In what's become his trademark style, Somebeachsomewhere powered to an eye-catching victory earlier tonight at Mohawk Racetrack in the $180,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold final for three-year-old pacing colts, and effortlessly set a new OSS record of 1:49.2 while he was at it.

The Brent MacGrath trainee, partnered as always with Paul MacDonell, left from Post 3 and let Keystone Horatio set a blistering :25.4 first quarter, with Deuce Seelster riding in the pocket.

Shortly before the :54-second 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.

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

Somebeachsomewhere - Ontario Sires Stakes Record

"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," added MacGrath. "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," he added. "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 winner's share of the purse for tonight's OSS Gold Series Final win pushed Somebeachsomewhere's earnings over the $2 million mark for his owners - the Schooner Stables of Bible Hill, Nova Scotia.

The Woodbine Entertainment Group celebrated Somebeachsomewhere Day at Mohawk by handing out posters of the superstar colt signed by Brent MacGrath and Paul MacDonell, and giving away a $3500 travel voucher to 'some beach, somewhere'. The lucky winner of the giveaway was Michael Burge of Acton, Ontario.

(WEG)