General a Rod starts new chapter

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It seemed like a bold and exciting move when Starlight Racing and Skychai Racing pooled together $3 million to buy General a Rod just days before the 2014 Kentucky Derby.

Two years later, however, the partnership of the two Louisville-based groups has been disbanded. For an undisclosed sum, Skychai, led by Harvey Diamond and Jim Shircliff, has bought out Starlight, led by Jack Wolf, in assuming sole ownership of General a Rod, a 5-year-old horse whose 11-race record under the joint venture included an 11th in the Derby, a fourth in the Preakness, one ungraded stakes victory, one allowance victory, and undoubtedly considerable disappointment.

“We still believe in the horse,” Diamond, an occupational medicine physician, said this week. “We’re hopeful he can still win a couple of stakes and get back in good standing in the ranks of older horses.”

General a Rod has been transferred back into the care of Mike Maker, his original trainer, after spending a little more than a year with Todd Pletcher. The newest chapter in the horse’s enigmatic career starts Sunday at Churchill Downs, where General a Rod will be a solid favorite in the richest of 10 races, a $61,500 classified allowance at 1 1/16 miles. Just four other older horses are entered against General a Rod, who will have Florent Geroux aboard from the outside post.

With its short field, the allowance is carded as the second race and is not part of the Single Six sequence (races 5-10). First post is 12:45 p.m. Eastern.

Two other allowances come later in the card, and they’re splits of the same first-level allowance route for fillies and mares. Each offers a purse of $55,500, with race 4 seemingly far more competitive than race 9, in which Faithfully will be a huge favorite for trainer Bob Baffert.

Through Thursday evening at Churchill, the 20-cent Single Six jackpot had not been hit since May 13, and it figures to exceed $500,000 if no solo perfect ticket empties it Friday or Saturday.

After Sunday, Churchill goes dark for three days before another four-day race week begins Thursday.

Race 2

KEY CONTENDERS

General a Rod, by Roman Ruler
Last 3 Beyers: 84-83-105

◗ Turned over to Maker shortly after finishing sixth behind Eagle and Noble Bird in the April 16 Ben Ali at Keeneland, he has proceeded to post three workouts at his old haunt, the Trackside training annex near Churchill.

Geothermal, by Unbridled Energy
Last 3 Beyers: 88-87-93

◗ His 12-1 upset in the Lukas Classic here last September remains the high point in a workmanlike career in which he has been first or second in 12 of 26 starts and earned more than $325,000 for owners and breeders A.L. and Jo Ann Luedtke.

Ulanbator, by Offlee Wild
Last 3 Beyers: 80-79-80

◗ Trainer Ian Wilkes will slap a new set of blinkers on the 5-year-old gelding, who has shown occasional promise and now makes the third start in his form cycle.