General Quarters suffers ankle injury

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Arlington Heights, IL (Sports Network) - Fan favorite General Quarters came out of Saturday's Arlington Handicap with an injured ankle. The four-year-old colt finished sixth as the 5-2 second choice in the 11 horse field in the Arlington Park feature.

"He came up with a bum ankle," said trainer Tom McCarthy. "The jock (Rafael Bejarano) said he thought the ground was too hard for him, but the ankle was probably already bothering him during the race.

"We'll take some X-rays when we get him home to see what they show, but I would say the Arlington Million is out. To try and come back in five weeks is too quick for us even if nothing shows up on the X-rays."

The 1 1/4-mile Arlington Handicap was won by Rahystrada with 2-1 favorite Just as Well finishing a half-length back in second.

"The grass was too hard for him," said Bejarano after the race. "He never really got comfortable out there. He ran alright for awhile, but then he kept switching leads to try to get comfortable and he never really did."

General Quarters, stabled at Churchill Downs, was coming off a third-place finish in the Stephen Foster Handicap on June 12. On Kentucky Derby Day he won the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic.

Owned as well as trained by McCarthy, General Quarters won the 2009 Blue Grass Stakes. He finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby behind surprise winner Mine That Bird.