Harness: Brown preparing Geocentric and others for 2024 racing wars

It's hard to get partial credit when you were the original trainer of both a Horse of the Year and a stakes record-breaking sophomore performer. Trainer Brian Brown somehow managed to keep an even keel despite the roller coaster that saw a pair of pacers he broke and trained as 2-year-olds reach the highest of highs in 2023.

Brown put Confederate on the map initially in 2022 and then had to watch from a distance as the colt became Horse of the Year in 2023. Stablemate Seven Colors had success under Brown's care and then blossomed late in the year after a private purchase found him in the Andrew Harris stable.

Perhaps what separates Brown from many others is that he can keep his composure and accept what happens in the business we call a sport and continue with a new crop of horses. Such is the case as spring will roll into summer and Brown prepares another solid group of freshmen and a few sophomores that he will guide into major stakes action commencing in a few short weeks.

On the 3-year-old front there's a hint of familiarity for Brown. In Confederate and Seven Colors, Brown was in many ways responsible for the valuable lessons learned that would push that pair to the pinnacle of success. According to the record books, Confederate is the fastest and richest son of Sweet Lou to date and Seven Colors is the fastest and richest son of Stay Hungry. To have both of those horses pass through your stable, regardless of where they eventually landed, is a testament to Brown's ability. Now in 2024, Brown appears poised with a pair from the exact same stallions that could land him in the winner's circle as well when the major races are contested later this year. In Geocentric, a daughter of Sweet Lou, Brown has what he considers the best overall filly he has even trained.

"She's as good a filly as I've ever trained," said Brown on Tuesday. "I've had some other top fillies, like Blazing Britches and Colors A Virgin, but they had different personalities. With Geocentric you can do whatever you want with her, and she has the speed."

Geocentric looked invincible for a major portion of her 2-year-old season, cruising to nine consecutive victories while doing double Sire Stakes duty in Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Despite the travel, she managed to win both finals within the span of 15 days and continue to win in Grand Circuit company at The Red Mile and capture a Breeders Crown elimination at Hoosier Park. Her year didn't end perfectly, with the Crown final seeing her finish off the board for the first time in her career.

"She tied up that night," said Brown of the Crown defeat. "She had a right front cannon bone bothering her through the latter part of the season."

Given the travel and the miles necessary to capture dual Sire Stakes finals, Geocentric overcame plenty of obstacles to make her mark, and Brown is hopeful to have his filly ready for action in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes company at The Meadows on May 17.

"We're going to qualify her one more time [May 8] at Hoosier and then go on to the Sire Stakes," said Brown. "She's doing good right now." Geocentric, driven by Trace Tetrick, qualified effortlessly in 1:51 4/5 with a final quarter of 25 3/5. Brown said that Tim Tetrick would pick up the driving duties when the filly comes east.

Last year the Sweet Lou-sired colts and geldings were the stars on the Grand Circuit, with Confederate and It's My Show taking down the sport's biggest races. The battle of fillies is likely to emerge this season, with Geocentric likely headed to race My Girl EJ - the Breeders Crown champion - in Pennsylvania and beyond. Geocentric did capture two of the three stakes when the two were head-to-head, with the most memorable being a neck victory in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final at Pocono on September 2 when Geocentric went to the front, while My Girl EJ left from post eight and was sent first-over to battle, coming up short in a brisk 1:50 4/5 clocking.

"Her first big race will be the Fan Hanover," Brown said of Geocentric.

The Fan Hanover is slated for a June 15 final at Woodbine Mohawk Park, with both Geocentric and My Girl EJ among 54 remaining eligible sophomore pacing fillies.

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On the pacing colt front, Brown is very high on Special Menu, a son of Stay Hungry, like Seven Colors.

"He had some colt soreness last year," said Brown of Special Menu. "I really like the way he's come back so far but he has to prove it on the track."

Special Menu was explosive in his first qualifier of the year on May 1 at Hoosier Park, winning in 1:52 3/5 with a snappy 27 1/5 final quarter.

"We're going to qualify him again and hopefully not go as much with him," said Brown prior to watching the 3-year-old qualify in 1:52 4/5 on May 8 at Hoosier while closing from last to miss a nose with a final quarter in 25 2/5.

Special Menu took his personal-best 1:51 1/5 record last year in just his second start, a late closer at The Meadows in July. His abbreviated season ended after the Delaware (Ohio) County Fair Grand Circuit races, with Brown giving him extra time off before embarking on the sophomore season.

"I gave him three months off before bringing him back. We're a little behind with him, and that's why we missed the first leg of the Sire Stakes," said Brown, who hopes to join the Pennsylvania action with Special Menu for the second leg on May 18.

How Special Menu handles Sire Stakes competition will likely have an impact on the following schedule. Brown had nominated Special Menu to the North America Cup, suggesting he has high hopes for the unproven colt.

Year in, year out Brown has cultivated many top 2-year-old performers, and while he suggests there have been a series of ups and downs this winter leaving some horses behind, he is optimistic we'll see some of his better horses perhaps later this season.

"I don't baby them," said Brown. "If they sore up and need time, we back off and give it to them."

Brown is a realist and understands the incredible demands on freshmen once they hit the racetrack. If they are going to make it, they are going to have to survive through training and be ready to go at high speeds the first time they are behind the gate.

Brown generally stated that he has a 2-year-old from the first crop of Cattlewash that he's very high on. There are a pair from the first crop of Tall Dark Stranger that have come to the front of his 35 2-year-olds that remain in training.

"I've got one by Sweet Lou that was doing really, really well," said Brown. "He got a bit sore so we're going to wait on him and hopefully have him ready for August."