Grade 2 winner Wildcat Red goes for $45,000 at Keeneland November

Grade 2 winner Wildcat Red sold to Douglas Arnold of Buck Pond Farm for $45,000 during Tuesday’s racing-age portion of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale in Lexington, Ky.

After signing the ticket, Arnold said he would keep all options open for the 6-year-old son of D’wildcat, including putting him back on the track with trainer Eddie Kenneally or standing him at stud. Arnold stands a pair of stallions at his farm in Versailles, Ky.

“I really don’t have any plans for him,” Arnold said. “He was just one of the best racehorses of his time. I know how much speed that line has, and what a good sireline it is, and I think he was way underpriced. I think he’s worth a lot more money than that.”

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Wildcat Red has won six of 22 starts for earnings of $1,108,975. In 2014 at 3, he won the Grade 3 Hutcheson Stakes and Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, then ran second in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, all at Gulfstream Park, en route to a start in the Kentucky Derby.

The second half of his sophomore campaign included a win in the Quality Road Stakes, a runner-up effort in the Millions Classic Preview Stakes at Gulfstream, and thirds in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes and Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby.

Wildcat Red returned at 4 to win the Teddy Drone Stakes at Monmouth Park and run third in the Grade 2 Smile Stakes at Gulfstream. At 5, he ran second in the Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream.

Wildcat Red raced his first three seasons for owner Honors Stable Corp. and trainer Jose Garoffalo. He was acquired privately in 2016 by Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, and was sent to the U.A.E. for his 6-year-old campaign, going unplaced in two starts for trainer Doug Watson.

“That Forest Wildcat line had so much speed, but he was a horse that could get a distance of ground,” Arnold said. “He had a lot of front-end speed. He looks like a stallion. He doesn’t have to do anything, he’s proven he’s a great racehorse, so hopefully he can be a great stallion as well.”

Vinery Sales consigned Wildcat Red, as agent.