King's review: General Jack flies in turf allowance

That’s the fact Jack

General Jack hinted of quality with a stakes win at Canterbury last year as a juvenile. On Friday, in winning a first-level allowance at Churchill, he did more than hint: He showed what a fast grass horse he is.

Stalking a modest pace under Rosie Napravnik, he went after the leader nearing the six-furlong marker of the race, a mile turf contest, and drew off to win by 4 1/2 lengths. His time was blazing, 1:34.33 – only 0.55 seconds off the 1:33.78 course record set by Jaggery John in 1995.

Admittedly, the Churchill Downs turf was hard and fast with little rainfall in the area over the past week, but even taking that into account, he flew. And the strung-out nature of the top finishers – there was a gap of 11 1/4 lengths back to fourth-place Sultry Cat – further validates the race’s quality.

That is atypical for a turf race. Turf races tend to have tighter finishes than those on dirt.

Fifth in the Grade 2 American Turf on Derby Day for trainer Mike Maker, General Jack looks ready to return to graded stakes company after this performance. And if he runs that quickly again, one of those graded stakes out there is probably his for the taking.

The other grass races

Two other turf races, though of far lesser quality, produced fast times but nowhere near as quick as the time turned in by General Jack.

Teller Terri, winning for a $30,000 conditioned claimer in race three, ran 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:43.75, after a mile split in 1:37.49. And Iwantthat scored a maiden win in the sixth by running 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.03, following a 1:37.76 mile fraction.

That meant that General Jack’s mile time was better than three seconds faster than the mile splits of those two races.

A super-slow race in the fifth

Meanwhile, on the main track, it took starter $5,000 allowance winner Quite Explosive 1:40.35 to complete a mile on a fast track to win the fifth.

Although Quite Explosive was clearly best, winning by 2 1/4 lengths and perhaps idling in the final furlong after making the lead, the race was visually unimpressive to go along with the slow time. That was apparent in the finish of the third-place runner, Lady Susan, who came under a ride on the far turn and looked finished, only to pass some tired horses late and grab third.

The latter is a much better filly on turf and can be forgiven for slow effort, but as for the others, including the winner, they seem best played against in subsequent races.

Horse to watch

BROADWAY ZEN
Trainer: Dale Romans
Race: June 6, 8th
Finish: 2nd by 4 1/2
Beyer: NA