General Quarters

2009 Prep Recap

Date	Trk	Race	Chart	Distance	Time	BSF	Video
2/14	Tam	Sam F. Davis (G3)	Chart	1 1/16m	1:43	102
3/14	Tam	Tampa Bay Derby (G3)	Chart	1 1/16m	1:43	81
4/11	Kee	Blue Grass (G1)	Chart	1 1/8 m	1:49	95

Profile by Ron Gierkink

Strengths: With 11 starts under his girth, this hard-knocker has the most experience in the field. He hit the triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure plateau while romping in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa, and had a troubled trip when he finished fifth in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby. Those who like the synthetic-to-dirt angle should be delighted that he tuned up with a daylight victory over favored Hold Me Back in the Grade 1 Blue Grass over Keeneland's Polytrack.

Weaknesses: He has been competing regularly since early October, and might have attained his peak a race too soon. He reportedly finished slowly over a quick track in his April 23 work at Churchill. A son of Sky Mesa, he is bred for middle distances, and against this caliber of competition, 1 1/4 miles may be just beyond his range.

Strategy: He has done his optimum running from a stalking position, as evidenced by his two graded stakes scores. He should be forwardly placed, especially if the pace is on the slow side.

Value: The one-horse stable of a retired high school principal, General Quarters has garnered lots of publicity and might be overbet because of it. Less than 15-1 should not be considered as fair value on him.

Pedigree Analysis By Dan Illman

Dosage Profile:  5-8-9-2-0
Dosage Index:  2.69
Center of Distribution:  0.67
Auction:  $20,000 yearling

Sire:  Sky Mesa won all three of his starts as a juvenile including the Grade 1 Hopeful at seven furlongs, and the Grade 2 Lane's End Breeders' Futurity at 1 1/16 miles.  He didn't win at three, but earned a career-best 106 Beyer when finishing second in the Grade 1 Haskell at nine furlongs. 
Sky Mesa is a son of Pulpit, the Fountain of Youth and Blue Grass Stakes winner that finished fourth in the 1997 Kentucky Derby.  Pulpit's sire, A.P. Indy, prevailed in the Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic.

Dam:  Ecology failed to place in two races.  Her half-sister, Minimalist, was a stakes-winner at 1 1/16 miles on the grass. 
General Quarters' second dam, Gdansk's Honour, won the Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial at seven furlongs on grass in Ireland. 
Other notable names in the female family include Honoria, a Group 3 winner in Ireland that foaled Jim Dandy hero Composer, and Targowice, a multiple Group 3 winner in France.

Outlook:  It could be argued that General Quarters has already outrun his pedigree with wins in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles and the Blue Grass Stakes at nine furlongs.  There is a good deal of speed on both sides of this family tree, however.  The tenth, and most demanding, furlong of the Kentucky Derby could give General Quarters some problems.