Frank Calabrese

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2009 Record: (264-80-34-37)

2009 Earnings: $1,128,184

2009 Win %: 30% In-The-Money %: 57%

Born: Nov. 4, 1928, Chicago, Ill.
Residence: Park Ridge, Ill.
Family: sons, Frank, Carmen and Lewis; five grandchildren
Professional Background: Calabrese made his fortune with the printing firm FCL Graphics in the Chicago community of Harwood Heights, using the first letter of his sons' names in naming the business ... He sold the business in 2004 for an estimated $75 million ... His first job, at 11 years old, had him hanging unseasoned paper for 50 cents an hour in the "Little Italy" section of Chicago
Racing Background: His first bet, 50 cents at a bookie joint, paid $36 and provided him with what was a week's pay ... Hung around the book joints as a young adult, and considers himself to be a horseplayer ... Calabrese raced Standardbreds for 14 years before switching to Thoroughbreds. His first horse, Appealing Ring, won her first race for him but nothing after that
Racing Career: Calabrese has been in the racing business for about a quarter of a century and ranks as a true "character" at the track ... He's a constant burr under the saddle of riders and trainers, alike, and extremely vocal as he hangs over the rail of the Arlington Park paddock, stating "I like to be where the action is with all the other degenerates" ... Over the years has developed a reputation for operating a revolving door for trainers ... Wayne Catalano is now in his second tour of duty with Calabrese, and has been extremely successful with the owner, helping him break his own Arlington Park record in 2007 with 74 wins, capturing his eighth consecutive owner's crown in the process ... The team added a ninth consecutive crown in 2008 ... His Dreaming of Anna won the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies en route to an Eclipse Award ... Lewis Michael, Dreaming of Anna's full brother, finished 11th in the 2006 Sprint and 5th in the inaugural Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Monmouth in 2007. After a solid win in the G2 Pat O'Brien Handicap at Del Mar in August, he on track for another stab at the Dirt Mile in 2008 ... Dreaming of Anna, a three-time stakes winner in both 2007 and 2008, was retired after finishing sixth in the G1 First Lady Handicap at Keeneland on October 4 ... Calabrese's favorite horse is Silver Maiden, who won all five of her career starts at age two (1997), including the G3 Arlington-Washington Lassie and the G1 Frizette. He bought Silver Maiden privately from Florida horseman Red Curtin before she made her first start ... Silver Maiden's daughter Dreaming of Liz (by El Prado) won the 2007 edition of the Lassie. In 2008, "Liz" won a couple of overnight stakes at Arlington – the Double Delta and the Sweetest Chant ... Other stakes performers campaigned by Calabrese include: Crimson Road (Victoria Lass Stakes), Exclusive Praline (1994 Ohio Derby), Super Fortunate (Lady Hallie Handicap) and Conplay (Gold Digger Stakes) ... Exclusive Praline, Calabrese's first Breeders' Cup starter, finished ninth in the 1994 Sprint ... Calabrese's favorite part about being a horse owner is "winning races by putting horses where they belong" ... His least favorite part of being a horse owner is "bills and excuses" ... Along with stable manager Steve Leving, Calabrese is directly involved with scouting potential claims
Breeding/Racing Operation: Calabrese has boarded his mares at Richard and Cheryl Curtin's Shanbally Acres near Ocala, Fla. for some 15 years and has two mares there currently ... Curtin previously broke all of Calabrese's yearlings until he sold his training center ... Calabrese sold Justenuffheart, the dam of Dreaming of Anna and Lewis Michael, for a reported $600,000 ... His broodmare Liz on Polk Street has a 2007 foal by Distorted Humor named Fighting Jo Jo, and is expecting a 2008 foal by Fusaichi Pegasus. Silver Maiden had a 2008 filly by Pulpit ... Through Oct. 12, 2008, Calabrese was ranked 19th among North American owners with 123 wins from 362 starts and $2,253,314 in earnings.