How many participants in harness racing can say that they have owned a national award winner and were hands-on with the horse's maintenance while still in their teens? That's so much more than many in the sport could hope or dream.
But for 17-year-old Cole England of Exeter, Ont., it's a day in the life for the co-owner of one of Canada's most popular performers, older pacing mare So Much More.
An O'Brien Award winner in 2020, So Much More is back to defend her title in the older pacing mare division after another solid season for England and his family connections. His grandfather, Don Beatson co-owns and trains the daughter of Big Jim - Ladysai with uncle Kenn Beatson also in on the ownership and a vital part of the team.
So Much More continued her dominance in the upper fillies and mares ranks at Woodbine Mohawk Park where she raced her entire 26-start season, one that included more than $255,000 in earnings. She had 20 top-three finishes, which included third place finishes in the Roses Are Red Stakes Final and an elimination of the Milton Stakes.
"She was amazing again this year," England told Trot Insider. "First off, it is amazing to win an O'Brien — almost like it's the Stanley Cup of horse racing. And then, to have another year of just complete dominance in the Preferred and decent luck in some stakes, but not the best luck — she always seems to have a bad post in some of those stakes races, but she made do with one with a third, which is awesome."
One of So Much More's most notable efforts from the 2021 season came on Oct. 1 when she took a new lifetime mark of 1:49.2 in a Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace at Mohawk.
That mile had her connections eager to head stateside for a planned appearance in the 2021 Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands last October. Those plans were derailed when So Much More spiked a temperature before the event, forcing a scratch just days prior.
"It was incredible. Like, holy crap! I'm going into this race and she's in tip-top shape," recalled England of the days after that Oct. 1 lifetime best. "And then all of a sudden she's sick. What can we do?"
In this case, all Cole can do is look forward to the next Breeders Crown, which just happens to be on home turf in 2022, knowing that skipping this year's event was the right thing to do.
"You have to look at the positives and move on — trying to win these Preferreds and hopefully this summer, she'll be in those stakes around Mohawk. If she's healthy, I wouldn't be surprised if she were probably entered into [the Breeders Crown] again."
Part of the confidence in England's statement surely comes from the consistency of his star Standardbred, but there's also the confidence that the teenager gets first-hand when working alongside his grandfather — an 80-year-old veteran of this business and a top-notch conditioner who's handled his fair share of talent.
"It's the experience," said England on why his grandfather Don Beatson is as good as he is at managing a mare like So Much More. "He's had other good ones like Monster In Law — maybe not quite her level, but they won Grassroots and they won some big races...It's not his first go at a great one."
England thoroughly appreciates having such an amazing teacher at arm's reach as he finds his path in life, a path and a journey that will be intricately linked to the harness racing industry in some form.
"Every piece of advice he gives, you really try and listen. You have to listen to all that stuff, so hopefully one day maybe I can do it," noted England. "I'm in my last year of school right now. So, actually, I am thinking that direction — maybe not quite five or 10 years down the road, but definitely two to three down the road. I couldn't tell you 100 per cent yet whether I'm going to maybe team up with my grandpa and get a few more horses in the barn — that would be awesome — or maybe I'll go off to school and take a trade.
"The horses will still be there; even if I do something else, there'll be a weekend job or after-work thing. One hundred per cent. I'm not ever going to give up on the horses... It's awesome, and I love every minute of it. I have to thank my grandpa for bringing me into it."
That will and desire to persevere is the same attribute that England — and many others — most admire about So Much More. Sure, she's cut some miles and come out on top but it's that stretch-drive grit after coming from off the pace that fans have come to most associate with the 2021 O'Brien Award finalist.
"I love when she's dead last or second last coming off the turn to the stretch, and she just blows them out of the water. I think that's the best thing ever."
England admitted that the announcement revealing So Much More as a finalist along with Dan Patch winner Lyons Sentinel was slightly surprising despite his mare's dominance atop the Fillies & Mares Preferred ranks on Canada's toughest circuit.
"I was surprised a little bit this year. It was an amazing feeling again — the first time winning one was insane. You never think you'll ever get one, and then to see you're up for a second is quite amazing. It's almost hard to explain. It's pretty surreal."
Not only was England able to tune in virtually for the 2020 O'Brien Awards Gala and end the night with some hardware, he was part of the broadcast when Jason Portuondo announced So Much More as Canada's Older Pacing Mare of the Year. Given the current COVID climate, a virtual setting is just fine for the Exeter, Ont. resident and student who's getting very used to screen time during the day for online classes.
"I thought they did a really good job with it; I actually enjoyed it," said England. "My school, for the last two years, has been online. Just about everything I've been doing my whole life, phones have been around; I think [Don] just got his first iPhone like two years ago. It's completely different for us. He'd probably rather be [in person] but a lot of my life has been [impacted by] COVID the last two years, so I've got used to online stuff.
"It would be cool to see one in person, 100 percent. But you just have to enjoy every moment while you have a mare this good and take it as it comes."
There are two finalists in each O'Brien Awards category, which includes 12 divisional horse categories and five people categories. One of the divisional champions will be recognized as the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year. The winners will be announced at the Virtual O’Brien Awards Gala on Feb. 6, with the gala to be streamed on standardbredcanada.ca.