From Horse Racing Alberta
EDMONTON, Alberta (Sept. 10, 2022) – Greek Geek, an Alberta-bred son of California stallion Misremembered, won Saturday’s $48,500 Alberta Breeders’ Handicap at Century Mile for the second year in a row Century Mile Saturday.
“Finally,” exhaled trainer Tim Rycroft. “We’ve been waiting all year for him to put it all together and he did,” Rycroft said after meeting his champion in the winner’s circle following his gritty length and a quarter victory over Smart Play.
It certainly hasn’t been a lack of ability that had prevented Greek Geek from, until this past weekend, winning this year. Greek Geek has more than demonstrated that he has the heart of a lion ever since the five-year-old showed up in a starting gate.
Last year was a career year as he won seven of his nine outings – finishing second and third in his other two races. He won the Don Getty, the CTHS Sales stake, the Century Mile and the same Alberta Breeders Handicap. He set a track record when he won an allowance race last August when he stopped the tele-timer in 1:42.36 for a mile and a sixteenth.
For that he was voted last year’s Champion Alberta-bred; Champion Sprinter; Champion Aged Horse which all made him an easy choice as 2021’s Horse of the Year.
No. It certainly hasn’t been a lack of talent. Instead, it has been a frustrating season of feet problems – an abscess in both a front and a hind foot – that hindered Rycroft to get Greek Geek the kind of work he needed to perform to his vast talents.
“I was worried. Plenty worried going into this race,” said Rycroft, the relief clearing showing in his face. “This was a big race for him. I wasn’t sure I had done enough with him. I didn’t know if he was tight enough. I was really afraid that we hadn’t done enough with him. We didn’t get to do what we like to do with him. I wasn’t even sure that we were going to be able to run him. We just couldn’t get him on a regular program. He didn’t even have a workout in him since his last start. His feet just weren’t good enough. He’s a big horse and he puts a lot of weight onto his feet.”
“Growing new feet isn’t easy,” continued Rycroft, who continually soaked and poulticed Greek Geek’s ailing feet. “It’s like watching grass grow. It takes time. I’ve got a lot of people to thank. The barn crew. Blacksmiths John McKenzie and John Harrisko, vet Bob Burko, my owners Riversedge. Everybody.”
“This was a big deal because I didn’t know if Greek Geek could win,” he said of his charge who wears plastic glue-on shoes. But indeed he could. Fanned four wide into the first turn, jockey Enrique Gonzalez got Greek Geek settled into fourth place just ahead of Smart Play down the backstretch.
After an opening quarter in 23.15 with Regal Max in front pushed along by Greek Geek’s stablemate Smarty River Pants, the second quarter went faster (22.71) as both Greek Geek and Smart Play made their bids. Soon it was a two-horse race as Greek Geek and Smart Play drew far away from the others.
For awhile Greek Geek and Smart Play were just a neck apart but down the stretch Greek Geek took over and never looked back. It was at the eighth pole that Rycroft and Gonzalez knew it was pretty much over because that’s when Greek Geek’s ears twitched and went up in the air.
“When he’s the best his ears come up,” said Rycoft. “When he’s the best he likes to loaf and wait for another horse to come up beside him. It makes me nervous. But that’s how he’s always run. Enrique told me after the race that he still had a ton of horse left at the wire.”
Bred by Moonshine Meadow Ranch and purchased at the 2018 Alberta Yearling sale for $9,000, the victory was the ninth of Greek Geek’s career and the $30,000 first-place cheque pushed his career earnings to just under $290,000. “He’s a real nice horse. He deserved to win.” The even-money favorite, Greek Geek paid $4.10 to win.
He paid $4.10 for his 1 1/4-length victory over Smart Play in the 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds and up. The Breeders’ was one of seven stakes races restricted to Alberta-breds on the 12-race Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic Day card.
With Enrique Gonzalez aboard, Greek Geek settled early while Regal Max and Smarty River dueled through a half-mile in a quick 45.86 seconds. He took over the lead just past the six-furlong call and was immediately collared by Smart Play. They battled the rest of the way with Greek Geek edging clear late. Smart Play, last early, looked like he was going to blow by Greek Geek on the turn, but could not sustain his bid.
Theshack finished third, 9 1/2 lengths behind Smart Play.
The final time was 1:43.38.
A 5-year-old gelding by Misremembered, Greek Geek is owned by Riversedge Racing Stables. Greek Geek, out of the Johannesburg mare A E Phi Sensation, has nine wins in 26 starts and earnings of $228,026.
He ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.38 and won by 1 ¼ lengths at odds of even money.