Maritimers Invade The Meadowlands

A thousand miles away from the bright lights of Broadway and the incandescent oval that is the Meadowlands Racetrack sit the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, collectively known as The Maritimes.

The region's 1.8 million residents are blessed with abundant natural resources, including skilled horsemen and passionate harness racing fans who will have rooting interests in the nearly $6 million in purses distributed in eight Breeders Crown races that highlight the program on Saturday night, November 29 at the Meadowlands.

Some portion of those millions could well be returning to the Maritimes thanks to the pride of Nova Scotia and Horse of the Year contender Somebeachsomewhere and his prime competition, Shadow Play, who carries the hopes of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Additionally, Maritime-born trainers Greg Peck, Carl Jamieson and Jeff Gillis as well as Hall of Fame driver Bill O'Donnell will be among those seeking Breeders Crown trophies.

"Somebeachsomewhere has become a folk hero in the Maritimes," noted Doug Harkness, a journalist who has been chronicling the story for the paper he publishes, the Atlantic Post Calls, and other newspapers in the region, including The Guardian, Truro Daily News, New Glasgow News and the Summerside Journal Pioneer.

Somebeachsomewhere, who comes into the $500,000 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt Pace with 19 wins in 20 lifetime starts, will wrap up his racing career on Saturday night. He is trained by Brent MacGrath, who is also a member of the ownership, the Schooner Stables of Bible Hill, Nova Scotia.

"His connections are Nova Scotians, but the horse has a great following throughout the Maritime Provinces," said Harkness. "Brent MacGrath, a car salesman from Truro, has been a hobby horseman for years - he once had a small stable at the old Greenwood Raceway, where he met and became great friends with Paul MacDonell, who has driven Somebeachsomewhere in all of his races."

It was MacGrath who put together the partnership of six, each of whom invested $10,000, to head to the fall 2006 sales to buy a yearling. At the Lexington Select Sale, he spotted Somebeachsomewhere, the son of Mach Three, and paid $40,000. The three-year-old has a bankroll of over $3 million thanks to his string of stakes victories, including in the North America Cup.

"Brent and Reg Petitpas of Shediac Bridge, New Brunswick, are the only two members of the stable with a racing background," explained Harkness. "Petitpas has owned horses for about 30 years and co-owns the good invitational horse Silent Swing, a winner of more than $1 million and a solid third-place finisher in this year's William R. Haughton. He also co-owns the three-year-old Giddy Up Lucky, who was fifth in the Little Brown Jug.

"The other members of the Schooner Stable [Schooner is a name of a Nova Scotian beer as well as the type of sailboat] are all from the Truro, Nova Scotia area," Harkness continued. "Garry Pye is in the automobile business with Brent. They recently purchased a Toyota dealership in Amherst with the money that Somebeachsomewhere earned.

"Stu Rath is a prominent Truro businessman, who made his money in the cable television business," said Harkness. "He owns the junior hockey team in Truro. Jamie Bagnell, a successful businessman, was once involved in the horse breeding business, while Pamela Dean is involved with riding horses."

Somebeachsomewhere has taken the Maritimers on quite an adventure - racing and winning all over North America. The colt's only loss came after he was narrowly defeated after dueling Art Official in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace four months ago.

Somebeachsomewhere is big news in the Maritimes, too.

"In Nova Scotia, Somebeachsomewhere has also received wide media coverage by the local dailies," noted Harkness, who has published the Atlantic Post Calls for 30 years. "Truro Raceway holds 'Beach Parties' every time he races with up to 300 fans attending the simulcast theatre the night he lost in the Meadowlands Pace. Truro Raceway plans another big night on November 29."

In another year, Shadow Play may have been the star of the three-year-old pacing division thanks in large part to his victories in the Little Brown Jug, Adios [with a world record 1:48.2 in his elim], Windy City Pace and American National.

"Unlike Somebeachsomewhere, who has never raced in the Maritimes, Shadow Play actually began his sophomore season at Charlottetown Driving Park [on Prince Edward Island] in April," noted Harkness.

"He is trained and co-owned by Dr. Ian Moore, a Charlottetown veterinarian, who has been racing horses since his days in vet school, some 30 years ago," Harkness explained. "Dr. Moore co-owns the horse with longtime partner Ron McLellan of R.G. McGroup Ltd of Bathurst, New Brunswick. The RC McGroup stands for Ron and Gail McLellan, who own a McDonald's franchise in the northern New Brunswick city.

"The other partner is the former Montreal Canadien hockey great Serge Savard, whose son, Serge Jr., manages the PEI Rocket, a major junior hockey league team in Charlottetown," he continued.

"Dr. Moore, RG McGroup and Savard purchased three yearlings at Harrisburg this fall, and they will be trained at Dr. Moore's Island Equine Centre, where Shadow Play learned his early lessons," he said.

Shadow Play's 14 trips to the winner's circle this year have lifted his totals to 17 wins, five seconds and four thirds from 37 starts for earnings of over $1 million.

"Shadow Play's victory in the Little Brown Jug was a major sports item in the Maritimes, especially on Prince Edward Island," Harkness noted. "The teletheatre at the racetrack is crowded whenever his races are shown. The Guardian, the local newspaper, covers the horse's every move.

"At Charlottetown, a hero's welcome awaits Shadow Play when he returns home in December," he added.

"Both horses have been great for the sport because they have attracted new fans," he explained. "They have also boosted the pari-mutuel handle. Joe Kelly, the manager at Truro Raceway, says the track's handle is up $500,000 this year, and he attributes the increase to Somebeachsomewhere."

Three other trainers with Nova Scotian roots are Greg Peck of Cape Breton, Jeff Gillis of Port Hood, and Carl Jamieson of Wallace.

Peck sends out Muscle Hill, the 7-5 morning line favourite in the $700,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Trot. Gillis also has a starter in that division, Federal Flex, as well as Artists Rally in the $700,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace. Jamieson has a pair of finalists, Break The News in the $700,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Pace and Captain Sir in the Two-Year-Old Colt Pace. He won last year's Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Colt Pace with Santanna Blue Chip

For many years, the Breeders Crown winner's circle was the stomping grounds of Bill O'Donnell who ranks sixth all-time with Crown earnings of $5.6 million. He comes into this year's finals with a record of 13 wins, 13 seconds and eight thirds from 77 starters.

O'Donnell has qualified one finalist this year, the aptly named Feels Like Magic, in the $500,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Trot for trainer Richard Norman. O'Donnell was nicknamed the Magic Man when he became the first driver to win $10 million in purses in one season in 1985.

O'Donnell, 60, hails from Springhill, Nova Scotia and was a top pilot at the Meadowlands for many years before relocating to the Acton, Ontario. He has 5,711 career victories and purse earnings just shy over $98 million.

(with files from Carol Hodes/Breeders Crown)