CAMPBELLVILLE, ONT. — Somebeachsomewhere remained undefeated on Saturday night as the 3-year-old pacer won his first start of the year in the $100,000 second division of the Burlington Stakes at Mohawk Raceway Saturday night.
Last year, the giant pacer won all six of his races and set a world record of 1:49 3/5 — the first sub-two-minute mile by a 2-year-old. And along the way he won honours as the top 2-year-old colt in Canada and the United States, as well as co-Horse of the Year in Canada.
Owned by a group of Martimers, who call themselves the Schooner Stable, Somebeachsomewhere is being called the Big Brown of the harness set.
And last night, everybody could see why. After sitting in fourth place for the first quarter, he swept to the front before the half and won, cruising while racing into a strong headwind in the stretch, to win by 1 ½ lengths in 1:51 3/5.
He went off as the 1 to 4 favorite and easily defeated Santanna Blue Chip, a locally owned colt that won the Woodrow Wilson last year at The Meadowlands in New Jersey.
Jody Jamieson, who drove Santanna Blue Chip, said he didn't think Somebeachsomewhere was at the top of his game, but he didn't think his colt was ready to defeat him anyway.
Paul MacDonell, who has driven Somebeachsomewhere in all of his starts, said he settled back in fourth place early because he didn't want to get him stirred up too early (by taking him to the lead) in only his first start of the season. During the stretch drive, MacDonell sat still in the sulky, letting the colt win well within himself.
Next for Somebeachsomewhere are the eliminations for the $1.5-million North America Cup at Mohawk next Saturday, with the rich final two weeks away.
Somebeachsomewhere was to have started May 17, but he bruised a foot and missed some training.
The colt is owned by a group of Martimers, including trainer Brent Macgrath, of Bible Hill, N.S., who put up $40,000 to buy him at Kentucky sale two years ago.
All of them flew in to Ontario to watch the race Saturday night.
Dali, trained by Duane Marfisi, won the first leg of the Burlington Stakes last night in a quicker 1:50 3/5 but the wind was still when he did it. The wind set the infield flags flying by the time Somebeachsomewhere raced, and it was equally as strong when Keystone Horatio, trained by John Kopas, won the third division in 1:51 4/5.
