When you earned the nickname of 'Canada's Pacing Queen' and race for more than five straight years without requiring a qualifier, people notice when you're not in-to-go for two months.
Such is the case with So Much More.
A winner of $1.67 million in her stellar career with a 72-39-19 summary from 175 starts, the daughter of Big Jim-Ladysai has raced at or near the top levels since graduating from the Ontario Sires Stakes program at the end of her three-year-old year with a victory in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots final.
Taking her mark of 1:49.1 last year at the age of seven, where her 13-win campaign in 2023 garnered her third O'Brien Award in four years as Canada's Older Pacing Mare of the Year, So Much More appeared to defy both age and logic. Like the Energizer Bunny, she kept going and going and going.
This summer, according to co-owner Kenn Beatson, 'Sophie' said she needed to recharge her batteries. She last raced at the end of July at Mohawk, finishing sixth in the Fillies & Mares Handicap Pace.
"She finally told us she was ready for a break," said Beatson, who co-owns So Much More with his father, trainer Don Beatson, and his nephew, Cole England. "She's had some six weeks off and she's back jogging now."
Expect to see So Much More entered to qualify — for just the third time ever and for the first time since April 28, 2019 — next month.
(Standardbred Canada)