General Jim streaks into $120K Central Park

Courtlandt Farms’ talented juvenile General Jim will test his abilities against stakes company for the first time in Saturday’s $120,000 Central Park for 2-year-olds traveling one mile over Aqueduct Racetrack’s outer turf.

General Jim, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, enters the 10-horse field as the only horse to have defeated winners, his latest effort a first-level allowance coup on October 29 at Keeneland. The win added to a second-out maiden score in similar fashion on September 3 at Saratoga Race Course where he rallied from 3 1/2 lengths off the pace to secure a neck victory.

McGaughey said switching to turf has made the difference for General Jim.

“I think he likes the turf. His two races on the turf have been good and his one at Keeneland was excellent,” McGaughey said. “Not that I won’t try him on the dirt again. We’ll just see how he comes along. Being by Into Mischief, he ought to like it, and he trained well from Saratoga breaking his maiden.”

General Jim, an $850,000 purchase at last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the stakes-placed Curlin mare Inspired by Grace, a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Off the Tracks and a half-sister to dual graded stakes winner Concord Point.

“I think he’s got a right to be a nice horse, whether its dirt and turf or just turf, who knows,” McGaughey said.

Junior Alvarado will ride from post 10.