General Quarters |
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Prep Recap
| Date | Trk | Race | Chart | Distance | Time | BSF | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/14/09 | Tam | Sam F. Davis (G3) | Chart | 1 1/16m | 1:43 | 102 |  |
| 3/14/09 | Tam | Tampa Bay Derby (G3) | Chart | 1 1/16m | 1:43 | 81 | |
| 4/11/09 | Kee | Blue Grass (G1) | Chart | 1 1/8 m | 1:49 | 95 | |
| 5/2/09 | CD | Kenucky Derby(G1) | Chart | 1 1/4 m | 2:02 | 79 | |
Profile by Ron Gierkink
Strengths: With 12 starts under his girth, this well-traveled colt has the most experience in the field. He has a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure on his resume, which was earned four starts ago on the dirt at Tampa. He has performed like an "in-and-outer" since that decisive victory over Musket Man, and this could be his day to shine if the pattern continues. He had excuses in the Kentucky Derby, during which he was steadied twice and raced wide over a rail-biased track.
Weaknesses: He has been competing without a break since early October and might be past his peak. His Grade 1 stakes score came on Polytrack in the Blue Grass at Keeneland. The Preakness distance might be just beyond his optimum. He was well beaten over a sloppy surface in the Derby, and might not fire on a wet track.
Strategy: Both of his graded stakes wins came with a stalking trip, and he should be forwardly placed if the pace is on the slow side.
Value: At 10-1, he was an underlay in the Kentucky Derby. Anything less than 20-1 here would make him less than fair value, barring the scratch of a major contender.
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Owner: Thomas McCarthy |
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, $20,000 claim
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. He may have enough grit to last, but the additional distance of the classic races may work against these bloodlines.