General Quarters looking at Kentucky Cup

General Quarters will stay on a synthetic surface in his attempt to make the Breeders’ Cup when he runs Saturday as one of the favorites in the $200,000 WinStar Kentucky Cup, the showcase event in the newly revived Kentucky Cup series at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

Owned and trained by 77-year-old Tom McCarthy, General Quarters ran seventh in each of his last two races, the July 4 Firecracker Handicap on the Churchill Downs turf and the Sept. 3 Washington Park Handicap on Polytrack at Arlington Park. The 5-year-old horse is a multiple Grade 1 winner with earnings of nearly $1.2 million.

“The last race was disappointing, because he bit his tongue in two places and bled really badly in his mouth, which hindered his breathing,” McCarthy said. “We think it had to do with the tongue-tie, and we think we’ve made the right adjustments. I really want to make the Breeders’ Cup with him, although frankly I haven’t decided on which spot in particular. He’s training good, going good. We’ll just give him a couple of two-minute licks and that should be all he needs before we go up there to Turfway.”