Somebeachsomewhere [$2.40, $2.10, $2.10] made a tsunami-size splash in his U.S. debut as he won his elimination for the $1.1 million Meadowlands Pace in 1:48.3 on Saturday night.
The undefeated Canadian colt picked up his tenth career win in the first of three $50,000 eliminations for the track's signature event for three-year-old colt pacers. The top three finishers in each event, plus the fastest fourth place finisher overall, advanced to the $1.1 million final on Saturday, July 19.
Somebeachsomewhere, with Paul MacDonell in the sulky, motored through fractions of 27.1, 55 and 1:22.1 before exploding home with a 26.2 final quarter. His 1:48.3 clocking in the fifth race was the fastest Meadowlands Pace elimination victory in history and equaled the stakes record set by Rocknroll Hanover in 2005. Art Official finished 4-1/2 lengths behind after an arduous first-over bid. It was a half-length behind to Badlands Nitro in third. Fourth-place finisher Mucho Sleazy, who was clocked in 1:50, also advanced to the final.
Elim 1 - Somebeachsomewhere - 1:48.3
"He went around and did his business and he never really got pacing hard until late in the mile," MacDonell said. "Art Official is a quality animal and he's proved that before. You can never be too careful with a horse like that on your back. I let him pace a little and halfway down the lane, he seemed to open up a length or two on him. I think you have to take into account there was a little bit of a stiff wind in his face coming home. With those variables counted in, it was a very impressive mile."
Somebeachsomewhere, trained by Brent MacGrath, will try to become the first colt to sail through the million-dollar North America Cup and Meadowlands Pace in undefeated style. The 2007 divisional champion is owned by the Schooner Stables of Bible Hill, Nova Scotia.
The second Meadowlands Pace elimination was also one for the record books as Hall of Fame driver John Campbell scored his 10,000th career win behind Share The Delight in race six.
Campbell and Share The Delight [$9.60, $5.40, $5.40] took command in a 54.4 half and disposed of the challenger Lisfinny entering the stretch. Share The Delight dug in gamely to hold off Tiz A Masterpiece by 3/4 of a length in 1:50.2. Dontloseyourdayjob closed along the pylons for third, also grabbing a spot in the Pace final.
Elim 2 - Share The Delight - 1:50.2
"He's never been short on ability," Campbell noted. "We've just got some kinks that we took a little while to get ironed out. He wasn't perfect tonight, but he's certainly going in the right direction. I just wanted to get him around the last turn. I was sure he'd kick home strong if I did. Once I got him around the turn, I asked him and he dug in. He paced home and held them off. They weren't gaining on us.
"I've been impressed with [Somebeachsomewhere] since the first time I saw him last summer at Mohawk," Campbell said of their competition. "He's just an exceptional horse and I said at that time he had a better chance to dominant than any other two-year-old that I've seen in a long time. He's come back bigger and stronger next year."
Linda Toscano trains Share The Delight for The Four Horsemen Stable and Algonquin Farms of Colorado. The colt has now won seven of 14 career starts.
In the final elimination, Sand Shooter [$9.40, $3.80, $3.00] held off a late rush by Bullville Powerful to win by a head in 1:49.4. Atochia closed for the third and final spot in the $1.1 million Pace final.
Driven by Tim Tetrick and trained by Jim Arledge, Sand Shooter improved his record to three wins in six starts this season. Bill Sanders of Stevenson, AL and Jerry Silva of Long Beach, NY own the son of Western Hanover-More Than Most.
Elim 3 - Sand Shooter - 1:49.4
"I really didn't want to have to use him that much," Tetrick said. "But I didn't want to have to be first up on Yannick's horse [Gingras and Bullville Powerful]. He's pretty strong when he gets on the front. I took the shot and wanted him chasing me rather than me chasing him. Somebeachsomewhere is an amazing animal and we're just happy to be racing against him. I just hope to God something happens and we can beat him."
The $1.1 million Meadowlands Pace Final will be contested Saturday, July 19. Pace Night post time is 7:30 p.m.
To view the lines from the Meadowlands' Saturday card, click here.
(NJSEA)