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Gorder looking forward to Secretariat with General Election WinStar Farm's Grade 3 Arlington Classic winner General Election is on target to take a stab at becoming only the second winner of the Mid-America Triple in its current all-turf configuration. The only other horse to win all three -- Grade Arlington Classic, Grade 3 American Derby and Grade 1 Secretariat -- was Honor Glide in 1997. That Bonnie Heath homebred won his first stakes in the Arlington Classic and would go on to win graded stakes through his seven-year-old season, including a pair of Grade 1s. "That's our next plan," trainer Kellyn Gorder said. "He's been training really well. We're really happy with how he came out of the race." The trainer has entered the colt this weekend in the Centaur Stakes at Indiana Downs. Whether or not the Harlan's Holiday sophomore runs in Shelbyville will conceivably have little bearing on his chances of competing in the American Derby, which is still four weeks away. Gorder is eager to see his charge run once again at Arlington after being thoroughly impressed by the colt's performance in the Arlington Classic. On May 25, the bay colt defeated a large and talented field, while widening his advantage over the competition at the finish line. In what was his first start on turf, General Election thrived with a strong kick under Joe Rocco Jr. "I think he'll like the added distance and he really likes that track," Gorder stated. "I think he's better on the grass. I really do. I like the way he moved on it. He was more fluid and his kick was stronger." Gorder, a relatively young trainer in his early 40s, was previously the farm trainer for WinStar Farm. "I started training about six years ago on my own," he explained. "Before that, I worked for WinStar by starting all their young horses on the farm. Then, I went on my own and they started supporting me with some horses. They've always given me one or two. I'd say I've had a working relationship with WinStar for 10-12 years." The talented conditioner became intimately familiar with what quality horseflesh looks like during his tenure at WinStar. "The first good one I developed was Bluegrass Cat," Gorder said of the Haskell Invitational winner who also finished second in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont and Travers.. "I also worked with such great horses as (Dubai World Cup winner) Well Armed, (Haskell victor) Any Given Saturday, (Breeders' Cup Classic scorer) Drosselmeyer, (Breeders' Cup Mile conqueror) Court Vision and (Kentucky Derby star ) Super Saver. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, but there were some great ones." General Election, an extremely efficient mover with an attractive white blaze like his sire, shows similarities to one of those stars. "He reminds me a little bit of Court Vision," Gorder added. "He's not super-tall horse, but is so well balanced. He has settled so well as he's matured and relaxes behind horses so well, now. His kick is very strong, like Court Vision's was, too. "Obviously, if he's good enough we'd love to win the Secretariat," the trainer concluded. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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