Cordmaker shortens up successfully in General George

Turning back to seven furlongs proved no problem for Cordmaker Saturday as the region’s top older dirt male captured Laurel’s Grade 3, $250,000 General George Stakes.

The General George and the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie anchored a 10-race Winter Sprintfest program that also featured four other stakes.

Sent away the 11-10 favorite against six rivals, Cordmaker settled in the pocket as 48-1 shot War Tocsin scooted to the lead from his rail post position. War Tocsin carved out fractions of 22.77 and 45.33 while racing off the inside, and that allowed jockey Victor Carrasco to sneak Cordmaker through along the fence at the quarter pole.

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Cordmaker made the lead but began wandering in the stretch, but held firm to score by three-quarters of a length over a game War Tocsin. Sir Alfred James finished 3 1/2 lengths behind in third. Next came Shackqueenking, Air Token, Threes Over Deuces, and Timeless Bounty. Cordmaker ran the distance in 1:23.58 and paid $4.20. He earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

There was a stewards’ inquiry into the stretch run concerning War Tocsin and Cordmaker, but no action was taken.

"[War Tocsin] never got close enough to even have a foul," winning trainer Rodney Jenkins said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel Park. "It was daylight between. [Cordmaker] never intimidated that horse."

A 7-year-old gelded son of Curlin bred in Maryland by the late Robert T. Manfuso and Katharine Voss, Cordmaker is owned by Hillwood Stable.

He has won five of his last six starts, including four consecutive stakes. He’s won 14 of 36 races for lifetime earnings of $989,400. The General George was his 10th stakes victory and first graded win.