Dan Patch winner kicks off season in PASS

WASHINGTON, PA, May 16, 2024 — Dan Patch Award winner Geocentric (Sweet Lou-Geometry) kicks off her sophomore harness racing campaign in Friday’s $140,422 Pennsylvania Sires Stake for 3-year-old filly pacers, known as the Adios Betty, at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. The program also features an $80,000 PA Stallion Series event for sophomore filly pacers. First post is 12:45 PM.

Geocentric will be heavily scrutinized this year after her nearly perfect season at 2 when she banked $552,551, took a mark of 1:49.3 and won nine of 10 starts — including sires stakes championships in Pennsylvania and Kentucky. Yet her drive for perfection came up short in the Breeders Crown final when she led at the three-quarters but faded to seventh.

Brian Brown, who trains Geocentric for Milton Leeman, Alan Keith, Jim Stambaugh and Joe Sbrocco, says he didn’t make any radical changes after the Breeders Crown disappointment, although he has removed her shadow roll. (He’ll have one with him Friday, just in case.)

“She paced her second quarter that day in 26.2; you don’t usually see that in second quarters,” Brown says. “Plus she tied up a little bit. It just was a bad day for her.

“Knock on wood, she’s been really good so far this year — no problems yet. She probably grew some, and she’s maybe a little racier, though that wasn’t a problem last year. And she seems even smarter. When it’s time to go, she knows what to do.”

What does Brown expect from Geocentric’s seasonal debut?

“We’re driving three hours to get there, so of course we want to win. But we don’t want to pay a big price for it. We want a nice, easy race for her, and we’ll get what we get.”

If she accomplishes this year as much as she achieved at 2, Geocentric could be a legitimate Horse of the Year candidate. Should the year unfold that way, Brown says it’s unlikely he would race her against males to enhance her credentials.

“The only way I’d do it,” Brown says, “is if she were fantastic and the boys were less than fantastic.”

Geocentric goes from the rail in race 8 with Tim Tetrick aboard.

Another filly to watch Friday is Whassup Hanover (Captaintreacherous, race 10, post 4, Tetrick).  She may lack the glam of Geocentric, but what a work ethic! She’s already made nine starts this year — almost unheard of for a potentially top filly at this point in the season — and she’s won seven of them, including the $50,000 final of the Bobby Weiss series at Pocono. Trainer Eric Ell, who owns Whassup Hanover with wife Lisa, says he wanted that tough regimen for a reason.

“She was ready to make the races at 2,” Ell recalls, “but she came in heat and just got sour. So, we turned her out and let her grow. This year, I wanted to see what kind of mare she might be and if she could go with the sire stakes horses.

“She’s very eager, and she’s a game little mare. If you pull her, there aren’t many she won’t pass.”

If she’s to do any damage this year, the $17,000 yearling acquisition will do it in the Keystone State, as she has no other engagements of note.

by Evan Pattak, for the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association