Arlington Park: More turf racing ahead for General Election

The 3-year-old colt General Election was, of course, raised in fields of grass and has trod over turf innumerable times during his time on Earth. But it was not until he stepped onto the Arlington grass course for the Arlington Classic on Saturday that General Election had been out on an actual turf course.

His trainer, Kellyn Gorder, using General Election’s all-weather form and his pedigree as a guide, thought his horse would like the experience, and he was right. With a rail-hugging ride from Joe Rocco Jr., General Election won his first graded stakes in his eighth start.

“That was his first couple steps on it, but I thought just the way his running style is, and with the Kingmambo mare, that he’d really like turf,” Gorder said.

General Election, the property of WinStar Farm, is by Harlan’s Holiday and out of Menekineko, the Kingmambo mare Gorder mentioned. Plans, unsurprisingly, call for more turf racing this summer, and General Election’s next start could come in one of three spots: the $200,000 Centaur Stakes on June 15 at Indiana Downs, the $500,000 Virginia Derby on July 13 at Colonial Downs, or the $200,000 American Derby on July 13 at Arlington.

“We’ll think about it this week and then make a decision,” Gorder said.