Grade 1 winner and international stallion Geri has been permanently pensioned
to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, Kentucky.
Michael Blowen, president and founder of Old Friends, made the announcement
on Thursday.
Now 21, Geri is the sixth stallion bred in North America that has been
repatriated from overseas stud duty by the non-profit organization.
Raced as a homebred by Allen E. Paulson and trained by Bill Mott, Geri
entered the spotlight with his victory in the 1996 Creme Fraiche Handicap. The
chestnut son of Theatrical earned his first Grade 1 victory later that year in
the Oaklawn Handicap and went on to capture the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile and Grade
2 Citation Handicap in 1997 before finishing his career with a total of nine
wins and earnings of $1,707,980.
After entering stud at Paulson’s Brookside Farms in Kentucky, Geri later
stood in both Japan and Italy. His progeny includes the multiple-stakes-winning
mare Bedanken, Japanese millionaire Lucky Break, and champion steeplechaser
Party Airs.
Geri is also the sire of A.P. Slew, another Old Friends retiree.
“Two years ago, Sylvia Stiller, our office manager, visited Geri in Italy and
adored him,” Blowen said. “I also remember him very fondly as a gorgeous and
successful race horse. I contacted Andrea Brancini at Horse America, the
international equine shipping service, and he worked on all the arrangements
once Geri became available.
“We’re very grateful to Andrea, Alfred Nuckols Jr. of Hurstland Farm, Salle
Vans, which shipped the horse from New York, and to all of Geri’s fans who made
his journey home possible,” Blowen added.
For more information about Geri or any of the retirees at Old Friends contact
the farm at (502) 863-1775.
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