Here’s what you get when you cross one the most heralded pacers in the history of standardbred racing with one of the great broodmares of all time.

Hanover Shoe Farms recently welcomed a bay colt to its nursery – a colt from the first crop of World Champion Somebeachsomewhere, and out of the highly regarded broodmare Rich N Elegant. Worth noting is the fact that both the sire and the dam were inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.

The colt, who was foaled on June 5, 2010, is the product of an embryo transfer from Rich N Elegant, who has produced over $8.4 million in progeny earnings with three sub-1:50 performers.

She has produced the 2005 Horse of the Year Rocknroll Hanover p,3,1:48.3m $3,069,093. This colt is also a half-brother to Royalflush Hanover p,1:49.3m $2,182,205, Rustler Hanover p,3,1:51m $971,638, Red River Hanover p,3,1:48.4m $1,394,626, Richess Hanover p,2,1:50.3m $557,537 and BJs Canouan p,2,1:54m $109,412.

Don’t expect another miracle from Weigh the Odds, says trainer MacGrath

Common wisdom tells us it’s one of the most unlikely occurrences; something that happens only to the insanely lucky.

Some say Brent MacGrath had his windfall with Somebeachsomewhere, his legendary pacer that became arguably the greatest standardbred of all time with 20 wins in 21 starts and more than $3 million in earnings.

And the MacGraths would agree with those people.

Brent MacGrath pats his newest horse Weigh the Odds on the nose while taking the two-year-old colt for a walk recently at the barns at Truro Raceway. MacGrath, who trained world champion Somebeachsomewhere, is hoping Weigh the Odds can qualify to race in.

While these two horses will never meet on the track and pedigree predicts they’ll never meet in the breeding shed, the battle for supremacy among two potential future stars of harness racing has already begun.

Hanover Shoe Farms recently posted this video with two highly touted foals of 2010. The first in the video is the Andover Hall-D Train full brother to 2007 U.S. Horse Of The Year Donato Hanover. The second weanling (with the lighter bay colour) is the foal of 2008 North American Horse of the Year Somebeachsomewhere and 2001 U.S. Horse Of The Year Bunny Lake.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For the second straight year, harness racing’s Racehorse of the Decade Somebeachsomewhere’s book is full and closed and features some of the top pacing mares in the sport.

The Hanover Shoe Farms stallion’s highly anticipated first crop of foals are already making headlines. With the talented group of broodmares featured in the second crop, the 2011 foals will likely follow suit.

Mares booked to Somebeachsomewhere in 2010 include millionaires Armbro Amoretto, Bunny Lake, Cabrini Hanover, Galleria, Illusionist, Loyal Opposition, Restive Hanover, Stonebridge Kisses and Tricky Tooshie.

The full list is as follows:

Adela Hanover
Als Girl
Allamerican Cool
Allamerican Hope
Allamerican Toffee
Always Cam
Amber Blue Chip
Anza Hanover
Appleoosa Hanover
Armbro Amoretto
Armbro Ophelia
Armbro Romance
Artaffection
Babe Ruthless
Backstreet Sweetie
Benear
Best Chance Hanna
Best Of Memories
Bette Blue Chip
Binions
Bjs Canouan
Blahjos
Boldnbrash Hanover
Born Storyteller
Born To Rock
Break Of Day
Bunny Lake
Cabrini Hanover
Caitlin Q
Calgary Hanover
Career Artist
Carmelita Hanover
Castaway Hanover
Caviart Cameron
Caviart Sierra
Caviart Sydney
Chaka Blue Chip
Chalons Hanover
Cheyenne Sabrina
Chotat Milk
Cinplicity
Classic Wish
Clover Hanover
Cohiba Mary
Cupcakecraze
Current Hanover
Dark Arts
Dark Secret
Dashaway Hanover
Db Blue Chip
Digga Digga
Docomo
Done Being Nice
Dream-A-While
Dreamlands Latte
Duncans Artsplace
Edra Hanover
Enniscrone
Fanciful Hanover
Fastidious Hanover
Feathery Fame
First Draw
Four Starzzzz Ittt
Galleria
Girly Brown
Grandiose Gal
Gray Major
Hattie
Honey Bunny
Ive Got The Life
Ideal Weather
Illusionist
In For Life
Indochine Hall
Isabella Blue Chip
J Ps Scooter
Jasmine Hanover
Just Add Water
Keystone Treasure
Knock Three Times
Korinna Bayama
Lifetime Member
Lightning Glory
Limestone Cowgirl
Loyal Opposition
Lydia Hall
Mambo Western
Melina Mercouri
Michelle My Gal
Miss Easy Cam
Miss Kitty Hanover
Mommy Robin Q
Must See
My Little Pretty
Natural Paradise
Necessary Element
Neverhaveneverwill
Numeric Hanover
Odds On Beth
Odds On Charmaine
Odds On Ruthless
One Ace Too Many
Pan Hanover
Panned Out
Pasta Lavista
Pilgrims Witchie
R Ellen Hanover
R N Artist
Red Hot Dame
Red In The Face
Restive Hanover
Righteous Renee
Rocknroll Cameo
Sami Cam
Savoya Hanover
Silky
Singnoevil Hanover
Skinny Dip
Smarty Pans
So Artsi
Special Beauty
Speed Date
Stolly Up Bluechip
Stonebridge Kisses
Style
Stylish Artist
Sub Rosa Hanover
Sunone
Sunshine Sister
Sweet Paprika
Sweet Work Of Art
Table For Seven
Tatras
Terri Hall
Thats The Plan
Thong
Tremendous
Tricky Tooshie
Trinity Islands
Twist N Clout
Unblemished
Up Front Gal
Vaudeville Margie
Venusinbluejeans
Vesta Blue Chip
Warrawee Kay
West Of L A
Western Babe
Western Dancer
Western Duel
Western Montana
Western Spring
Whatsupcuz
Wild West Show
Worldly Treasure
Yankee Scandal

It can be argued that Somebeachsomewhere and Bunny Lake are the best male and female pacers of all time, respectively. They both cultivated big followings, with fans tuning in virtually every time they stepped on the track for battle. The two are now celebrating the birth of a foal, which occurred this past weekend.

According to Hanover Shoe Farms, the duo’s offspring, a yet-to-be-named bay filly, hit the ground Saturday, May 8 at the Pennsylvania nursery.

]]> http://www.somebeachsomewhere.ca/sbswblog/2010/05/somebeachsomewhere-bunny-lake-foal/feed/ 0 http://www.somebeachsomewhere.ca/sbswblog/2010/04/from-the-great-white-north-bax-takes-aim-at-elitlopp/ http://www.somebeachsomewhere.ca/sbswblog/2010/04/from-the-great-white-north-bax-takes-aim-at-elitlopp/#comments Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:07:46 +0000 SBSW Admin http://www.somebeachsomewhere.ca/sbswblog/?p=231 From the great white north – Bax takes aim at Elitlopp.

He has made the trip twice before, but traveling to Scandinavia with a top trotter in tow never gets old for Peterborough, Ontario harness racing trainer John Bax. In 1999, he was invited to Sweden for the prestigious Elitlopp with his fabled campaigner Goodtimes, a $2 million-earning son of Balanced Image-Goodtime Kathy, who was second in his Elitlopp elimination and third in the final at the age of eight.

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Assuming that volcanic ash-clouds do not delay his May 8 departure from Toronto’s Pearson airport, Define The World will be using the Oslo Grand Prix, May 16, as a warm-up, and heading to Stockholm two weeks later. Accompanying him will be linesman Paul MacDonell (who enjoyed world attention in 2007 and 2008 as the pilot of Somebeachsomewhere), who will be making the trip to the Elitlopp for the first time.

Courage Under Fire is more than just a champion racehorse and quality stallion. The 14-year-old son of In The Pocket has harness racing fans all over the world, and one such devotee has started up a breeding business named ‘Kourage Kid’s’ in honour of the little pocket battleship.

English-born but Brisbane based Sue Smith fell in love with Courage Under Fire during his racing career, which spanned from 1997-2002.

She now has six broodmares and is trying to breed to other high quality stallions.

……

“I have an Artsplace colt from Erin Finn & she is in foal to Somebeachsomewhere. I would like to sell this foal at the Melbourne APG Premium sale, as this would indicate that I am producing top quality foals. If I wasn’t selling this foal I would love the name – Somedreamscometrue – however this will be up to the new owner to decide.

Millionaire Blissfull Hall mare Marnie Hall was highly successful on the racetrack, but now her connections are hoping her prowess for success has been transferred to the breeding shed.

Owned by Daniel Plouffe of Bedford, Quebec and Jean Dessureault of Candiac, Quebec, Marnie Hall p,4,1:49 ($1,234,585) recently delivered her first foal, a Somebeachsomewhere colt, on March 1 at Nandi Farms in Pennsylvania.

The $250,000 Classic Series winner is expected to be bred next to Well Said.

Trot Insider has received photos of the first foal of millionaire pacing mare Illusionist, sired by harness racing’s racehorse of the decade Somebeachsomewhere Owner Dave Lumsden describes the filly, born Monday night, as “absolutely adorable and awesome!” No official name has been selected for the foal, who goes by the nickname Lido.

“Illusionist was as tough as nails on the racetrack but she absolutely loves her baby,” continued Lumsden.

Tomorrow afternoon marks the final card of live racing at Truro Raceway before the traditional live racing mid-winter break. The anticipated return date is the first Sunday in March. There are about 100 horses set for 12 dashes of fast-paced entertainment with the top class to be featured in Race 11.

BEACH BABY

On Jan. 19, the first offspring of the retired world champion Somebeachsomewhere hit the ground at the Steiner Stock Farm in Lima, Ohio.

HARKNESS UPDATE

Doug Harkness, well-known editor of the Atlantic Post Calls publication, remains a patient in the intensive care unit of the Cumberland Regional Hospital in his hometown of Amherst. Harkness is recuperating from extensive heart surgery on Dec. 1 in Halifax. A trust account has been set up for the Harkness family at the TD Bank in Truro.

Details for those wishing to donate may be obtained by visiting the Truro Raceway website www.truroraceway.ca or by contacting the race office at 893-8075.

While Kyle Burton has never had an inkling to sit behind a horse despite growing up in a family fully immersed in harness racing, the 17-year-old high school student is instead enjoying racing’s best moments from a different angle. Burton will be taking over as Truro Raceway’s new track photographer later this month.

Columbus, OH – One of the first foals by Somebeachsomewhere is on the ground, according to reports from Steiner Stock Farm.

Steiner Stock Farm photo

On Tuesday night (Jan. 19), the Real Desire mare, Desirable Cindy, foaled a filly by the 2008 Horse of the Year at the breeding facility located in Lima, Ohio. The filly is the first foal out of Desirable Cindy p,3,1:52.3 ($171,664), a half sister to Jenna’s Beach Boy.

“She’s a really nice filly,” said farm manager Wade Morris. “She was up within an hour and looking for some groceries.”

Today we present the fourth and final installment of Harness Racing’s Best of the Decade as chosen by some of the biggest names in North American racing.

From the people who trained and drove them or against them, to the people who bred and owned them. The people who selected them as their trainer, driver, sire or broodmare of choice. The people who bet on them or wrote proudly about their accomplishments. Media. Owners. Breeders. Trainers. Drivers. Fans. Customers. We asked, they answered.

Today we salute the top race and racehorse as chosen by the industry for the years 2000 – 2009.

Race of the Decade

Making his U.S. debut, Canadian champion Somebeachsomewhere was impressive in his elimination for the $1.1 million Meadowlands Pace in a stakes-record equaling 1:48.3 under a hand drive to Paul MacDonell. Who could have predicted what would transpire one week later on July 19, 2008.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Racehorse of the Decade

Where does Somebeachsomewhere rank among the best standardbreds to ever look through a bridle? A berth in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame a mere nine months after he finished his racing career speaks volumes. Now he’s the selection as harness racing’s racehorse of the decade.

‘The Beach’ compiled over $3.2 million in 21 races, winning 20 of them for earnings of $156,655 per start. Somebeachsomewhere banked $2,448,003 in 2008 during his three-year-old campaign, a new record for single-season earnings. Along the way, he set four world records, including the fastest mile in the history of the sport (1:46.4) and recorded sub-1:50 miles in exactly half of his 20 wins.

By the end of Somebeachsomewhere’s perfect (six-for-six) freshman season, the mainstream media had already came to court ‘Beach’. In 2008, Somebeachsomewhere was one of the biggest news and sports stories of the year in Canada. He was considered for the Lou Marsh Award honouring Canada’s athlete of the year. He was featured on CBC’s The National news program and he was named the Newsmaker of the Year for Nova Scotia by the CBC. He was profiled in the nation’s biggest newspapers and on national radio. He and his connections made the cover of industry trade publications 18 times.

Trainer and co-owner Brent MacGrath perhaps said it best when he said that Somebeachsomewhere “is the horse of a lifetime. Simple.”

Previously announced Best of the Decade winners are as follows:

Breeder of the Decade.

Broodmare of the Decade.

Driver of the Decade.

Owner of the Decade (tied with)
Owner of the Decade.

Sire of the Decade (tied with)
Sire of the Decade.

Trainer of the Decade.

By any measure, the lucrative Ontario Sires Stakes program has long been the envy of the harness racing world. Now the $19.8-million program can take credit for landing two more top-flight stallion prospects.

Standardbred Canada is pleased to announce that Ross Galbraith, chair of the New Brunswick Horse Racing Industry Association and one of the committee members responsible for the creation of Horse Racing New Brunswick, has been voted the 2009 recipient of the Cam Fella Award.

The Cam Fella Award will be presented to Galbraith at the annual O’Brien Awards Banquet on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at the Delta Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga, Ont.

Trot Insider has compiled a thorough photo gallery on one of Alberta’s biggest days of harness racing – the Standardbreds Forever Day that took place on December 19.

“Standardbreds Forever was all about Tajma Hall this year and he did not disappoint us,” co-organizer Orianna Scheck told Trot Insider. “There is something about true champions….they have qualities that set them apart from most. And ‘Taj’ had them all. He had that look in his eye like he knew it was all about him.”

CBC’s Feed Nova Scotia Day returns on Friday.

Volunteers will be outside the CBC building on the corner of South Park and Sackville Streets collecting cash and food donations from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

…

There will be a silent auction featuring a Robb Scott limited edition print of race horse Somebeachsomewhere, a selection of gingerbread houses and an original handmade king-size quilt valued at over $2,000.

Trainer Erv Miller has spoken with Trot Insider in regard to Someheartsomewhere, the yearling full sister to harness racing great Somebeachsomewhere. Miller discussed the trips he has gone with the filly and how she is recuperating from her recent surgery.

“We got her about a week after the Lexington sale,” Miller told Trot Insider about the bay which was corralled by Illinois residents John Carver and Ron Michelon for $210,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale in October.

Miller explained that the Someheartsomewhere was turned out for a week after the sale before coming into his care.

“She’s stands really nicely,” Miller explained. “She’s got a nice attitude and a good body — she’s a nice, long filly.”

He told Trot Insider that it was a joy to break Someheartsomewhere; that she was really easy to break and that she has felt really good out on the track so far.

“She had OCD surgery after she was bought,” explained Miller, who said that the filly had chips removed from her left rear ankle. “The firm that sold her was nice enough to pay for the surgery. Everything went great.”

He explained that Someheartsomewhere will ship down to the Southern Oaks Training Centre, located south of Orlando, Florida after American Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 27).

Being one of North America’s top trainers, Miller has been behind some of the continent’s top stock over the past few years, but with Someheartsomewhere even he acknowledges that this situation is a little different. “We’re really excited about this filly,” he said.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Standardbred Canada is pleased to announce the winners of four $1,000 bursaries for the 2009 Atlantic Bursary program.

Samantha LaPierre, 21, of Charlottetown, PEI, Morgan MacInnis, 18, of Summerside, PEI, Nicholas Oakes, 20, of Cornwall, PEI, and Mark Whidden, 21, of Truro, NS will each receive a $1,000 bursary towards their post secondary education for 2009-2010.

A two-by-four foot pencil drawing of the great Somebeachsomewhere was recently unveiled at co-owner and trainer Brent MacGrath’s place of business in Truro, N.S.

The fantastic sketch by artist Robb Scott shows ‘Beach’ flying through the air in a photograph taken by renowned photographer Dave Landry.

“It took two months and 150 hours to draw,” Scott said to the Truro Daily News. “It turned out amazing.”

The original will be displayed at Pye Chev Olds in Truro while prints will be on display at Toyota dealerships in both Truro and Amherst.

MacGrath was looking to capture harness racing’s 2008 Horse of the Year in some form or artwork and Scott, who also maintains the dealership’s website, wore down MacGrath and eventually sold him on a pencil sketch instead of a painting.

“I couldn’t be happier,” MacGrath told Truro Daily News. “He captured ‘Beach’ as the individual which was important to me.”

To read the full article in the Truro Daily News, click here. For more information on the Somebeachsomewhere print, click here.

Hip number 67, Look And Listen, the Rocknroll Hanover half sister to Little Brown Jug winner and multi millionaire harness racing star, Well Said, sold for $300,000 on Monday (Nov. 2) at the Standardbred Horse Sale to Emilio Rosati of Cohdell Park, New South Wales, Australia.

…

“She’s a terrific looking filly, great bred filly,” said Steve Jones, who co-bred the filly with consignor Fair Winds Farm. “There is no weanling, but the mare (Must See) is in foal to Somebeachsomewhere and that’s who we’re going to breed her to next year, I guess.”

It is time to reward our drivers and make them the marquee athletes that can attract the public.  In the never ending discussion about who is more important in our sport, the horse or the driver, that answer is irrelevant. Although we can never stop promoting horses like Somebeachsomewhere they are usually only around for 2 years and race in Ontario only a few of times. Our drivers are racing 8 to 10 times per night, they control everything that happens in the race, and they are true physical and mentally strong athletes.

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) – Leading harness horse Muscle Hill posted one final victory Saturday night before he heads off to stallion service. The colt powered to victory in the $617,880 Breeders Crown race for three-year-old male trotters at Woodbine Race Course.

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Muscle Hill notched his 20th consecutive win, including all 12 2009 starts. The winner of the Hambletonian adds $308,940 to his bankroll. The winner of last year’s Breeders Crown two-year-old trot has career earnings of more than $3.3 million, with nearly $2.5 million this year.

The colt surpassed the single season earnings mark for harness racing of $2.44 million set last year by three-year-old pacer Somebeachsomewhere. Donato Hanover held the record of $2.33 million for a trotter.

All good things must come to an end, and so Monday evening, Mohawk racetrack presented its final harness racing race card of the 2009 season. On Thursday, October 8, racing will return to its winter home at Woodbine Racetrack, with Ontario Sires Stakes Gold action beginning on Friday night, October 9.

For the second consecutive year, Brent MacGrath did not attend last week’s Little Brown Jug. Instead, he watched the American classic from the comfort of an easy chair in his Bible Hill, N.S., home.

A year ago he was the centre of much debate because he did not race three-year-old Somebeachsomewhere in the race and that decision continues to spur arguments on both sides, but not in MacGrath’s mind.

“Well Said (this year’s winner) was the best horse but there was nothing I saw in the race that made me think I should have taken Beach there last year,” said MacGrath, who is back in the role as partner and operations manager for two automobile dealerships in Nova Scotia.