Trainer Greg Geier was all smiles Sunday morning on
the backstretch at Fair Grounds, and with good reason after the way Jim Tafel’s
Country Flavor closed strongly to win Saturday’s $60,000 Tenacious
Handicap by a neck.
“The horse was sick when we got here from Chicago,” said Geier, “but he’s doing fine
now, even after running such a good race yesterday.”
Owner Tafel, a Barrington,
Illinois, resident who won the
2008 Kentucky Derby with Street Sense, was equally pleased, according to
Geier. “He was tickled to death,” said Geier. “This horse is one of his
homebreds – out of one of his mares – so that makes it even better. I think
we’ll look at the ($60,000) Louisiana Handicap (Jan. 22) for (Country
Flavor’s) next start.”