General a Rod tries to turn it around in Thursday route feature
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jack Wolf thought he might be taking an edge when a pair of his Starlight Racing horses were returning from layoffs to face each other in a Dec. 31 allowance at Gulfstream Park.
“All the money was coming in on Itsaknockout, so I ended up betting on General a Rod,” said Wolf.
The good news: Itsaknockout won by nearly five lengths as the 7-5 favorite to become a major player toward the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream on Feb. 6. The bad news: General a Rod trailed much of the way in finishing sixth as the 5-2 second choice.
The subpar effort continued a pattern of mostly disappointing results for General a Rod, for whom Starlight and Skychai Racing paid a seven-figure sum just prior to the 2014 Kentucky Derby.
On Thursday, General a Rod returns to action as the likely favorite in the Gulfstream feature, a $48,000, third-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles that also carries a $100,000 claiming option. Trained by Todd Pletcher, he figures to fare considerably better in his second start since June when facing just four other older horses.
“The racing office has been having trouble making these races, so thank goodness they let it go with just five,” said Wolf. General a Rod “needed that last race. Todd has been training him in blinkers, and he’ll have the blinkers back on [Thursday] when stretching out to two turns, so hopefully we’ll be in good shape.”
Midnight Cello, drawn alongside in post 2, is one of the top opponents, as is Norumbega (post 5), making his third start following a lengthy layoff.
Because of the short field, the feature is carded early in the afternoon as the fourth of 11 races. One other allowance, a $46,000 turf sprint that carries a $62,500 claiming option, goes as race 7. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
KEY CONTENDERS
General a Rod, by Roman Ruler (Last 3 Beyers: 81-92-95)
◗ John Velazquez once again has the call on a Kentucky-bred who has won just once in eight tries since the private purchase in late April 2014.
◗ In a race noticeably void of speed, he should be able to secure a good spot behind Flashy Jewel while making his presence felt throughout.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 General a Rod. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 19-3-4-0 with a $1.05 ROI over the past five years in dirt routes at Gulfstream Park when adding blinkers. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
Midnight Cello, by Midnight Lute (Last 3 Beyers: 78-82-75)
◗ Assimilated into the main Mike Tomlinson string after staying behind in Kentucky to run in the Prairie Bayou at Turfway Park, this 6-year-old gelding has proven himself useful in a variety of circumstances while racking up earnings of nearly $350,000.
Norumbega, by Tiznow (Last 3 Beyers: 84-83-74)
◗ The winner of the Grade 2 Brooklyn on the 2014 Belmont Stakes undercard for Shug McGaughey, this gray horse brings a touch of class to the proceedings and should have no excuses here after getting a pair of recent allowances under his belt.