Jennie Rees

USA TODAY Sports

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The May 3 Kentucky Derby could have the biggest Venezuelan influence since Canonero II came from Caracas to shock the world in 1971.

Venezuela is the homeland of the owners of Wildcat Red and General a Rod, two of the favorites for Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, as well as the owner of next week’s Wood Memorial candidate Social Inclusion.

“It’s going to be a big deal, especially for my country,” said Wildcat Red’s trainer, Jose Garoffalo, the son of a Venezuelan breeder.

“We have a lot of people in Venezuela following the Derby trail. It’s going to be very important to my country, especially now that we have a lot of problems, fighting against dictatorship. Now it’s going to be a good motivation for my country, because we all love the horse races down in Venezuela.”

Wildcat Red is the second horse owned by wine importer and restaurateur Salvatore Delfino and his wife, Josie Martino. The Fountain of Youth winner is the 3-1 second choice behind 9-5 Cairo Prince in the Grade I Florida Derby’s field of eight 3-year-olds.

Armando Rodriguez, the owner for whom 7-2 third choice General a Rod is named, started going to the racetrack in Caracas when he was 9 with his grandfather, becoming inspired to have horses when he saw the owners arriving in limousines.

General a Rod, who lost the Fountain of Youth by a head after battling Wildcat Red on the lead the entire race, is the first horse Rodriguez has had with Louisville-based trainer Mike Maker.

“I think many people from Venezuela will come to Louisville,” David Seguias, Rodriguez’s racing manager, said of the Derby.

Social Inclusion, who in his second start set a Gulfstream Park track record in beating one-time Kentucky Derby favorite Honor Code by 10 lengths, is owned by Venezuelan Ron Sanchez and trained by his 85-year-old countryman, Manny Azpurua. It all makes for the most interest the South American country has had in the Derby since Canonero II, the owners say.

“We’ll probably have three horses there, and we’re going to have a lot of fun,” said Sanchez. “It will be a big event in Venezuela. The whole country will watch the Florida Derby.”

Wildcat Red and General a Rod have a budding rivalry. In the Jan. 1 Gulfstream Park Derby, they engaged in a duel similar to the Fountain of Youth, with General a Rod winning by a head. Wildcat Red came back to win the Feb. 1 Hutcheson at seven furlongs by 4¾ lengths before his gritty effort three weeks later in the Fountain of Youth.

Wildcat Red could be the hunch play the day after the University of Kentucky Wildcats play the Louisville Cardinals in the NCAA men’s basketball regional semifinals.

Martino, who said she doesn’t really follow college basketball, laughed when told that the hybrid nature of her horse’s name would have both sides covered at Churchill Downs.

“So they’re already cheering for Wildcat?” she said, adding when told the schools’ colors, “So it’s Wildcat blue and Cardinal red? And it’s Wildcat Red’s birthday Saturday. I hope that’s a birthday gift for him — and for us.”

Wildcat Red, a $30,000 2-year-old purchase, got his name from his sire, D’wildcat, and because, Martino said, “when I saw him he looked red, nice and powerful red.”

Combined, Wildcat Red and General a Rod have six wins and four seconds in 10 starts. The 1 1/16th-mile Fountain of Youth was the first start around two turns for both horses. Both camps say they believe Saturday’s 11/ 8 miles will only aid their horse.

“He’s a gladiator,” Martino said of the Florida-born Wildcat Red, who is a head and a disqualification from being unbeaten in six starts, all at Gulfstream. “ ... He’s a real fighter, so we’re confident. When he wins, he knows. He comes back all big and proud.”

Garoffalo was 7 years old but remembers well when Canonero II “surprised the world” in Louisville. Now, 43 years later, he said, “We have a very good chance to have a Venezuelan trifecta in the Derby.”

Coincidentally, the country’s most prominent active jockey from Venezuela, Eclipse Award-winner Javier Castellano, is a past rider of both Wildcat Red (the Hutcheson victory) and General a Rod (Fountain of Youth) but will ride WinStar Farm’s 2-for-2 Constitution in the Florida Derby for trainer Todd Pletcher. John Velazquez rides Wildcat Red for the first time, while 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Joel Rosario regains the mount on General a Rod.

Contact Jennie Rees at (502) 582-4042. Follow her on Twitter @CJ_Jennie, Facebook.com/CJJennie and courier-journal.com/racingblog.

Florida DerbyPost Time: Saturday at 6:45 p.m. ET at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. Purse: $1 million. Distance: 11/8 miles. Weight: 122 pounds. TV: NBC Sports Network, HRTV. Radio: Horse Racing Radio Network 4-7 p.m. ET, Sirius/XM and horseracingradio.net.PPHorseJockey/trainerOdds1.Wildcat RedVelazquez/Garofallo3-12.MatadorLeparoux/Casse15-13.Cairo PrinceL. Saez/McLaughlin9-54.ConstitutionCastellano/Pletcher4-15.East HallLeyva/Kaplan20-16.General a RodRosario/Maker7-27.AllstarBocachica/Vitali30-18.SpotLanerie/Zito8-1