm (Adhocracy), Bel Air
Beauty (Smart Strike), Sutra (Meadowlake), Quick Little Miss (Freud), Satulagi
(Officer), Gatorize (Exploit), Her Majesty (Giant’s Causeway) and Lilly Carson
(Carson City).

Sent off as the 5-2 favorite, the winner returned $7.20, $4.60 and $3.40
while spearheading the $50.80 exacta, $597.60 trifecta and $9,380.20 superfecta
(1-4-7-12). The 5-1 Octave gave back $5.80 and $4.40, and Cotton Blossom yielded
$9 to show at odds of 18-1.

Dreaming of Anna now boasts a bankroll of $1,266,240. She was coming off a 3 1/4-length triumph versus males in the
grassy Summer S. (Can-G3) at Woodbine. Prior to that, she had run away with the Tippett S. by 7 1/4 lengths, setting a new course record of 1:01 3/5 for 5 1/2
furlongs on the turf at Colonial Downs. In her only previous start on the dirt,
the chestnut broke her maiden going 4 1/2 furlongs at Arlington Park.

Bred in Kentucky, Dreaming of Anna is out of multiple stakes winner and Grade
3-placed Justenuffheart (Broad Brush), who is herself a half-sister to 2004
champion turf horse Kitten’s Joy (El Prado [Ire]) and recent Martha Washington
Breeders’ Cup S. winner Precious Kitten (Catienus). Dreaming of Anna is a full
sister to stakes winner and Grade 2-placed Lewis Michael, who finished 11th in
Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), and a half-sister to an unnamed yearling colt by
Distorted Humor and a weanling filly by Unbridled’s Song.

Calabrese said that he’s entertaining thoughts of pursuing the Triple Crown.

“She stays sound and healthy, that’s where I’ll go with her,” Calabrese
revealed. “You could tell she’s a good athlete, like a good basketball player or
football player.”

Catalano interjected a cautionary note.

“We’re talking on emotions right now,” the trainer said. “I’ll see how it
goes.”