It was 10 years ago this year that pacing colt Somebeachsomewhere dominated harness racing's headlines throughout his nearly flawless sophomore season.
In honour of the Canadian-sired superstar many consider one of the greatest Standardbreds to ever look through a bridle, Trot Insider will post the news stories from his on-track appearances throughout the year as they happened a decade ago along with the replays from those captivating races.
It was 10 years ago today that Somebeachsomewhere made his only appearance in the country's largest city with a jaw-dropping performance in the 2008 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final at Woodbine Racetrack. The race would be the final on-track appearance for the sophomore pacer on Canadian soil.
Trot Insider discussed the sensational performance with regular pilot Paul MacDonell.
Somebeachsomewhere Stars In Super Final
World Champion Somebeachsomewhere added the $300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings to his inspiring list of accomplishments over a track rated sloppy on Saturday night at Woodbine Racetrack.
Somebeachsomewhere, the heavy 1-9 fan favourite, carved out fractions of :27, :54.2 and 1:21 all alone on the front end before pacing to the wire in 1:50.3 giving reinsman Paul MacDonell his third Super Final score of the night.
Keystone Horatio (Randy Waples) was a distant second while Trade Editor (Jody Jamieson) came on for third.
"He is definitely the horse of a lifetime, probably the horse of ten lifetimes," trainer Brent MacGrath told WEG's Media Department. "I look at the trainers who've trained 50, 60, 70 horses their whole lives and never had a horse like this. Maybe we've never seen a horse like him.
"The trip he went here tonight was unbelievable. He's (had) three weeks off, he's got to be a little bit short. He'll probably be a little bit tighter next week at The Meadowlands after this race tonight. He just did it on his own, his earplugs are still in.
"I stuck to my guns (with Somebeachsomewhere's racing schedule) because I wanted the horse to look like he looked tonight, late in the year. It's worked. You can only go to the well with these horses so often and I chose the races I thought were important for the horse and for the group, and it has worked out."
The son of Mach Three – Wheres The Beach, who is owned by the Schooner Stables of Bible Hill, N.S., notched his 19th career win in 20 starts and pushed his earnings over the prestigious $3 million dollar mark. The pacing sensation's start in the Super Final will be his last on Canadian soil.