He had some tough beats and didn’t quite make it to $1-million in earnings this season, but the co-owners of three-year-old pacer Sunshine Beach are still counting their blessings.

“All in all, we’re very happy. He had his share of bad posts and racing luck but he’s a gutsy horse and people noticed that. It was great to see him develop into one of the very best three-year-olds,” said Tony Infilise of Hudson Standardbreds.

“I’m in seventh heaven, floating around with the angels,” said Conrad Leber, 88, of Montreal. “I couldn’t have scripted a better year. I had so much fun I bought eight yearlings.”

Sunshine Beach’s victory in the $284,160 Progress Pace at Dover Downs on Sunday night boosted his 2013 earnings to $913,702 for Hudson Standardbreds, Leber and Diane Bertrand of Edmonton. He also won the Battle of the Brandywine and divisions of the Bluegrass and Somebeachsomewhere stakes this season under the able handling of trainer Mark Steacy.

Infilise said the Somebeachsomewhere colt finished the campaign strongly despite having a stone in his bladder. “That’ll be dealt with this week. It was an irritant for him at the end but he raced through it. Now he’ll get a nice rest.”

The plan is to bring him back at four. “The horse is sound, so we’re optimistic he’ll come back to join that tough group of aged pacers,” Infilise said.

(Trot Insider exclusive by Paul Delean)