WON: Sprinklers Are Broke Again Stakes -G3, The HANDILY RUN Handicap
2nd: Breeders Bowl Juvenile Turf -G1, Feeling Bad Stakes -G3

Rock Solid:
Geologist(IRE) strikes gold with Juvenile Turf Male Eclipse

By LSUMARK

It is certainly an honor to introduce the 2003 Eclipse Award for Juvenile Turf Colt to GEOLOGIST (IRE). Trained by Thedman2, GEOLOGIST (IRE) ended the 2003 season as the seventh ranked two year old colt overall.  He went to the starting gate six times and was the first to the wire four of those six starts. He finished second twice, in some hard fought battles that he was in position to win. With six in the money finishes, his bankroll stands at a healthy $368,820 for the year. 

Bred from the Champion Giant’s Causeway (Ire), GEOLOGIST (IRE) proved early on he had plenty of the “ole man’s” genes.  He was entered in a Maiden Special Weight in California back in week 1726. Breaking from the four hole, he beat a field of 10 going 5.5 furlongs on a firm turf course. The final time of 1:05.2 was good enough for a first-out 74SP. That led Thedman2 to realize that the promise his colt had been showing in the morning was no fluke. “He is one of the finest horses I have been around. That goes for any age group.” Those are strong comments from such an accomplished trainer, who finished with a 15.8% winning percentage from 82 starts in 2003.

From a family with a long history of trainers, Thedman2 used wise judgment and sent GEOLOGIST (IRE) in an allowance race for his next start. With three weeks between races, he was shipped to Northern California and proved the best again in beating a field of five at five furlongs on the grass. With a final time of :59 flat, he improved his speed figure to  76 while winning by two lengths. “That was a good race for him. He didn’t win by as big a margin, but he came back on short notice (for a two year old at that time of year) and beat a pretty good field.”  Thedman2 also added, “He proved he could ship. Which is what we wanted to see more than anything else from that race.”  Certainly a wise move to not rush a good horse at such a young age with this much promise.

With an eight week lay off under his belt, “a nice freshening” as his trainer put it, GEOLOGIST (IRE) shows up back on the track for the Feeling Bad Stakes –GIII(T) in Northern California.  Here he meets a full field for the six and one half furlongs on turf, and gets lucky to draw the rail. “So far, he has shown only one speed. We know he is going to learn to settle down and rate, but with this many horses, we needed a good draw.” So, with a rail break, he shoots to the lead. It is only in the last strides that he is caught in a very long photo. “I really thought it was a dead heat. It just took so long to get the results.” Certainly not discouraged, it was a very solid race and if the line is a step closer the win is his. Another positive is again he returns to a personal best 84SF off a two month break.

Time to see what he is made of and check the tank. Thedman2 enters him in the Sprinklers Are Broke Again Stakes – GIII(T) in Arizona. To be run at the grueling distance of seven an one half furlongs, this tests both speed and endurance. “We really want to see how he responds after the loss. Will he be out to prove something ? We needed to know if he had a heart.’  Only six are entered for this, and the early speed killed. With a four length lead turning for home, it was a hand ride to the line for a three length win. Four straight races, and the speed figure increases, this time to a 90. “Yeah, we were starting to really get excited.” He figured, “We would give the Breeders Bowl a shot at this point.”  Question was, where do they find that last prep race for the Breeder’s Bowl ?

“We really didn’t want to ship him too far at this late in the year. He has run all his races on the West Coast, and with the Breeders Bowl here in California this year, it was tough to find the right spot.” As Thedman2 pondered his next move, he knew you only get so many chances at a Breeders Bowl. The Breeders Bowl Juvenile Turf –GI(T) was going to be at eight an one half furlongs, which was a furlong further than GEOLOGIST (IRE) had ever been. “We just couldn’t get everything worked out for a two turn race prior to the Breeders Bowl. As much as we wanted to, the logistics just didn’t present themselves.” So, Thedman2 entered him in the Handily Run Handicap in Utah. Not exactly a racing “hot bed”, but it would give him a solid prep. The only concern was the distance, seven furlongs. That would not provide an answer to the question if he could handle two turns and the added distance. Pedigree says he can, but you just never know.

There would be no concern as to who was the best horse in that race. GEOLOGIST (IRE) broke quickly and won by an opening 1 ¼ in a final time of 1:23 4/5.  “We really didn’t ask him for much. I told the jockey to let him run at his own pace. If we get caught, we get caught.” So, the concern now heading to Breeders Bowl is if he will get two turns against the best two year olds turfers in the world. “We really worked him pretty hard in the morning right after Utah. We just felt he needed a solid base if he were going to stay the ground.”

The day of Breeders Bowl, the public got off him, and GEOLOGIST (IRE) is sent off at $8.50 to one. Again, with a good draw, he gets post number six. It is here that the true depth of his beautiful pedigree comes out. Out of a Dynaformer mare with the Dam’s Dam sire line to Vice Regent, it didn’t matter much that he had never been around two turns. Sent out early, he set a very hot pace. As the field rounded the final turn, they had four lengths to make up if they were going to catch him. “Looking back, maybe we should have shipped him East earlier in the year to try two turns. But, I don’t know. That was a heck of a race he run, and he didn’t miss by much.” There should be no second guessing here. In getting beat by the largest margin in his young career, he loses by less and three quarters of a length. With a final time of 1:43 4/5, he earned a 101SF for his final start at two.

GEOLOGIST (IRE) was voted this award over some very good company. One of those on the ballet was European Royalty. He was the winner of Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile Turf race this year.  Among GEOLOGIST (IRE)’s conquests: After The Prize , a four time winner with $287,160 in earnings; Chief Stallion, a winner of three out of five for $404,340; Storming Sal , four time winner with $300,240 in earnings; Orange Swirl, three time winner from five starts; Barb’s Blue Hen , four time winner from six starts with $339,660 in earnings; and Prince Lucky, four time winner of nine starts for $279,170 in earnings.  That has been some impressive company being kept.

It was a great year for GEOLOGIST (IRE) and Thedman2. GEOLOGIST (IRE) has already made a start at three, and ran a solid second in the Much En La Bill Handicap. That was at six furlongs, and with the layoff since October, was surely just a prep. Looks like another big year may be on tap for this combo. Congratulations again to Thedman2 and GEOLOGIST (IRE) The 2003 Juvenile Colt Turf Eclipse Award winner.