Trainer Corrales has great day with Something Awesome in General George

Trainer Jose Corrales scored a personally important victory in the Grade 3, $250,000 General George at Laurel Park on Saturday, sending out the Stronach Stable's Something Awesome for a neck score.

Frank and Andy Stronach have been instrumental in Corrales' career. A former rider, he was training in Ohio when the Stronachs sent him to Maryland with a string of horses in 2011. Corrales now operates a public stable, but the Stronachs still send him horses.

In 2014, Corrales asked the Stronachs if they would sell him Bodhisattva. The Stronachs decided to give him the horse.

Bodhisattva turned out to be better than Corrales or the Stronachs ever thought and has earned $450,000. He finished fourth in the $100,000 Campbell at Laurel on Saturday.

Seven-year-old Something Awesome, who arrived in Corrales' barn last fall from Woodbine, has since developed into the best horse of his career.

"These people have been so great for me,” Corrales said. “They gave me the opportunity of my life. I’ve been waiting to win a big race for them.”

The General George is Corrales' first graded stakes win. His nephew, Elvis Trujillo, was in the saddle.

"I was talking to Mr. Stronach and he asked me why I didn't win a big race and I told him, 'Send me a good horse and I will.' He said, 'He might already be in your barn.' "

Something Awesome, a closing sprinter, rallied from seventh in the General George to win a tight finish with five horses separated by 1 3/4 lengths. He is 3 for 4 since being transferred to Corrales and in his lone loss was beaten three-quarters of a length in the Fire Plug Stakes.

"I think the surface switch from Woodbine really helped him," Corrales said.

In all, Something Awesome is 7 for 22. The $150,000 he earned Saturday almost doubled his earnings to $341,000.

"Mr. Stronach told me when I won a big one, he would buy me a drink," Corrales said. "I am ready for that drink."

Fellowship rallied from well back to be second, a half-length ahead of It's the Journey. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Awesome Banner in fourth. Cowboy Mz, the pacesetter, finished fifth, a neck farther back.

Something Awesome paid $8.20 to win as the favorite in the eight-horse field. He was timed in the slop under snowy conditions in 1:23.31 and earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

The General George lost its two favorites when New York-based Great Stuff and Do Share were forced to scratch due to the current equine herpesvirus situation at Belmont Park.