Will’s Wildcat – Will his 2012 campaign be better than his 2011 one?
Though there are no future entries for the 3-year-old gelding, Will’s Wildcat, but the Kentucky bred James Baker trained gelding has been the most under rated 3-year-old of the 2011 campaign. With not so much big starts in his 3-year-old career, one feels
that justice hasn’t been done to this gelding to shine.
Owned by Patton’s Creek Farm, Will’s Wildcat 2011 campaign was also his debut season, and lack of big opportunities could be to keep him off star company and groom him to be a better race horse in his 4-year-old career.
Whatever the reason, the quantity is there in regard to starts that Will’s Wildcat has made this season, but entries in quality races have been lacking and that is what horse racing needs these days, a little bit of risk and gamble by connections to be a
little ruthless when it comes to horses who have potential for stardom.
Not by any means a suppressed season, Will’s Wildcat had a bulky season with 12 starts in 12 months. He won his debut race at fifth asking with distances ranging from 6 and half furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, but he won his first race going over a distance of
1 mile in an allowance claimer at Churchill Downs on 10 June, 2011.
He broke brilliantly under jockey C Borel over Churchill Downs’ dirt track and downed the likes of Lou Brissie in second and Ninety Schillings in third, while he covered the mile in 1 minute and 35.38 seconds.
It was immediately up to stakes company, as Will’s Wildcat finished fourth in the Long Branch Stakes going over at 1 1/16 miles to winner Rattlesnake Bridge at Monmouth Park.
The Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga was the next opportunity, but Will’s Wildcat failed to fire as he finished sixth on the day.
Third in the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Sprint over Turfway Park’s synthetic surface, jockey C Borel got hold of the gelding for the first time since winning his the allowance claimer back in June.
Will’s Wildcat seemed to be a different horse under jockey C Borel, and together they then landed the $85,000 Jimmy V. Stakes at Churchill Downs.
On 20 December, Will’s Wildcat was seen tuning an easy half mile for trainer James Baker in 49.73 seconds, and it seems the gelding is being readied for the 2012 campaign.
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