California Stallion General Meeting Pensioned

General Meeting, one of California's leading sires since the 1990s, has been pensioned because of severe arthritis in his neck. The 17-year-old son of Seattle Slew will undergo treatment and remain at Betty Mabee's Golden Eagle Farm near Ramona, Calif. Mabee and her late husband, John, bred General Meeting and raced him in the Golden Eagle name.

A graded stakes winner, General Meeting experienced his best season in 1999 when his runners included General Challenge and Excellent Meeting. The former scored grade I wins that year in the Pacific Classic Stakes and Santa Anita Derby. Excellent Meeting captured the grade I Santa Anita Oaks and Las Virgenes Stakes.

With progeny earnings of $4.2 million that year, General Meeting ranked first in California for the second consecutive year and was 14th for all of North America. The Mabees upped his fee from $10,000 to $50,000 for the 2000 breeding season.

General Meeting's early days at stud were somewhat unconventional. He stood his first season as a 4-year-old in 1992, then was returned to training. He was retired for good in the spring of 1993.

General Meeting, who stood this season for $10,000, has sired a total of 26 stakes winners and the earners of $22.6 million. He sired other grade I winner Magical Allure as well as grade II winners Yearly Report, Career Collection, and Classy Cara.

Produced from the Alydar mare Alydar's Promise, General Meeting won the 1991 Volante Handicap (gr. IIIT) and Bradbury Stakes and finished second to stablemate Best Pal in the previous year's Hollywood Futurity (gr. I). He captured four of 17 starts and earned $441,125.