DEL MAR, Calif. -  Aloha West, who came a long way in a relatively short time, gave trainer Wayne Catalano his fourth Breeders’ Cup victory, registering a last-to-first, heart-stopping decision over tough-luck runner-up Dr. Schivel in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar. Aloha West, who did not start as a 2- or 3-year-old, launched his career just nine months ago, winning a maiden special weight race on Feb. 7 over a muddy strip at Oaklawn Park. He was purchased privately by Eclipse Thoroughbreds after finishing a troubled fifth in his second start five weeks later, and came into the Sprint without a stakes win but off a solid second-place finish in the Grade 2 Phoenix four weeks earlier at Keeneland. :: BREEDERS’ CUP 2021: See DRF’s special section with recaps, results, charts, news, and more for each division With Jose Ortiz aboard, Aloha West dropped back to last shortly after the start of the six-furlong Breeders’ Cup Sprint, but began a sustained rally after the opening quarter-mile. Under vigorous urging before reaching the quarter pole, Aloha West angled wide off the turn, still appeared to have too much left to do to catch the leader an eighth of a mile from home, but continued his surge to run down Dr. Schivel in the final stride. Dr. Schivel sat a perfect stalking trip just off and outside the embattled leaders, rallied three wide to take command in early stretch, edged clear, but just could not last. Following Sea saved ground, had to take up  behind the tiring Jackie’s Warrior and lost momentum entering the stretch, came on again willingly after recovering, and was going well at the end, finishing another 1 1/2 lengths behind Dr. Schivel. Special Reserve, who contested a grueling opening half-mile in 44.11 seconds with Jackie’s Warrior, remained in close contention for five furlongs before finishing a tiring fourth. He was followed by Matera Sky, who was sent hard to dispute the early running after a slow start; a tiring Jackie’s Warrior, who finished sixth as the 1-2 favorite; and C Z Rocket, Firenze Fire and Lexitonian. Aloha West, a 4-year-old son of Hard Spun, completed the distance over a fast track in 1:08.49 and paid $24.60. He earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure. “He’s been training lights-out all the way up to this race, like you’d want a horse to train coming into a race like this,” said Catalano, who won the 2006 and 2008 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with Dreaming of Anna and She Be Wild and the 2011 Juvenile Fillies Turf with Stephanie’s Kitten. “All you can ask for is that they come in healthy and train like that. And she got a good ride from Jose today.” Catalano, who won nearly 1,800 races as a jockey before embarking on his training career in 1983, said of all his Breeders’ Cup victories, this one may be the most special. “At the stage I’m in now, we’re down on horses and business is a little light, so winning this race today means an awful lot,” an emotional Catalano said. “This just might be the biggest highlight of them all.” Aron Wellman, president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, sang Catalano’s praises after the race. “He’s a treasure to the racing industry and Hall of Famer in my book. I’m surrounded by class,” said Wellman nodding toward both Catalano and Ortiz. “And of course the horse deserves the most credit of all. There’s no telling how good he could be. Wayne has done just an incredible job developing this colt. To start your career at 4, in February, and win the Breeders’ Cup 10 months later, that’s master horsemanship. To accomplish that is monumental.” Ortiz said that at the top of the stretch he wasn’t sure he’d be able to catch Dr. Schivel. “I knew coming into the race I was riding a horse that couldn’t be doing any better, but I also knew speed holds pretty good here,” said Ortiz. “I was very happy when we hit the quarter pole but I wasn’t sure I had enough time to catch him. I don’t ride here on a daily basis so I just rode hard, three of four jumps past the wire. I thought I caught him, but I wasn’t sure.” :: Bet with confidence with a Breeders' Cup Package! Includes PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. Trainer Todd Pletcher said jockey John Velazquez thought Following Sea might have won the race with a luckier trip. “He ran terrific,” said Pletcher. “He had a seam coming up the rail at the quarter pole, but the door just closed on him. He had to alter course then re-rallied a bit. Johnny seemed to think if he got through he was the winner.”  Joel Rosario, who rode Jackie’s Warrior, said it just wasn’t his horse’s day on Saturday. “He broke well, was running easy early on, but on the turn I could see the other horse outside me was moving better than we were,” said Rosario. “He always fights, but they can’t win them all.”