Multiple Graded Stakes Winner Continues Recovery at Gulfstream Park

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Steadily progressing from a back injury suffered in his 2015 debut, Wildcat Red was named champion 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association at their annual awards banquet Monday night in Ocala.

Bred by Moreau Bloodstock and Winter Racing Enterprise, Honor Stable’s Wildcat Red won three of 10 starts with three seconds, two thirds and $848,600 in purse earnings in 2014, including victories in the Fountain of Youth (G2), Hutcheson (G3) and Quality Road Stakes and a runner-up finish in the $1 million Besilu Stables Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

“We didn’t know that we were named Horse of the Year. We found out at the last minute, so it was very exciting and a very nice surprise,” trainer Jose Garoffalo said. “The owners and I were very happy because they recognized what the horse did during the year. It was a nice ceremony, very well-organized. We couldn’t describe with words how happy we were. He’s an amazing horse.”

Stabled with Garoffalo at Gulfstream Park, Wildcat Red was also third in the Haskell Invitational (G1) and Oklahoma Derby (G3) and second in the Sunshine Millions Classic Preview in November at Gulfstream Park West. He opened his 4-year-old season running fifth in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Classic Jan. 17 at Gulfstream.

Subsequent testing showed Wildcat Red, just $63,125 shy of $1 million in lifetime earnings, exited the race with a pulled muscle in his back and has been given time off to recover. He has resumed walking the shedrow and the prognosis is good, Garoffalo said.

“He’s recovering very well. According to the plan, we’re going to check him again at the end of the month,” he said. “Everything seems good. He’s very happy. He’s very full of himself and he wants to do something now, but we have to give him the time he needs. If everything is good at the end of the month, he could go back to the track the first week of April. Hopefully by the end of the summer he will be back in the shape that he was before.”

Several other award winners are based or raced at Gulfstream in 2014, including Daring Kathy, named 3-year-old filly champion. Trained by David Fawkes, she won six of nine starts last year highlighted by the My Charmer (G3), Honey Ryder and Starfish Bay stakes at Gulfstream as well as the Cellars Shiraz at Gulfstream Park West.

Recent winner of the Group 1 Singapore Cup, Parranda was voted champion older female and champion turf horse. Among her victories in 2014 were the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf and the Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream. She kicked off her 6-year-old season winning the Marshua’s River (G3) Jan. 10.

Champion older male and champion male sprinter Happy My Way captured the Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream last March prior to his victory in the Maryland Sprint Handicap (G3). Champion female sprinter R Free Roll won three stakes in 2014 kicked off by the Gulfstream’s Hollywood Beach in April prior to taking the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga Race Course.

Gulfstream-based Stanley Gold was named the leading trainer of Florida-breds by earnings with $1,894,027 during the year. His primary client, Fred and Jane Brei’s Jacks or Better Farm, was named the leading owner by earnings with $1,935,927 from 32 wins in 196 starts.