Catire Bello (April 24, 1989–February 20, 2001) was a Venezuelan racehorse who was most famous for his participation in the Florida Derby and becoming the 4th Venezuelan Triple Crown winner.
Background
Catire Bello which roughly translates to pretty blonde in Spanish was a Chestnut colt bred at Haras La Quebrada. He had no white markings on his feet but he had a signature white blaze on his face to go along with his orange coat. His sire was Inland Voyager a modest stakes runner who never finished better than 4th in graded stakes company. However he was quite an influential sire in Venezuela. Siring champions such as Voyardo, Delta Force, and Traffic Control His dam Pink Screen was a proven dam who mostly ran in allowance races. At auction he would be sold to Stud Illusion for 1,150,000 Venezuelan bolívars.
History
2-year-old-season
Catire Bello would make his first start on August 4, 1991, the race would be contested at 1100 meters or furlongs. The race was an effortless victory by 11 lengths. His debut was so impressive that 20 days later he would go into stakes company for the grade 3 Clasico Victoreado. Again it was barely even a challenge to Catire Bello. Halfway through the homestretch he already had a huge lead but in an instant, he more than doubled it to 8 lengths running away comfortably defeating Santu Pretu. Despite a small set back finishing second in the Premio Alberto H. Cipriani behind Santu Pretu. He would make his grade 1 debut in his 4th start the Premio Comparacion. Catire Bello would break well and set the pace keeping a good 1 length lead overall comers that tried to get near him. However, by the far turn, he began to simply open up throughout the stretch managing a 6 length score getting back at Santu Pretu. After another win 6 days later his 2-year-old year concluded and he would be awarded Co-Champion 2-year-old along with Santu Pretu.
3-year-old season
To start his 3-year-old-year Catire Bello would continue his success in Venezuela with 2 more victories being added to his record. In both of these, he would have a rematch with fellow Venezuelan champion 2-year-old Santu Pretu. The first of these was the grade 2 Premio Francisco de Miranda. The race would go entirely Catire Bello's way as he would take the lead by a length with Santu Pretu right behind him. As they moved into the far turn Santu Pretu moved on the rail only a neck behind Catire Bello. But on the outside, Catire Bello with steady encouragement would slowly but surely repel Santu Pretu and go on to win. The second time around the race was not even a contest Santu Pretu was not able to get close to Catire Bello and he would easily romp by 11 lengths.
American Campaign
The 2 wins were so impressive to his trainer Ivan Calixto they decided to ship overseas and try an American campaign with hopes of running in the Kentucky Derby. His first prep to get ready for the Kentucky Derby would be the Florida Derby, with hopes that if he ran well enough they could continue forward towards the Kentucky Derby. The race would offer him many new challenges that he had never had to deal with before. He had never been around 2 turns, as well the quality of the horses in the race would be way harder than those in Venezuela. The idea of a Venezuelan colt winning the Kentucky Derby was not impossible as Canonero II had done it 21 years prior. Many Venezuelans attended the race and listened on the radio to see their horse run. However, when the race began Catire Bello slammed into the starting gate cutting into his stiffe and getting rid of any chance he had of winning. He would not be able to go the lead and instead had to pick off runners late he would face trouble again with 3/16th's to go to be a distant 6th place.
Despite such a rough start to his American campaign Catire Bello would try again with a run in the Tropical Park Derby. Despite breaking better this time he simply didn't have it in him a higher dose of Lasix and fast fractions led to an even bigger dud then seen in the Florida Derby finishing 9th and only managing to defeat 1 horse in the race. His final bid to make it into the Kentucky Derby would be the Derby Trial. Like in the Florida Derby he would not go to the lead and stay towards the back running past tired horses to finish 4th by over 11 lengths. The possibility of making it into the Kentucky Derby was now simply unachievable so they decided to go for the Venezuelan Triple Crown instead.