After finishing a game third in the $1 million William Hill Haskell Invitational (gr. I) July 27, Wildcat Red could be cutting back in distance in a few weeks when he travels to Saratoga Race Course.
Trainer Jose Garoffalo says the $500,000 Ketel One King's Bishop (gr. I) at seven furlongs Aug. 23 could be the next stop for The Besilu Stables Florida Derby (gr. I) runner-up.
"We can run in the Travers (gr. I) that day or we can cut back and go in the King's Bishop, Garoffalo said. "Right now I'm leaning toward the King's Bishop. Right now it doesn't seem to be coming up as tough. I haven't decided 100% yet, but I'm probably looking at the King's Bishop. We've cut back before, like when we ran in the (seven furlong) Hutcheson (gr. III)."
Garoffalo said he was pleased with Wildcat Red's performance in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell, a race in which Bayern led gate-to-wire. The D'wildcat colt stumbled at the start and then chased Bayern from second.
"I was happy with the race. I thought (jockey Luis) Saez could have been a little more aggressive. I think he hesitated a little bit," Garoffalo said. "I think if he ran side-to-side (with Bayern) it might have been a different race, but he made the decision and I'm OK with that.
"The most important thing is he came back from the race very good. We're going to leave him at Monmouth a little longer—he loves Monmouth, the track and the weather—and then we'll send him to Saratoga."
Owned by Honors Stable, Wildcat Red has earned $850,850 in his 10 starts, winning five with three seconds and a third. His biggest wins to date came in the Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) and the Hutcheson.
Wildcat Red
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