As the harness racing landscape has shifted over the last decade, many trainers have had to alter their plans and refocus on new paths to success. For trainer Paul Kelley that has led to a restructuring that finds him focusing on dual eligibility, with most of his horses fitting the unique Massachusetts Sire Stakes program while also having various options in other locations. With 14 horses currently in training at Sunshine Meadows, Kelley is putting the finishing touches on his three sophomores, while preparing most of his 2-year-olds for action later this summer. Leading the select group of 3-year-olds is Geologic, the Massachusetts juvenile champion from 2025. A gelded son of Captain Corey that showed improvement with each start, Kelley has slow-played his hand and thus far has not been in any hurry to take on horses outside of that region. "That's been my plan with them as 2-year-olds," said Kelley. "I like to focus on Massachusetts and bring them along slowly." While Geologic was eligible to race in Pennsylvania, Kelley was more than happy to wait a year and allow the horse to develop enough to tackle tougher competition. "I know in Massachusetts that the fields are short, and you're not racing against top competition, so it's hard to gauge a horse, but I think Geologic has the ability to race against horses in Pennsylvania," Kelley said. Geologic made his first appearance as a sophomore in qualifiers last Saturday (March 28) at Sunshine Meadows and finished off his mile with a 27-flat final quarter to complete a mile timed in 1:55. "I'm going to bring him back one more time to qualify, and then we're going to send him to Oak Grove," said Kelley. With the Massachusetts Sire Stakes program later in the year, Kelley figured that the new Oak Grove Trotting Derby might be a perfect spot to find out just how well Geologic will do when pitted against more open company. The decision to nominate and race in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby had much to do with the timing of the race on the schedule. "That's why I'm getting him ready earlier in the year," said Kelley of the March start to the sophomore season. "I know there will be some very good horses in that race, but I'm thinking that some trainers with Hambletonian horses won't want to rush them to be at their best in May." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Geologic earned $165K in his first year on the track, with all eight races at Plainridge Park. He won three races and finished second in four, earning a 1:56 1/5 career-best clocking in the Sire Stakes final last October 30. That he's already trotted faster in his first qualifier this year suggests Kelley is realizing the potential he was looking for with his limited 2-year-old racing season. "We were looking specifically for horses that had dual eligibility in Massachusetts," Kelley said, reflecting on the sale strategy for the $82,000 Lexington Selected buy in 2024. "I was always a big fan of Captain Corey, so this colt was a natural fit." Geologic is from the first crop of Captain Corey and is the third foal from Crystalline, a daughter of Chapter Seven that has produced a pair of $100K-plus winners from her first two foals by Six Pack and Tactical Landing. In just one year of racing, Geologic is already the mare's highest earner. Kelley also qualified a Walner-sired filly at Sunshine Meadows named Adios My Lindy. Like her stablemate, she competed exclusively in Massachusetts as a freshman. "She's going to qualify again," said Kelley. "She's eligible to the filly event at Oak Grove, but we'll see how she progresses. I'm not sure if she'll go in that race." A winner in Sire Stakes action as a freshman, Adios My Lindy was plagued by breaks, including a miscue in the lucrative final in 2025. Kelley has but one 4-year-old in his stable, but he feels that could be enough given what Corner Store showed on the racetrack as a sophomore. The daughter of Six Pack came to life for Kelley towards the end of her 3-year-old season, giving the trainer added belief that she could blossom into a serious talent this year. "She just kept getting better and better," Kelley said of the filly that trotted to a surprising 1:51 3/5 victory in a Massachusetts Sire Stakes event on September 30. That mile was achieved on the front-end, with Corner Store flashing speed not seen before. Prior to those races, Kelley had Corner Store racing in New Jersey where she faced division champion Yo Tillie with limited success. "She's training back well and we've put her in stakes for 4-year-old mares and some later in the year against the top mares," said Kelley, anticipating that Corner Store will blossom on the national scene. A few years back Kelley remained in New Jersey through the winter months, but over the last few years has wintered in Florida. "At the time I stayed in New Jersey it was about keeping good help," said Kelley. "It's hard to ship back and forth and keep good people." Nonetheless, the return to Florida, where Kelley has a residence, has worked out well, with Kelley not missing time with 10 freshmen he has in training. The stable will split to a degree, with the older horses scheduled to ship to Oak Grove on April 11, while the remaining freshmen finish out preparation before a May departure to Vernon Downs, where Kelley hopes to be centered with horses eligible in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey during the early part of the campaign before the Massachusetts program kicks in. While it's well too early to predict just how freshmen will pan out when put into action, Kelley does have a Back Of The Neck-sired sister to Geologic that has dual eligibility in New York and Massachusetts. It's the first crop for Back Of The Neck - a son of internationally-renowned stallion Ready Cash - who has just 44 registered foals, including Geologic's sister. For smaller stables sometimes it appears a daunting task to take on the sport's more well-stocked programs, but Kelley has a solid plan that has seen his stable's success grow over the last few years. In 2025 Kelley's stable enjoyed its best year of the last decade, with 29 wins in just 149 starts and earnings of $670K. This year's foundation, with a little luck, could see those numbers grow significantly.