Sophomore colt pacer SBSW on verge of $2 million

August 11, 2008

In what�s become his trademark style, Brent MacGrath�s Somebeachsomewhere powered to a 4 3/4-length victory Sunday night at Mohawk in the $180,000(C) Ontario Sire Stakes Gold final for 3-year-old pacing colts, and effortlessly set a new OSS record of 1:49.2 while he was at it.

The Monster from the Maritimes, partnered as always with Paul MacDonell, left from post three and let Keystone Horatio and Randy Waples set a blistering :25.4 first quarter, with Deuce Seelster (Jody Jamieson) riding in the pocket. Shortly before the :54 half, Somebeachsomewhere shifted smoothly into overdrive and seized the lead from fourth. From there, the field could only watch MacDonell�s ever-receding back as the Mach Three son set a 1:21.3 third quarter and powered to the wire in his customary fashion, to shouts of �We love you, Beach!� from the crowd.

Keystone Horatio hung on for second, and Deuce Seelster was third in the eight-horse field.

The victory set a new all-time speed record for the Ontario Sire Stakes.

�Everything looks good to me (for next week�s Confederation Cup at Flamboro),� said trainer/co-owner Brent MacGrath. �If he comes out of this the way he should, we�ll be at Flamboro next week.

�It�s a cool night, and the track hasn�t got a lot of bounce to it. He was impressive.

�He doesn�t take much training. I�ll probably train him a little tighter this week with going the half-mile (next weekend), and probably take him over to Flamboro (for training). If he comes out of the Confederation Cup without being bruised up too much, we�ll probably race him here at Mohawk in the Simcoe Stakes, and then go to Kentucky in September. If he happens to get beat up�you never know what�ll happen on a half-mile track�then we�ll probably skip the Simcoe and go right to Kentucky with him.�

The $90,000(C) winner's share for Sunday's OSS Gold final win pushed Somebeachsomewhere�s earnings to nearly $2 million for lucky owners, the Schooner Stables of Bible Hill, Nova Scotia.

The Woodbine Entertainment Group celebrated Somebeachsomewhere Day at Mohawk Sunday night, handing out posters of the superstar colt signed by MacGrath and MacDonell, and giving away a $3500 travel voucher to "some beach, somewhere." The lucky winner of the giveway was Michael Burge of Acton, Ont. (WEG)

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