Somebeachsomewhere
Encyclopedia
Somebeachsomewhere is a standardbred racehorse
who was the equal fastest horse ever (in a race) with a time of 1:46.4 and earned $3,221,299. In 2008 Somebeachsomewhere had the highest earnings by pacer in single season of $2.4 million
He was sired by Mach Three, out of Wheres The Beach, a Beach Towel
mare. The colt was purchased as a yearling for $40 000, and is currently owned by Schooner Stables of Truro, Nova Scotia
.
After proving the colt's ability on the small track, he moved onto the Metro Pace Eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack. Somebeachsomewhere was drawn into the same elimination as Dali, the fastest two-year-old colt of the year, up to that point. Somebeachsomewhere was able to hold off race favorite, Dali, and won the race by 3 lengths in 1:52.1. The next week was the $1 million final of the event, which Somebeachsomewhere won as the race favorite, in a world record 1:49.3.
To finish off his two-year-old campaign, Somebeachsomewhere raced in a pair of stakes races at Mohawk, the Champlain Stakes, and the Nasagaweya Stakes, which he won by comfortable margins.
Somebeachsomewhere earned $812 592 in his freshman year, with a perfect record of six wins in six starts.
Following the Burlington, Somebeachsomewhere began preparing for the $1.5 million North America Cup
, Canada's richest harness race. Trainer Brent MacGrath was advised not to train the horse in the week leading up to his elimination, yet he won handily in 1:49.0. Over the next week, trainers and drivers of other horses in the final stated that it was simply a race for second place. Somebeachsomewhere went off as a 2-5 favorite, and won the race by 2 lengths in 1:49.0.
Up next for the star of the sport was the $1 million Meadowlands Pace
. Beach drew in to, arguably, the toughest elimination on 12 July, and faced the likes of Badlands Nitro and Art Official. He went off at the 1-5 favorite, and pulled away in the stretch to win the elimination by 4 lengths in a career best 1:48.3. Beach had his first taste of defeat the following week when Art Official caught him in the stretch, and beat him by a head, in a world record time of 1:47.0. The race offered incredible fractions of 26.0, 51.4, 1:19.1, and 1:47.0.
Beach raced in a pair of races at Mohawk on 3 August and 10 August, and won both races comfortably, as expected.
He then travelled to Flamboro Downs
to compete in the Confederation Cup. It and would be the first time the champion would race in heats. In his heat, he scored the anticipated win in 1:51.3. Beach drew post two for the final, which definitely delighted the connections and the fans. Beach took the early lead and never looked back, going through fractions of 26.1, 55.2, 1:22.4, and 1:49.2, becoming the first three-year-old horse to ever race in under 1:50 on a half mile track.
MacGrath had stated that he wanted to "prep this horse for a world record in Kentucky", and added that Beach will likely not attempt a time trial at The Red Mile, as once believed. On 27 September 2008, Beach tied the all age world record of 1:46.4 at The Red Mile in the Bluegrass.
On 25 October 2008, Beach took the final leg of the Pacing Triple Crown
, when he won the Messenger Stakes
at Yonkers Raceway
in 1:52.1 over Shadow Play.
Beach made his Woodbine debut on 15 November 2008, and put in a phenomenal mile winning the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final by 11 lengths. The win put him near the $3 million mark in career earnings.
The colt's final race came in the 2008 Breeder's Crown at Meadowlands Racetrack
with a win in the $500 000 3-year-old colt and gelding pacing division.
After his strong showing in the Breeder's Crown, MacGrath entered Beach into the Matron Stakes at Dover Downs
. The race would have marked Beach's first start on a 5/8 mile track. Unfortunately, Beach was scratched from his elimination due to a fever he was suffering from.
Beach ended his racing career with a record of 20-1-0 in 21 career starts, career earnings of $3,221,299, and a mark of 1:46.4.
On 31 January 2009, Somebeachsomewhere was the unanimous winner of the O'Brien Award for top three-year-old pacing colt. He was also named recipient of the prestigious Cam Fella Award as well as named Canadian Horse of the Year. On 4 February 2009, he was the recipient of the Dan Patch Award for U.S. Pacer of the Year and named the first ever Canadian-sired U.S. Horse of the Year.
Somebeachsomewhere was retired to Hanover Shoe Farms in Pennsylvania and was bred with 160 mares in 2009. On 12 January 2010 he was selected as Harness Racing's Racehorse Of The Decade encompassing the years 2000 through 2009.
HD - head; NK - neck; Q - 1/4 length; H - half length; T - 3/4 length
Standardbred horse
Standardbreds are a breed of horse best known for their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop. Developed in North America, the breed is now recognized worldwide for its harness racing ability...
who was the equal fastest horse ever (in a race) with a time of 1:46.4 and earned $3,221,299. In 2008 Somebeachsomewhere had the highest earnings by pacer in single season of $2.4 million
He was sired by Mach Three, out of Wheres The Beach, a Beach Towel
Beach Towel
Beach Towel was the 1990 Harness Horse of the Year. The colt was trained and driven by Ray Remmen. Beach Towel won 18 of his 23 starts with a fastest race mile of 1:50, whilst earning $2,091,860...
mare. The colt was purchased as a yearling for $40 000, and is currently owned by Schooner Stables of Truro, Nova Scotia
Truro, Nova Scotia
-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
.
2 Year Old Campaign
He began his racing career in the Battle of Waterloo at Grand River Raceway, where he went off as a second favorite in the eliminations, and won by a comfortable margin of three lengths. In the $300 000 final of the event, bettors took notice and he won the race as a 4-5 post time favorite.After proving the colt's ability on the small track, he moved onto the Metro Pace Eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack. Somebeachsomewhere was drawn into the same elimination as Dali, the fastest two-year-old colt of the year, up to that point. Somebeachsomewhere was able to hold off race favorite, Dali, and won the race by 3 lengths in 1:52.1. The next week was the $1 million final of the event, which Somebeachsomewhere won as the race favorite, in a world record 1:49.3.
To finish off his two-year-old campaign, Somebeachsomewhere raced in a pair of stakes races at Mohawk, the Champlain Stakes, and the Nasagaweya Stakes, which he won by comfortable margins.
Somebeachsomewhere earned $812 592 in his freshman year, with a perfect record of six wins in six starts.
3 Year Old Campaign
Somebeachsomewhere qualified on 5 May 2008 and put in an eye-opening mile of 1:51.1 at Mohawk. He was scheduled to make his first start of the season in the first Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Elimination on 17 May. However, an injury result in him being scratched from the race. Two weeks later, when he made his 2008 debut, there was some skepticism about his well-being. He rid any doubts by winning his division of the Burlington Stakes over Santanna Blue Chip.Following the Burlington, Somebeachsomewhere began preparing for the $1.5 million North America Cup
North America Cup
The North America Cup is an annual harness racing event for 3-year-old standardbred pacing horses which is held at Mohawk Raceway in Campbellville, Ontario, Canada. From 1984-1993, the event was held at Greenwood Raceway and from 1994-2006, the North America Cup was held at Woodbine Entertainment...
, Canada's richest harness race. Trainer Brent MacGrath was advised not to train the horse in the week leading up to his elimination, yet he won handily in 1:49.0. Over the next week, trainers and drivers of other horses in the final stated that it was simply a race for second place. Somebeachsomewhere went off as a 2-5 favorite, and won the race by 2 lengths in 1:49.0.
Up next for the star of the sport was the $1 million Meadowlands Pace
Meadowlands Pace
The Meadowlands Pace is a harness race for three-year-old pacers, held at the Meadowlands Racetrack, New Jersey. It is the richest pacing race in the United States at $1 million.-Past Winners of the Meadowlands Pace:...
. Beach drew in to, arguably, the toughest elimination on 12 July, and faced the likes of Badlands Nitro and Art Official. He went off at the 1-5 favorite, and pulled away in the stretch to win the elimination by 4 lengths in a career best 1:48.3. Beach had his first taste of defeat the following week when Art Official caught him in the stretch, and beat him by a head, in a world record time of 1:47.0. The race offered incredible fractions of 26.0, 51.4, 1:19.1, and 1:47.0.
Beach raced in a pair of races at Mohawk on 3 August and 10 August, and won both races comfortably, as expected.
He then travelled to Flamboro Downs
Flamboro Downs
Flamboro Downs is Canada's fastest half-mile harness horse racing track, based in Hamilton , Ontario since April, 1975. It is also home to Flamboro Slots, which has a total of 750 slot machines....
to compete in the Confederation Cup. It and would be the first time the champion would race in heats. In his heat, he scored the anticipated win in 1:51.3. Beach drew post two for the final, which definitely delighted the connections and the fans. Beach took the early lead and never looked back, going through fractions of 26.1, 55.2, 1:22.4, and 1:49.2, becoming the first three-year-old horse to ever race in under 1:50 on a half mile track.
MacGrath had stated that he wanted to "prep this horse for a world record in Kentucky", and added that Beach will likely not attempt a time trial at The Red Mile, as once believed. On 27 September 2008, Beach tied the all age world record of 1:46.4 at The Red Mile in the Bluegrass.
On 25 October 2008, Beach took the final leg of the Pacing Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers
The Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers consists of the following horse races:#Cane Pace, held at Freehold Raceway in Freehold, New Jersey#Little Brown Jug, held at the Delaware County Fair in Delaware, Ohio...
, when he won the Messenger Stakes
Messenger Stakes
The Messenger Stakes is an American harness racing event for 3-year-old pacing horses. It was organized in 1956 at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York to join with the Cane Pace and the Little Brown Jug to create the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers...
at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers Raceway, founded in 1899 as the Empire City Race Track, is a one-half-mile standardbred harness racing dirt track and New York state-approved slots racino located at the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Yonkers Avenue in Yonkers, New York near the New York City border...
in 1:52.1 over Shadow Play.
Beach made his Woodbine debut on 15 November 2008, and put in a phenomenal mile winning the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final by 11 lengths. The win put him near the $3 million mark in career earnings.
The colt's final race came in the 2008 Breeder's Crown at Meadowlands Racetrack
Meadowlands Racetrack
The Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing...
with a win in the $500 000 3-year-old colt and gelding pacing division.
After his strong showing in the Breeder's Crown, MacGrath entered Beach into the Matron Stakes at Dover Downs
Dover Downs
Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment ownes Dover Downs Hotel & Casino a hotel and casino that has a racing facility that holds harness horse racing on a track and NASCAR events on a concrete surface. The Sprint Cup track is now known as Dover International Speedway, and the Dover Downs name is...
. The race would have marked Beach's first start on a 5/8 mile track. Unfortunately, Beach was scratched from his elimination due to a fever he was suffering from.
Beach ended his racing career with a record of 20-1-0 in 21 career starts, career earnings of $3,221,299, and a mark of 1:46.4.
On 31 January 2009, Somebeachsomewhere was the unanimous winner of the O'Brien Award for top three-year-old pacing colt. He was also named recipient of the prestigious Cam Fella Award as well as named Canadian Horse of the Year. On 4 February 2009, he was the recipient of the Dan Patch Award for U.S. Pacer of the Year and named the first ever Canadian-sired U.S. Horse of the Year.
Somebeachsomewhere was retired to Hanover Shoe Farms in Pennsylvania and was bred with 160 mares in 2009. On 12 January 2010 he was selected as Harness Racing's Racehorse Of The Decade encompassing the years 2000 through 2009.
Racelines
| Date | Track | Race | Purse | Finish | Time | Last 1/4 | Odds | Driver | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 November 2008 | Meadowlands | Breeder's Crown F | $500 000 | 1/1T | 1:48.3 | 26.3 | *0.20 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 15 November 2008 | Woodbine | D-OSS-SF | $300 000 | 1/11T | 1:50.3 | 29.3 | *0.05 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 25 October 2008 | Yonkers | Messenger | $650 000 | 1/NK | 1:52.1 | 27.4 | *0.30 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 4 October 2008 | Red Mile | Tattersalls | $293 000 | 1/3H | 1:47.4 | 26.2 | *0.05 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 27 September 2008 | Red Mile | Bluegrass | $134 000 | 1/7H | 1:46.4 | 27.2 | *0.05 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 6 September 2008 | Mohawk | D-Simcoe | $132 326 | 1/1T | 1:50.1 | 29.4 | *0.05 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 17 August 2008 | Flamboro | Confed F | $493 000 | 1/4 | 1:49.2 | 26.3 | *0.15 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 17 August 2008 | Flamboro | Confed E | $50 000 | 1/1T | 1:51.3 | 26.4 | *0.05 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 10 August 2008 | Mohawk | D-OSS-GF | $180 000 | 1/4T | 1:49.2 | 27.4 | *0.05 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 3 August 2008 | Mohawk | 3Yr Open | $50 000 | 1/2T | 1:49.0 | 26.3 | *0.05 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 19 July 2008 | Meadowlands | M Pace F | $1 100 000 | 2/NK | 1:47.0 | 27.4 | *0.10 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 12 July 2008 | Meadowlands | M Pace E | $50 000 | 1/4H | 1:48.3 | 26.2 | *0.20 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 14 June 2008 | Mohawk | D-NA Cup F | $1 500 000 | 1/2T | 1:49.0 | 27.0 | *0.40 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 7 June 2008 | Mohawk | D-NA Cup E | $50 000 | 1/2 | 1:49.0 | 27.1 | *0.30 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 31 May 2008 | Mohawk | D-Burlington | $100 000 | 1/1H | 1:51.3 | 28.1 | *0.25 | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 5 May 2008 | Mohawk | QUAL | $0 | 1/10T | 1:51.1 | 27.1 | NB | Paul MacDonell | Brent MacGrath |
| 15 September 2007 | Mohawk | D-Nasagaweya | $145 300 | 1/2 | 1:51.4 | 28.2 | *0.10 | Paul MacDonell | Jean Louis Arsenault |
| 8 September 2007 | Mohawk | D-Champlain | $115 884 | 1/3Q | 1:51.0 | 26.0 | *0.05 | Paul MacDonell | Jean Louis Arsenault |
| 1 September 2007 | Mohawk | D-Metro | $1 000 000 | 1/2 | 1:49.3 | 27.4 | *1.75 | Paul MacDonell | Jean Louis Arsenault |
| 25 August 2007 | Mohawk | D-Metro E | $40 000 | 1/3H | 1:52.1 | 27.4 | 5.15 | Paul MacDonell | Jean Louis Arsenault |
| 6 August 2007 | Grand River | Battle of Waterloo | $300 000 | 1/2Q | 1:55.0 | 29.0 | *0.85 | Paul MacDonell | Jean Louis Arsenault |
| 30 July 2007 | Grand River | Battle of Waterloo E | $24 000 | 1/3 | 1:54.2 | 28.0 | 1.60 | Paul MacDonell | Jean Louis Arsenault |
| 8 July 2007 | Truro | QUAL | $0 | 1/10 | 2:00.1 | 28.2 | NB | Brent MacGrath | Brent MacGrath |
| 1 July 2007 | Truro | QUAL | $0 | 1/5Q | 2:02.1 | 29.0 | NB | Brent MacGrath | Brent MacGrath |
| 24 June 2007 | Truro | QUAL | $0 | 1/3Q | 2:04.3 | 30.1 | NB | Brent MacGrath | Brent MacGrath |
HD - head; NK - neck; Q - 1/4 length; H - half length; T - 3/4 length