Vegas Vacation earned his first Grand Circuit victory with a dazzling 1:48.3 stakes record performance in the first of two $75,000 Somebeachsomewhere Stakes divisions for three-year-old pacers on Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack.
Driver Scott Zeron settled Vegas Vacation away fourth behind insider Sweet Talkin Satin (Rick Zeron) and early leavers Urbanite Hanover (John Campbell) and Evenin Of Pleasure (Sylvain Filion) when the wings of the gate folded. Evenin Of Pleasure pocketed Urbanite Hanover as he blazed to the quarter in :26.1, but once the field of seven straightened up into the backstretch, Vegas Vacation made the winning move.
The 2-5 favourite swept to command and reached the half in :54.4 with Captive Audience (Randy Waples) in pursuit and Tarpon Hanover (Jody Jamieson) following his cover. Captive Audience applied first over pressure to Vegas Vacation as they raced by three-quarters in 1:21.3, but the leader drew clear in the stretch and held off the late rally of Sweet Talkin Satin on the far outside to shave a full second off his lifetime mark. Tarpon Hanover edged out Evenin Of Pleasure for third. Captive Audience finished fifth.
Vegas Vacation paid $3.10 to win.
"He couldn't have been any better," said trainer Casie Coleman in a post-race interview. "He tied up on me on Wednesday and he didn't even get to train a fast mile this week. I actually told the owners there's a good shot I'm scratching him on Wednesday, but I pulled his blood again this morning before he raced and I couldn't believe how good it was; it was awesome. Obviously, he showed today he overcame it."
The Bettors Delight-Dont You Smile gelding is trained by Coleman for Ontario owners West Wins Stable of Cambridge, Adriano Sorella of Milton, Anthony Beaton of Waterdown, and Phyllis Saunders of Hamilton.
Undefeated in three sophomore starts, Vegas Vacation now has four wins and six seconds in 13 races lifetime and earnings totalling $151,751.
"He's a wicked fast horse, but I wish he was a little bit smarter," said Coleman, explaining that the gelding is still learning how to race. "He has raw speed and he's got a great gait on him. And same with his manners, this year he's been very, very good. He's not at all like he was in his two-year-old season."
Sunshine Beach later captured the other division as he stormed home for his first major stakes win in a career-best 1:49.2.
With the inside post advantage, Fool Me Once (Sylvain Filion) established the early with Resistance Futile (Anthony MacDonald) dropping into the pocket ahead of even-money favourite Odds on Equuleus (John Campbell). Meanwhile, Sunshine Beach and catch-driver Chris Christoforou got away sixth after a post six start.
Fool Me Once put up a :26.4 opening quarter, but Odds On Equuleus swept to command during the second panel and led the way to the half in :54.
Moonliteonthebeach (Randy Waples) was flushed off the pylons from fourth down the backstretch with 56-1 longshot Varadero Hanover (Jody Jamieson) on his back and Sunshine Beach spotted third over. The first over challenger laid on the pressure as the field rolled by three-quarters in 1:22.2.
Odds On Equuleus rebuffed that rival in the stretch, but couldn't hold off the late closers. Varadero Hanover and Sunshine Beach kicked home off cover with the latter winning the sprint to the wire on the far outside. Sunshine Beach prevailed by a neck over Varadero Hanover while Fool Me Once finished back in third. Resistance Futile was fourth and a from-last See And Ski (Scott Zeron) finished fifth.
Sunshine Beach paid $15.90 to win as the 6-1 third choice.
"I'm very excited," said trainer Mark Steacy following the race. "I wasn't sure, he was in against some very nice horses in that race. He could have been last or first, but he ended up first so he looks like he's going in the right direction."
The Somebeachsomewhere-Light Up colt is trained by Steacy for Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. of Hudson, Que., Conrad Leber of Montreal, Que., and Diane Bertrand of Edmonton, Alta.
Sunshine Beach, who is now two-for-two to start his sophomore season, has three wins and one second-place finish in eight career starts with earnings climbing to $82,406.
"When he started out he always showed lots of ability, but he just wasn't filling out in the hips and the shoulders," said Steacy. "We actually suspected maybe it was a little EPM so we treated him for that over the off-season and he has filled out a little bit. He still has some more filling out to do right now and if he does that he'll be even better down the road."
The Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, formerly called the Burlington Stakes, is named in honour of the Hall of Fame pacer. The event is the Woodbine Entertainment Group's final stakes leading up to the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup. Eliminations for the Cup will take place at Mohawk on June 8 and the final will be contested on June 15.
All 14 Somebeachsomewhere starters are eligible to the Cup with Vegas Vacation ranked sixth at odds of 12-1 in Trot Magazine's 2013 Spring Book and Sunshine Beach assessed at odds of 40-1.
In regular racing action, former Burlington Stakes competitors swept the top three spots in the weekly $34,000 Preferred Pace. Ok Commander held off the season-debuting millionaire, Bigtime Ball (Paul MacDonell), by a neck to win in 1:48.4 for the father-son trainer-driver team of Gregg and Doug McNair. The six-year-old pacer, who paid $2.80 to win as the favourite, is owned by William Switala and James Martin of Clarence Center, New York. Mach Dreamer (Sylvain Filion) finished third.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.