Wildcat Red Back in Action at Gulfstream West

Given a brief freshening as part of a rigorous 3-year-old campaign against top company, Wildcat Red returns to action facing older opponents for the first time in the $100,000 Millions Classic Preview Nov. 8 at Gulfstream Park West.



The 1 1/16-mile test at the former Calder Race Course is one of seven stakes races, each worth $100,000, for Florida-breds on the Saturday program. The stakes fill a spot on the calendar previously held by the Florida Million program.



Wildcat Red is the 8-5 morning line favorite in a field of eight for the Millions Classic Preview, the eighth race on the card with a scheduled post time of 3:58 p.m. EST. Honors Stable's D'Wildcat   colt last raced Sept. 28, finishing third as the even-money choice in the Oklahoma Derby (gr. III) at Remington Park.



He also finished third behind Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Bayern in the William Hill Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park in August, and was major player on the Triple Crown trail in South Florida during the spring. For the year, he is 3-2-2 in nine races with earnings of $839,000.

 

"He came back from Remington Park in good shape. I gave him three weeks off. He's back into his routine and he looks great," said trainer Jose Garoffalo.

 

Wildcat Red has finished no worse than second in eight starts in South Florida, all at Gulfstream Park, where he captured the Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth (gr. II) and finished second in a photo finish with Constitution in the Besilu Stables Florida Derby (gr. I).



After a rough trip in an 18th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), he returned to trounce his rivals in the Quality Road Stakes at Gulfstream by 10 1/4 lengths June 28. He seeks his first victory since then.

 

"He had a great workout (Oct. 31). Edgar Prado breezed him and he's going to ride him in the race," said Garoffalo in reference to a five-furlong breeze in a bullet :59 4/5 at Gulfstream. "Our first goal is to run in the Sunshine Millions Classic (at Gulfstream Jan. 17)."



Eddie Kenneally-trained Schivarelli, 3-for-4 in his career, is pegged at 2-1. After winning his first two starts at Aqueduct Racetrack last winter, the 3-year-old son of Montbrook finished fourth in the Twinspires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I) in April. He returned from a six-month layoff to win a seven-furlong second-level allowance at Keeneland Oct. 12.

 

East Hall, the 3-1 third choice on the early line, has finished behind Wildcat Red in four meetings. But the Bill Kaplan-trained 3-year-old gelding looms as a major threat off his victory in the $500,000 Indiana Derby (gr. II) Oct. 4 at odds of 16-1. The son of Graeme Hall also captured the $300,000 Ohio Derby. Those victories were sandwiched around a troubled sixth in the Super Derby (gr. II) at Louisiana Downs.

 

"(Wildcat Red's) beaten us a few times, but my horse is better now and maybe he isn't quite as good. I don't know," Kaplan said. "Plus, it's on a new surface. So, we'll see."

 

Also entered in the Classic Preview field were Megamove, Sr. Quisqueyano, Tryer, Undeniable Temper, and I'm Steppin' It Up.

 

Multiple-stakes winner Best Plan Yet was made eligible to run in the Millions Classic Preview, but Jacks or Better Farm and trainer Stanley Gold have opted to run the 3-year-old colt in the $100,000 Millions Turf Preview. The son of Hear No Evil   captured the Forty Niner Stakes over the Gulfstream turf Aug. 23 before finishing a disappointing eighth in the Showing Up Stakes at Gulfstream Park West Oct. 18.

 

"He threw in a clunker. He looked like he didn't even try. Maybe he didn't like the soft turf. He liked the Gulfstream turf better, but we don't have that option right now," Gold said. "We're going to give him another chance."

 

Best Plan Yet is scheduled to clash with defending champion Bad Debt in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up. The Michael Trombetta-trained gelding has finished in the money in 36 of 46 career starts on turf, and has won two of three starts at Gulfstream Park West.



Gold entered three Jacks or Better homebreds in the 6 1/2-furlong $100,000 Millions Juvenile Preview, including Sing Praises, who captured two of the three legs of the Florida Sire Stakes series at Gulfstream. After winning the six-furlong $100,000 Dr. Fager, the son of Hear No Evil finished a close second in the seven-furlong $250,000 Affirmed. He rebounded to win the 1 1/16-mile $350,000 In Reality, in which he showed a new dimension while closing from off the pace.

 

"It'll probably be an advantage to cut back. We know he can sprint. He's dead fit," Gold said.

 

Gold also entered Twotwentyfive A and Hear That Tune in the Juvenile Preview. Twotwentyfive A defeated Sing Praises by a neck in the Affirmed before finishing an even fourth in the In Reality. Hear That Tune broke his maiden at first asking before finishing a tiring eighth in the In Reality.