"Beach" Set To Make Woodbine Debut

Harness racing fans in Toronto will get to see, for the first time, the sport's top-ranked pacer in their own backyard.

Somebeachsomewhere will compete at Woodbine Racetrack in Saturday's $300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals.

"The Beach" has never raced at Woodbine, although he has picked up 11 of his career 18 wins at Mohawk Racetrack, located 25 miles west of Toronto in Campbellville.

"No track has bothered him yet, so I can't imagine this will," trainer Brent MacGrath said. "It's laid out a little bit differently (than Mohawk); the turns are probably a little bit tighter. They say it's more of a speed track, for speed horses. They seem to like the footing there most of the time."

Somebeachsomewhere has won 18 of 19 career races and earned $2.9 million. This season, he has 12 wins in 13 starts and purses of nearly $2.1 million.

Earlier this year, he set the world record for three-year-old pacers on a half-mile track and also equaled the fastest race mile in history with a 1:46.4 victory at Lexington's Red Mile.

His 2008 wins include the $1.5 million North America Cup, the Messenger Stakes, the Confederation Cup and divisions of the Tattersalls, Bluegrass, Simcoe and Burlington. He has won at five different racetracks this year.

"He trained (Sunday) just as good as he's ever trained; just as strong. He's coming into the Super Final in good shape," MacGrath said. "He's feeling good. He's sharp and bouncing around. He's enjoying the cooler weather. We're looking forward to it."

Among the top horses in the Ontario Sires Stakes for three-year-old male pacers are Keystone Horatio, The Mohegan Pan, Lennon Blue Chip, Deuce Seelster and Lucky Man.

(Harness Racing Communications)