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t" 4" New England By Fred Galiani Many Young Trainers Get Start in Yankeeland Pete Catrone Began His Career at Age of 20 Joe Spinale One of Most Underrated Riders SUFFOLK DOWNS, East Boston, Mass., May 12.— Being a youth on the New England racing circuit is not a handicap, in fact it is often a blessing. When it comes to riders and trainers, probably nowhere else in the country have as many careers been launched as here. Especially where trainers are concerned. Over the years a good many lads, just barely past their second decade, were granted trainers licenses and went on to be 1 1 e r things. Off hand there comes to mind youths like George Handy, W. C. "Mike" Freeman, Red Ness, Pete GaGicia, Tony Cataldi, all of whom made good not only here but on other circuits. There have been numerous others, who are content to train a few horses for themselves and perhaps an outside patron or two. They seldom make headlines, because they are not handlers of stakes horses, but they are professional horsemen who earn their living with cheap horses. One of this type is Pete Catrone, a dark-haired, dark-eyed young man who will be 28 next week. But he has had a trainers license since 1951, when he just reached the age of one score and one. A native of East Boston, Catrone began working around the backstretch since he was a kid on summer vacations. Such early endeavors are outlawed now, as the law demands no one under 16 may be admitted to a race track, and that includes the stable area. In Catrones younger days it was not so, and fortunately he began h,is career early. By the way, this branch of the Catrones is distantly related to that of Frank Catrone, the former crack rider and successful trainer in his own right in New Jersey. Saddled First Winner in 51 After completing junior high, Pete joined the stable of Eddie Anspach and from the years 1948 to 1951 worked his way up to foreman of the outfit. It was a quartet of years well spent for Catrone, as Anspach is one of the top men in the training profession. Catrone got his license in 1951, went out and bought his first horse, Winola, and it wasnt long before he had the honor of saddling a winner. It took only three starts before Winola got the job done. Another horse he had quick success with was Bassington, with whom he won seven races one season. Catrone has also raced in Florida and Maryland, but this past winter spent the chilly season at the Pine Tree Farm in Framingham. His best year so far was 1955 when he won 14 races with only three horses. This year he has grown a bit in quantity and has seven horses for the H.R.T. stable. The latter is owned by Michael Angulio, a Medford, Mass., restaurateur who entered the business late in 1958. For the H.R.T. outfit, Catrone went to Jamaica last month and purchased a three-year-old filly named Etoile du Nord. In her new colors she immediately became a winner. Monday Etoile du Nord made her second appearance-of the meeting and finished second at odds-on. A flock of pigeons at the head of the stretch took flight as Etoile du Nord came around the turn on the lead and the filly, in quest of her second straight score, put on the brakes abruptly. While this would have qualified for any excuse with most other riders, little Joe Spinale denied it the next morning. "Something bothered her as we came into the stretch," remarked Joe, "it may have been pigeons. But she was trying to lay the body down and might have used that for an excuse. She gets late in most of her races, did it in New York too. I dont think we could have beaten that other horse Grey Haze if we went found again." One thing about Spinale; he doesnt go around looking for excuses. If his horse is beaten squarely, he puts up no phony defense for it as so many other riders can do. Follows in Brothers Footsteps One of the most underrated riders on the grounds is Joe Spinale, the elders of the Spinale brothers. Joe gets very little in the way of mounts. Yet though he had only about 20 at the meeting, he had three winners and a couple of seconds. Another- odd thing about Joe is that he doesnt even have an agent. A natural lightweight who scales just over 100 pounds, he has plenty of ability, but doesnt get the chances he deserves. The odd thing is that just about the same fate befell his younger brother Vinnie. After a big year as art apprentice-rider, Vinnie couldnt buy a mounts Then last year he teamed up with Dick Gottsman, who used him on his horses. Gottsman and Spinale, became top men at most of the New England sessions and Vinnie was leading rider, or near it, throughout the year. The more he won with Gottsmans horses, the more, and livlier, mounts he got from other trainers. Vinnie was rolling again. With any sort of break, Joe could regain the heights he once knew when he was the top bug boy around here some years ago. Jockeys at Suffolk Downs should be the best tanned in the nation. Judge John Pappas has come up with another first for New England tracks — sun deck atop the jockeys quarters. Construction on the solarium was started early this week and the new lounge and tan department will be located atop the jockeys room in the administration building . . . B. A. Dario, executive director of Lincoln Downs, president Henry Lapan and secretary Pete Smith were all present the other afternoon for some sport.
