WinStar Farm’s General Election survived a claim of foul to prevail by a length in the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington Classic on Saturday at the north Chicago racetrack. The 3-year-old son of Harlan’s Holiday, winner of the John Battaglia S. earlier this year at Turfway Park, has now bankrolled $211,110.
Well back in the early stages of the 1 1/16-mile contest on the good turf, General Election was ninth of 12 for the first six furlongs, which went in a slow 1:14.28. With Joe Rocco, Jr. aboard, General Election made his move up the rail coming into the stretch.
The adventure started in deep stretch. Gefest, Dorsett and General Election were rallying as one. Dorsett appeared to come and bump Gefest at around the same time contact was made with General Election, who went on to cross the wire a length in front of Admiral Kitten, with Dorsett a head back in third and Gefest a nose behind in fourth.
“I felt it (the contact) hindered my horse more than he hindered others because when they contacted him, it turned my horse’s butt sideways. I feel like we were going to draw off from there, but it made him pause – then he went on from it. I think all the pressure was from the outside (Dorsett),” explained Rocco Jr.
Jockey Rosemary Homeister, Jr., aboard Gefest, lodged a claim of foul against both the winner and the third-place finisher Dorsett for contact in deep stretch. Trainer Dorochenko subsequently launched a trainer’s claim of foul in support of his jockey’s objection.The stewards disallowed the claim against the winner.
Assistant trainer John Ortiz, deputizing for Kellyn Gorder, was very pleased after the horse was ruled the winner. “We came into this race very confident. He’s a smart horse; very sensible. He trains unbelievable. He does whatever you ask him to do.”
General Election is now 3-2-0 in seven starts. Bred in Kentucky by Meg and Mike Buckley, WinStar purchased General Election for $150,000 at the 2012 OBS March Select 2-year-old sale. As a yearling, he was a Buy WinStar sales offering, bringing $70,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September Yearling auction.
Harlan’s Holiday leads all sires with 74 winners in 2013, as well as repeat winners, with 22. His progeny have earned $2.8 million this year, led by two-time graded stakes winner Summer Applause, who took Pimlico’s Grade 3 Allaire DuPont Distaff last weekend.
