It's a sunny and serene summer afternoon in Granton, Ont. Kenn Beatson sits outside at his father Don's farm, and the duo is enjoying the warmth and tranquility provided by the rural setting.

Birds can be heard chirping and warbling in the background of a phone call with the Beatsons. The setting completely aligns with the peace and joy conveyed by Don and Kenn during that conversation, a conversation confirming the retirement of one of Canadian harness racing's most beloved performers, So Much More.

"Canada's Pacing Queen" earned that title, and every one of her 79 lifetime wins. The daughter of Big Jim-Ladysai faced the starting gate a total of 219 times over her career, posting a 79-45-27 summary with more than $1.86 purse earnings.

Of those 79 wins, 50 came at the top levels — either an open stakes race or the top classes at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and that includes seven wins against the boys in the Preferred or Free-For-All class.  

Bill McLinchey makes the presentation to the connections of So Much More, who surpassed $1 million in career earnings on Aug. 5, 2022 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. From left: Kenn Beatson, Cole England, 'Sophie', James MacDonald, Bill McLinchey, Don Beatson, Deanna Beatson.

"And it wasn't that we really wanted to do that," commented Kenn Beatson, one of So Much More's co-owners. "I mean, we would have been happy racing our whole life just against fillies and mares, but we kind of were in the situation where it was the only race we could find.

"It was the Fillies & Mares Open on Friday night and the boys [and the Open Pace] was Saturday night," Kenn continued. "But the thing is, if the class didn't fill, which happened a lot, week after week you just wouldn't find out you didn't get a race that week. So we said let's try racing her against the boys."

Trainer and co-owner Don Beatson recalled with a smile the first few times he dropped So Much More into races against the boys, the race office at Mohawk actually confirmed that was the intention. Like a digital safeguard against doing something you might regret.

"The Mohawk race office used to say, 'Are you sure want to enter?'"

Don was sure. No regrets there.

So Much More's first Fillies & Mares Preferred win took place on a Friday the 13th of all days — Friday, Dec. 13, 2019. Six starts later, she won her first Preferred event against male rivals on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020.

Technically, on paper, she was a four-year-old. Biologically, she was still a three-year-old who wouldn't turn four full years of age until May.

"For me, those are special moments that are very unique in her career," said Kenn in reference to those wins against male pacers in the top class at Mohawk. "Because it doesn't happen very often that you're in that circumstance where you would race against boys like that."

The gender of the competition didn't matter to 'Sophie', the nickname bestowed upon So Much More by the Beatsons and co-owner Cole England. She just wanted to win. But, as we all know, Father Time is undefeated. And the age of 10, So Much More will transition from her accomplished on-track career that boasts three O'Brien Awards as Canada's Older Pacing Mare of the Year (2020, 2022 and 2023), five straight appearances in the Roses Are Red Stakes at Mohawk (2020-2024), an induction to the Wall of Fame at The Raceway at the Western Fair District and a race named in her honour starting in 2027.

So Much More's last start was just before that Wall of Fame induction this past May, a fourth-place finish — back just over a length — in a conditioned event at Mohawk on May 1. Entered to race eight days later, the connections scratched her from that contest.

"We took her there, and we warmed her up and I think I said to a couple of people she just kind of warmed up a little ouchy," said Kenn. "So we just scratched her just out of an abundance of caution, but she was fine.  So then we wondered if we should breed her? Because we're running out of days here in this year if we're going to do it this year — which we were going to do unless she was still at the top of her game racing. Being as she warmed up a little ouchy, it seemed like she wasn't."

On May 20, So Much More was bred to All Bets Off. She caught on the first try.

"She's had three vet checks now and they're all excellent," noted Kenn, "Because if she didn't catch, maybe we would try racing her again because she's fine. She could race again. And now we're here and she's loving life it seems as a young mom, and we're all cool with her being officially retired from racing."

The Beatsons' stroll down memory lane with So Much More brings back a wealth of fond racing highlights, as many as one can expect when dealing with her extensive body of work. From that first Preferred win, emerging from a snowstorm to swoop the field on Feb. 15, 2020 at Mohawk, to the roar of Western Fair crowd during her four appearances in the Forest City Pace.

"There was a huge crowd every time, and it was so loud," said Kenn. "I've never heard a crowd that loud."

Champion horses evoke those reactions, but So Much More didn't just garner compliments for her winning efforts. Of her 45 runner-up efforts, 15 came with a margin of a neck or less.

"She had a lot of people say they never saw a horse with so many impressive second-place finishes in her life," added Kenn.

When So Much More debuted in Ontario as a three-year-old at Western Fair in May 2019, the driver selected by the Beatsons was Tyler Borth. Borth also drove the mare in her final start at Mohawk this past May. For the majority of her starts in Ontario, So Much More teamed with driver James MacDonald, who had a total of zero O'Brien Awards to his credit at that time of their first date on Oct. 25, 2019.

Since then, those participants have all experienced significant career trajectories, with Borth making the move to Woodbine Mohawk Park and cementing himself as one of Canada's top drivers, MacDonald adding a second World Driving Championship in addition to his five straight Keith Waples Driver of the Year titles and So Much More with three O'Brien Awards of her own.

Andrea Rennison presents the connections of So Much More with a third O'Brien Award as Canada's Older Pacing Mare of the Year at the 2023 O'Brien Awards. From left: Carla MacPhee, Doug MacPhee, Dean Nixon, Paige Austin, James MacDonald, Griffin MacDonald, Cole England, Andrea Rennison, Deanna Beatson, Don Beatson, Kenn Beatson

"She's such a cool horse and has such a huge following," said MacDonald after her third O'Brien Award win at the 2023 awards gala. "To do what she does, week in and week out, against boys, girls, Preferred company. And just the way she does it, the big, hard trips and the first up trips. She's a fan favourite here in P.E.I. and all over Canada, and she's earned every bit of that."

Now, she's earned the opportunity to pass on that heart and determination to her offspring.

"She was something," added Don. "When you look back, she was amazing."

(Standardbred Canada)