Wildcat Red Breezes at Gulfstream Park

Honors Stable's Wildcat Red, unraced since suffering a hind end injury in the Sunshine Million Classic Stakes in January, is doing well following his first recorded workout in more than four months, according to trainer Jose Garoffalo.

The 4-year-old son of D'wildcat, who won the Hutcheson Stakes (gr. III) and the Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) in his 3-year-old season, breezed four furlongs in an easy :50.14 seconds on his home track at Gulfstream Park June 5. He is scheduled to work again Friday, June 12. 

"I was very happy with the workout. It was a very easy workout," Garoffalo said. "It was exactly what I wanted, because it was his first breeze after the layoff. He did it good, and he came back happy, and now he's ready to do something more serious." 

Garoffalo said Wildcat Red will stretch out to a five-furlong breeze this week as the Florida-bred continues to improve upon his fitness level following the extended layoff. While the Venezuelan native does not yet have a specific race in mind for his stable's star pupil, he aims to have the colt race ready by the end of June or early July.

"Hopefully by the first or second week of July, we'll be ready to run again," he said."I haven't seen a specific race (for him) yet, but I want to have the horse ready first, and then I will see where I'm going to put him."

Garoffalo said the time off has agreed with Wildcat Red, who earned more than $840,000 in a 10-race sophomore season that included a runner-up finish in the Besilu Stables Florida Derby (gr. I). The bay is less than $70,000 from becoming racing's newest millionaire. 

"He's changed a lot," Garoffalo said. "He looks more mature, stronger, bigger, more muscular. Everything looks good so far."