General Quarters leads Firecracker as Churchill meet concludes

General Quarters leads Firecracker as Churchill meet

concludes

General Quarters (right) last prevailed over the Churchill turf in the 2010 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (J.B. Faulconer/EquiSport Photos) If history is any guide, GENERAL QUARTERS (Sky Mesa) might be a vulnerable favorite in Monday's $175,000 Firecracker H. (G2), the closing day feature of the Churchill Downs spring meet. The popular gray, owned and trained by former Louisville high school teacher and administrator Tom McCarthy, has not started as a post-time favorite since his winning debut three years ago while running for a $20,000 tag. Since then, however, General Quarters has tended to strike when least expected rather than when he's been among the top betting choices. General Quarters' previous graded wins were pari-mutuel surprises, beginning with a 13-1 upset of the 2009 Sam F. Davis S. (G3) and soon followed by a 14-1 score in the Blue Grass S. (G1). More than a year lapsed before the five-year-old reached the winner's circle again, this time at 8-1 on a wet turf in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1). General Quarters has been unplaced in three other grass appearances, including the Arlington H. (G3) and Arlington Million (G1) last summer. The one-mile Firecracker might serve as a prep for the latter, which is scheduled for August 13.

A retreating seventh in last year's Million, General Quarters was out of

action nearly 10 months following that race. He returned in fine style,

finishing a neck second in a seven-furlong allowance/optional claimer on June

10. He was ridden for the first time that day by Jamie Theriot, who retains the

mount for the Firecracker.

The seven-year-old EL CABALLO (El Corredor) returned from a year-long break

in March and has won once in three starts since. Book-ended by ineffective

performances in the New Orleans H. (G2) and Stephen Foster H. (G1) was an

optional claiming score on the Churchill main track in early May when he raced

for a $100,000 tag, but El Caballo returns Monday to seemingly his best surface.

A previous winner of the Colonel E.R. Bradley H. (G3) and runner-up in the

Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (G2), El Caballo is also two-for-three over the

Churchill lawn, his lone loss coming in the 2009 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic.

Another horse for the Matt Winn turf course is STRIKE IMPACT (Smart Strike),

who's won four of six starts on the Churchill lawn including his last two

against allowance/optional claiming foes. While he was able to draw away by 3

1/4 lengths after setting a dawdling pace on May 5, Strike Impact had to eke out

a neck victory in a three-way photo on May 30.

Others likely to show speed are BARYSHNIKOV (Empire Maker), second to the

now-retired Paddy O'Prado in the Dixie S. (G2) at Pimlico last out; turf debuter

WISE DAN (Wiseman's Ferry), unplaced in four of five starts since his victory in

last October's Phoenix S. (G3) at Keeneland; and multiple stakes winner LUBASH

(Freud), a New York-bred who invades from Belmont.

Among those who should benefit from the contested pace are stakes winner

MISTER MARTI GRAS (Belong to Me), a course-and-distance allowance winner on June

3; stakes winner OMNISCIENT (Pulpit), third in his June 11 turf debut at Indiana

Downs following an eight-month layoff; and the multiple allowance winners MYSTIC

(Unbridled's Song) and JOSHUA REYNOLDS (Royal Academy).