Wildcat Red works ahead of Quality Road Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Wildcat Red, who has not started since finishing 18th in the Kentucky Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:02.56 over a muddy track shortly after the renovation break Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park. The Hutcheson and Fountain of Youth winner will launch the second half of his 3-year-old campaign here Saturday in the $75,000 Quality Road Stakes.

With jockey Edgar Zayas aboard and the dogs set out about 15 feet from the inside rail, Wildcat Red cruised through opening splits of 13.40 seconds, 26.01, and 38.51 to the top of the stretch, then reached out nicely when urged some down the lane, completing his final quarter over the wet track in 24.05. The main track was harrowed during the break.

“The rider [Zayas] did exactly what I told him to do,” said trainer Jose Garoffalo. “Start easy and finish down the stretch. I wasn’t crazy about the track this morning, but after it was harrowed, it was good enough to work on. I really didn’t want to have to wait another day because the race is too close. He loves the mud, but to be honest, I might not have worked him if they hadn’t harrowed the track during the break.”

Although Zayas, the leading jockey at the spring-summer meet, breezed Wildcat Red on Sunday, Garoffalo said Luis Saez will be here Saturday to ride him in the Quality Road. Garoffalo also has given Saez the call for the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park on July 27. Saez won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth aboard Wildcat Red and rode him in the Kentucky Derby.

“Hopefully they’ll be able to make this race go Saturday so we can use it as a prep for the Haskell,” said Garoffalo. “That is the game plan for now.”

The 1 1/16-mile Quality Road closed with 27 nominations. Entries for the race will be drawn Wednesday.