Wildcat Red Opens Season in Sunshine Millions Sprint
Multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Wildcat Red opens his 5-year-old season at his favorite racetrack on Saturday, ending a 3 ½-month break between races in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream Park.
Standing in the way of a successful return in the six-furlong main track sprint for Florida-breds 4 and up are seven rivals led by speedball X Y Jet, an impressive winner of his last three starts including the Mr. Prospector (G3) over older horses Dec. 19 at Gulfstream.
The Sprint is one of six stakes worth $1.05 million on the 12-race Sunshine Millions program, anchored by the $250,000 Classic. It also serves as a fitting prelude to the 45th Eclipse Awards dinner and ceremony being held for the fourth consecutive year at Gulfstream’s Sport of Kings Theater Saturday evening.
Trained by Jose Garoffalo for Honors Stable Corp., Wildcat Red won one of just five starts in 2015, missing substantial time recovering from a back injury suffered when fifth in last year’s Sunshine Millions Classic. It marked the only time the bay son of Grade 1-winning sprinter D’wildcat was worse than third in 10 lifetime tries at Gulfstream, five of them wins.
He returned to run third in the Smile Sprint (G2) in July at Gulfstream, win Monmouth Park’s Teddy Drone Stakes and closed the year with a pair of Grade 1 sprints in New York, finishing fourth in the Aug. 29 Forego at Saratoga and fifth in the Sept. 26 Vosburgh at Belmont Park.
“I just gave him a layoff. He had a tough summer, so we decided to give him a couple months off and that’s what we did,” Garoffalo said. “He came back full of himself and he’s back again. We have to run a good race and then we’ll see where we go. We’ll start from here.”
For his return Wildcat Red has a steady string of works at Gulfstream, where in 2014 he won the Hutcheson (G3) and Fountain of Youth (G2) and was second in the Gulfstream Park Derby, now the Mucho Macho Man, by a head and the Florida Derby (G1) by a neck. Championship Meet-leading rider Javier Castellano, aboard for the Hutcheson victory, returns to ride from post five.
“Every time he comes back it’s very important for us because we’re always waiting for his comeback all the time. He’s very good now. We gave him the time he needed. We are ready to run. He is more focused than before and stronger, which is good for him. He grew up a lot and put on some weight. He’s a bigger horse,” Garoffalo said.
“He’s coming back in a good spot for him because it’s a Florida-bred stake, but there is a tough horse which is X Y Jet. We have to run the race. That horse ran good the other day and he won impressively, but my horse has run with better horses. We have to see in the race.”
Gelfenstein Farm’s X Y Jet has reeled off three straight wins over older horses since returning from a six-month layoff last fall, taking a pair of optional claiming allowances before his 9 ¼-length romp in the Mr. Prospector. He hit the wire in 1:08.56, just .44 off Gulfstream’s six-furlong main track record.
“The horse is doing excellent. I can’t ask for more. He’s ready,” Navarro said. “He’s more mature now. I can’t wait for the race.”
The newly turned 4-year-old returned to the work tab with a six-furlong breeze in 1:13.60 Jan. 7 for trainer Jorge Navarro at his Gulfstream Park West base.
“Before, you had to take him out to the pole to work. Now he does everything himself. He worked [five furlongs] in a minute flat, just on cruise control. He wasn’t doing anything. He switched leads perfectly and came home good,” Navarro said.
“He’s been good, really good. Probably a week before the workout he wanted to do something already. I like to keep him fresh, that’s the way I’ve been training him, but he’s showing me he’s ready. He’s getting better and better.”
Emisael Jaramillo, up for the last two races, gets a return call from outside post eight at topweight of 123 pounds.
Jacks or Better Farm homebred C. Zee, winner of the Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3) last February and third in the Mr. Prospector; multiple Grade 3-placed Puntrooskie; stakes-placed El Botas, making his first start since claimed by trainer Joe Sharp out of a six-furlong win Dec. 19 at Gulfstream and Ackeret, unraced since last May 16; It’s Not Me, winner of the 2014 Buffalo Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park West making his first start since Feb.7; and Alfredo Romana, who had a four-race win streak snapped when eighth in the Claiming Crown Express Dec. 5, round out the field.
Top Turf Sprint Preview Trio Meet Up Again in $150,000 Turf Sprint
Jewel of a Cat, Katie’s Kiss and Noble Prince, the top three finishers in the Sunshine Millions Turf Sprint Preview Nov. 7 at Gulfstream Park West, will square off again in Saturday’s $150,000 Millions Turf Sprint.
Trained by Carlo Vaccarezza for J and J Stables, Jewel of a Cat has won her past two starts having followed up her three-length Turf Preview victory by taking the Windley Key Stakes Dec. 27 at Gulfstream. She is two-for-two over the turf course at Gulfstream, including the Ladies Turf Sprint last February.
Stonestreet Stables’ Katie’s Kiss has been first or second in her last six starts, winning the Summer Winds Stakes in August at Gulfstream. She was also runner-up in the Dec. l9 Lightning City Stakes at Tampa and Sept. 5 Florida Stallion Jewel Princess at Gulfstream, and is seven-for-nine lifetime at the distance, with three wins and three seconds.
“She came out of the last race good and she’s been training good, and this time we don’t have to ship and run,” trainer David Fawkes said. “She’s doing good right now. We can be close or come from off of it. I’ll let the jockey ride his race. Everything’s good. She’s a nice filly. She really has grown up a lot. She’s got a lot of leg on her.”
Navarro will be represented in the Turf Sprint with Delta Bluesman, third by a head to Wildcat Red in the Teddy Drone and most recently second by less than a length in an off-the-turf Claiming Crown Canterbury Dec. 5 at Gulfstream. The 6-year-old gelding dead-heated for third with Noble Prince in the Turf Preview.
“He had a nice work the other day and went excellent,” Navarro said. “Hopefully it’s going to be a big day for us. I’m looking forward to the races.”
Also entered are Amelia’s Wild Ride, winner of the Oct. 3 Woodford (G3) as well as the Gulfstream Turf Sprint last February; Turf Monster (G3) winner Pure Sensation, eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) Oct. 31; Grade 2-placed Summation Time; Stormofthecentury, Platinum Prince, Padilla and Simon Bar Sinister. City of Weston is entered for main track only.
Source: Gulfstream Park