HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.- The trainer Jose Garoffalo spent all of his $30,000 budget last June to buy Wildcat Red as a 2-year-old, never imagining the bargain he was bringing home.
Wildcat Red bested General a Rod by a head in a prolonged stretch duel to win the $415,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, establishing himself as a surprising contender for the Kentucky Derby on May 3.
“I got lucky; we paid exactly the budget we had for the horse, no more than $30,000,” Garoffalo said of his purchase of the Florida-bred horse for the owner Salvatore Delfino. “I liked his balance and I liked his attitude.”
Wildcat Red’s determination made the difference as he maintained a tenuous lead against General a Rod virtually throughout the 1 1/16-mile race. Wildcat Red ran the distance in 1:41.85 seconds.
Wildcat Red, ridden by Luis Saez, won for the fourth time in six starts. The colt has also recorded two runner-up finishes for Garoffalo, who was born in Venezuela and has trained horses in the United States since 1999. Wildcat Red boosted his career earnings to $490,850.
Top Billing, who was last in the field of 12 during the early stages, rallied to take third for the trainer Shug McGaughey, who earned his first Kentucky Derby victory when Orb won the race for him last year.
Orb won the Fountain of Youth a year ago. For an instant, McGaughey said he thought Top Billing, who broke from the 12 post for Joel Rosario, would get him to the winner’s circle again but they came up 2 lengths short.
“Coming around the turn, I thought we had them,” he said. “But they kept running.”
Wildcat Red, at 9-2 odds, paid $11.00. $5.00 and $3.40. He earned 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, and is virtually assured a spot in the race on May 3 at Churchill Downs. General a Rod earned 20 points, which could be enough for one of the 20 Kentucky Derby spots.
RISEN STAR
Intense Holiday wins
NEW ORLEANS - Intense Holiday rallied along the outside and edged Albano to win the Grade II Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds Race Course on Saturday.
The Risen Star is Fair Grounds’ final prep for the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 29, and the race featured several horses that could wind up in the Kentucky Derby on May 3.
The victory, worth 50 points in the Road to the Derby standings, all but assured that Intense Holiday, trained by Todd Pletcher, would qualify for the Triple Crown’s opening race at Chuchill Downs.
Intense Holiday, ridden by Mike Smith, covered the 1 1/16-mile course in 1:43.86 and paid $12, $6 and $4.
Albano, who led every step until the final one, returned $12.20 and $6.80. Vicar’s in Trouble, who won the Fair Grounds’ Grade III Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 18, earned $3.40 for third place. Vicar’s in Trouble broke from the No. 13 post in the 15-horse field.
Sports, Pages 29 on 02/23/2014