by Mike Curry
After finishing second in stakes races in his previous two starts, General Quarters earned a breakthrough win on Saturday in the $221,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.
General Quarters did not generate the hype that surrounded several of his challengers entering the 1 1/16-mile race, but the Sky Mesa colt stole the spotlight with a convincing 3 1/2-length win under James Lopez.
Trained by Mark Miller for owner Thomas McCarthy, General Quarters finished second to Sam F. Davis contender Top Seed in the Inaugural Stakes on December 27 at Tampa to close his two-year-old campaign. He entered off a second-place finish to Sam F. Davis entrant Musket Man in the Pasco Stakes on January 17, also at Tampa, and was sent off at odds of 13.20-to-1 with only a maiden victory to his credit.
The Sam F. Davis drew several highly regarded entrants from the three-year-old division, including Remsen Stakes (G2) runner-up Atomic Rain and previously undefeated Free Country, sent off as the 1.90-to-1 favorite off a 1 1/8-mile allowance win at Gulfstream Park on January 8.
A. P. Cardinal set the pace through a half-mile in :47.77 and six furlongs in 1:12.25, while General Quarters and Sumo stalked the pace from second and third, respectively. General Quarters moved up to challenge from the inside on the turn and shook free to a commanding lead in the stretch. He coasted to victory in 1:43.54 on a track rated as fast.
"I'm just real proud of him," said Miller, who earned his first career stakes win. "He proved a lot today. I'm looking at the Tampa Bay Derby [(G3) on March 14] as long as everything's okay. That's the next step. Mr. McCarthy claimed him in Kentucky, and I was stabled next to him—that's how we met."
McCarthy claimed General Quarters for $20,000 out of his career debut, a 4 1/2-fulong maiden claiming race he won by a neck on May 30 at Churchill Downs.
Sumo finished second at 33.40-to-1 odds in his stakes debut for trainer Graham Motion. Musket Man was another 1 3/4 lengths back in third in the 11-horse field.
Free Country was unable to quicken in the stretch and finished fourth. He was followed by A. P. Cardinal, previously undefeated Top Seed, and 2.70-to-1 second choice Atomic Rain.
Out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Ecology, General Quarters improved to two wins in nine starts and earned $120,000 with the Sam F. Davis Stakes win to push his bankroll to $167,735.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor