Augustin Stables' Homebred Victorious at Keeneland

This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners. Keeneland Fifth in his debut at Kentucky Downs, Geometry configured the winning formula second time out for Augustin Stables with a decisive victory over the Keeneland turf Oct. 12. Trained by Jonathan Thomas, the burly son of Twirling Candy solidly defeated a well-bred bunch of juveniles in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight. Sent to post as the second choice behind Executive, a $900,000 son of Gun Runner for trainer Bill Mott, Geometry sat the perfect stalking trip under Frankie Dettori. Forwardly placed behind sprightly early fractions of :22.33 and :47.11, Dettori guided the big bay three-wide turning for home and he pounced on the leaders. Asked for his best, Geometry leveled down and extended powerfully for the wire to finish two lengths clear of his rivals. He was clocked in 1:43.45 over a firm course. Geometry is a fifth-generation homebred for Augustin Stables, owned by George Strawbridge Jr., who took over the reins of the prolific breeding and racing operation with the death of his father, George Sr., in 1990. Geometry's dam, the Lemon Drop Kid mare Vanishing, hails from a family of black-type performers on the lawn. Stakes-placed herself, she is a half sibling to millionaire and multiple graded stakes winner Smart Bid. With Geometry, Vanishing has produced four winners from six foals to race. Her best progeny to date is the Liam's Map gelding Starting Over, who captured the Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park this season at the age of 7. The Mike Maker trainee has banked $537,145.