Breeders' Cup Connections: Thorpedo Anna Thrives Under Geier's Steady Hand

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Greg Geier has never had a job that didn't involve laying hands on a horse each day. The horseman has saddled hundreds of winners in his lifetime, but the past two years have been something special. As the assistant trainer for Kenny McPeek, Geier has played a pivotal role in overseeing the success of Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna. He hopes that this year, the champ can find success yet again at the Breeders' Cup.

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00:00My name is Gregory Guyer, I'm an assistant trainer for Kenny McPeak here at Church Hill Lounge.

00:07My father trained horses, so when my brother and I were little kids, we started walking

00:12horses when we were eight years old, and this is all I've ever done.

00:17Once I graduated high school, I went to University of New Orleans for about a year, but I was

00:22working and doing that, and I'd be falling asleep during class, so I said, nah, I don't

00:27think I like this, I'd rather be outside than being inside.

00:31I was on my own for a while, I had a few horses, then I went to work for Gene Celio in Chicago.

00:37I had a few very good years with him, then once he passed away, that's when I got hooked

00:42up with Kenny McPeak.

00:45December of 2016, I was at Delta Downs, that's where it started.

00:49Probably one of my favorite ones was Rattlin' Roll.

00:52I've been around him, I was around him when he first came around, and I really liked that

00:56horse.

00:57Smile Happy, he was a character.

00:58About two of the best ones I've been around, besides the ones that I'm around now.

01:05Torpedo Anna, I was around her when she first came around the racetrack, too.

01:09She was a little flighty at first, but she settled down, the older she's got, the better

01:15she's become.

01:16You know, she was all high-strung, nervous, nervous, but now she's like a different horse.

01:23She's in the stall, she's perfect, you wouldn't even know, you know, she's just laid back

01:27and everything.

01:28But once you get her outside, get a rider on her, she's all business.

01:31She knows what she's supposed to do.

01:33When she had left here to go to this staff, she was training just as good as she was before

01:38the Oaks.

01:39So, I mean, she was just on top of her game.

01:42He's gonna take them all the way.

01:43Torpedo Anna, what a year for her!

01:46Never being imagined I could be around a horse like that could even be thought about being

01:50a horse of the year.

01:51I mean, that's just unbelievable.

01:53I mean, you have to be so good, and she did everything right.

01:57She's just a class of her own.

01:59I mean, you know, them kind of horses don't come around too often.

02:03The fleur-de-lis, it was a win-and-you're-in race, so if you win, you automatically get

02:08to the disc staff.

02:09So, I mean, that was great.

02:11I mean, she won it last year, and you can come back and go back into it again.

02:16That's awesome.

02:17I mean, hopefully we can repeat the same thing.

02:20That's what you get up for.

02:22I mean, you know, you get up for all of them, but when you're around these kinds,

02:25you really want to get up and be around them.

02:27And that's what you get up for now.

02:28I mean, it's difficult to remember that.

02:30It never goes so much for the trip.

02:31Never.

02:32No, no, no.

02:33No, no.

02:34No, no.

02:36No, no, no, no.

02:37No, no.

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02:40No, no, no.

02:41No, no.

02:42No.

02:43No.

02:44No, no.

02:45No, no.

02:48No, no.

02:49No, no.

02:50No, no.

02:51No, no.

02:52No, no, no.

02:53No, no, no.

02:54No, no, no.

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