Wildcat Red bypasses Holy Bull entry box due to illness

A minor illness has kept Wildcat Red, runner-up in the

Gulfstream Park Derby on New Year's Day, from making his next scheduled start in the

Grade 2, $400,000 Holy Bull on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Trainer Jose Garoffalo said the D'wildcat colt was treated after showing some mucous in his

throat on Monday morning, the day entries were taken for the Holy Bull.

"We

decided not to enter because the horse got sick," Garoffalo explained. "He's got a

little cold. He wasn't a hundred percent good for the race, so we decided to

skip the race.

"He's in good shape. It's just a routine cold, so we're treating

him and he'll be better for the next time."

Garoffalo said Wildcat Red did not

have a fever and that he could train the horse up to the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth

going the same 1 1/16-mile distance as the Holy Bull on February 22 at

Gulfstream. The Fountain of Youth could turn provide a sense of deja vu as

Gulfstream Park Derby winner General a Rod is also targeting the contest.

"He just wasn't reacting like he usually does. He

wasn't too happy (Monday) morning," Garoffalo said. "Maybe it was the change of

weather or something related to that, I don't know. We hopefully have many races

ahead for him."

Garoffalo also mentioned the Grade 2, $200,000 Hutcheson sprinting seven

furlongs at

Gulfstream on February 1 as a possible start. Wildcat Red thus far has two wins and two

seconds from four career starts.

"We have to evaluate the horse in the next

couple of weeks," Garoffalo said. "He's OK. We didn't want to take the chance, so we

just do what's best for the horse."

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