Work All Week, Wildcat Red Breeze Bullets
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Reigning champion sprinter Work All Week and graded stakes winner Wildcat Red each posted bullet breezes June 28, in preparation for the Smile Sprint (gr. II) on the Summit of Speed card July 5 at Gulfstream Park.
At Churchill Downs, Work All Week breezed a half-mile in :46 2/5. The Midwest Thoroughbreds' homebred turned in the fastest of 53 workouts at the distance.
The 6-year-old City Zip gelding capped his 2014 Eclipse Award-winning season with a half-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park Nov. l. The Roger Brueggemann trainee finished a troubled second in the 2015 debut in the Aristides (gr. III) May 30 at Churchill.
The Smile Sprint offers the winner an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
Trainer Jose Garoffalo said Sunday morning that Honors Stable's Wildcat Red will be reunited with reigning two-time Eclipse Award winner Javier Castellano in the Smile Sprint.
"I'm going to go with Castellano," Garoffalo said. "We're happy to have him ride our horse."
Castellano, the reigning three-time winter meet titlist, has ridden Wildcat Red once, guiding the Florida-bred colt to a 4 3/4-length romp in the seven-furlong Hutcheson (gr. III) last year at Gulfstream.
Wildcat Red was confirmed for the six-furlong Smile Sunday morning, following his bullet five-furlong breeze at Gulfstream.
"He went great," said Garoffalo, whose colt captured the Fountain of Youth (gr. II) and finished a close-up second in the Florida Derby (gr. I) at Gulfstream last year. "He loves this track."
The 4-year-old son of D'wildcat , who hasn't raced since finishing off the board in the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Jan. 17, was timed in 1:00.31, the fastest clocking of 12 recorded at the five-furlong distance.
"Mentally, he's more focused. Physically, he's a lot stronger and is more muscled," Garoffalo said. "He's doing everything easier like he did before. He's ready to get back."
The Chris Hartman-trained Alsvid is also scheduled to ship from Kentucky for the Smile Sprint and a chance to clinch a berth in this year's Breeders' Cup Sprint.