The General Marches On
General’s Chariot treated his contemporaries with disdain in capturing his 8th graded race on Saturday in Iowa. The General gave the rest of the field a master-class in how a sprint race should be run by settling off a suicidal pace at the front end and then moving into overdrive as they hit the stretch. His change of gear was the attribute that set him apart here, as he gobbled up the leaders with relish and moved imperiously clear of a game Drunken Lullabies who ran on in vain pursuit for second. Day Vision ran an eye-catching 3rd as he began to reel in the leaders fast and late.
Two divisions for the 3yo colts on turf are now dominated by one horse. For Horseshoe Bay in the long division, read General’s Chariot in the sprint division. It may be that Horseshoe Bay’s grip on the 3yo championship is not as firm as it was, with the General putting in a spirited challenge for year-end honors.
Horseshoe Bay has yet to face his elders and may do so this week, whereas General’s Chariot has already been there and done that. A cheeky ½ length victory in his penultimate race, the Cane Toad Stakes-G2 showing that there is little to fear from the older brigade.
On this evidence it will take a good horse to lower the General’s colors in races up to a mile and the predicament facing owner proudtruth (snowchief) now, is whether to move him back up to a mile for the Breeder’s Bowl where he has been less effective. However, a win in that event would give him even more weight when it came to deciding Eclipse honors.
What would you do?