East Hall primed to turn tables on Wildcat Red

East Hall and Wildcat Red have met four times this year, and the score is 4-0 Wildcat Red. Surprisingly, when they face each other Saturday in the Sunshine Millions Classic Preview at Gulfstream Park West, East Hall looks like the one to beat.

The Classic is not a two-horse race, though. Schivarelli prepped for the Classic with a win at Keeneland and figures to have a lot to say in the outcome. East Hall, Wildcat Red, and Schivarelli are all 3-year-olds facing older rivals.

The 1 1/16-mile Classic is one of seven $100,000 stakes for Florida-breds on Preview Day. Eight stakes were originally scheduled, but the Filly and Mare Turf was canceled after not attracting sufficient entries.

The Preview Day stakes figure to produce starters for Florida Sunshine Millions Day at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 17. Five statebred stakes, with a total value in excess of $1 million, are planned, with the Sunshine Millions Classic worth $350,000.

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The four previous meetings between Wildcat Red and East Hall took place at Gulfstream Park. Wildcat Red won the Quality Road Stakes by 10 lengths over East Hall; he finished a close second in the Florida Derby, with East Hall fifth; he won the Fountain of Youth, with East Hall fourth; and he was a close second in the Gulfstream Park Derby, defeating third-place East Hall by 2 1/4 lengths.

But as the season has progressed, East Hall has improved, and he comes into the Classic having won two of his last three, the Grade 2, $500,000 Indiana Derby and the $300,000 Ohio Derby.

Wildcat Red, on the other hand, may be starting to show the effects of a long season. Following his Quality Road romp in late June, he finished third to Bayern in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational. He has since finished fifth, beaten three lengths, in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at 3-1 and fifth, beaten 5 1/4 lengths, as the even-money favorite in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby.

East Hall and Wildcat Red have proved very durable during their 3-year-old seasons, which began with the Jan. 1 Gulfstream Park Derby. East Hall will be making his 11th start of the year Saturday, and Wildcat Red his 10th.

Classic Preview, race 8

KEY CONTENDERS

East Hall (Lasts 3 Beyers: 97-84-87)

◗ Trained by Bill Kaplan, East Hall wins his races in the stretch. He raced close to a slow pace in the Indiana Derby and overtook Vicar’s in Trouble in the final sixteenth. In the Ohio Derby, he rallied from farther back to get up in the final jump.

“He’s an iron horse. He’s got a great mind on him,” Kaplan said. “He does what the rider wants him to do.”

Wildcat Red (Last 3 Beyers: 87-89-97)

◗ Has the ability to relax on the lead or just off it, as he did in the Oklahoma Derby. Might be quicker than Schivarelli and could go right to the lead.

◗ Worked a bullet five furlongs in 59.80 seconds at Gulfstream Park on Oct. 31.

“He came back from Remington Park in good shape. I gave him three weeks off, and he looks great,” said trainer Jose Garoffalo. “He had a great workout Friday. Edgar Prado breezed him, and he’s going to ride him in the race.”

◗ This will be his first start at Gulf West.

Schivarelli (Last 3 Beyers: 89-96-86)

◗ Has won three of his four career starts for trainer Eddie Kenneally. He has speed but closed to win a seven-furlong optional-claiming race at Keeneland on Oct. 12 while making his first start in six months.

◗ In his prior start in the Wood Memorial, Schivarelli alternated on the early lead with Social Inclusion before finishing fourth. Social Inclusion, who was third, beat him only 1 1/2 lengths.