Dali lowers mark to 1.49.2 in Matron elim; Beach scratched, off to stud

Dali lowered his mark by almost a full second with his 1.49.2 victory in the first Matron Stakes elimination at Dover Downs this evening. The colt has had some tough racing luck this year, not the least of which is being part of the first crop of three year old pacers to sport 4 one-season millionaires: Somebeachsomewhere, Art Official, Shadow Play, and Badlands Nitro. A son of Real Artist out of the Matts Scooter mare Armbro Tea, Dali is the pride of horse owner Aaron Waxman of Ontario.

First Rate led through early fractions of 26.1 and 54.2, but Dali was first over and was only a nose behind at the 3/4 in 1.21.4. From there Dali took command and paced home in 27.3 for his new lifetime mark of 1.49.2. Lisfunny placed, Santanna Blue Chip took third and First Rate held on for fourth.

In the second elimination race, Somebeachsomewhere was scratched due to a virus (he'll now head to Hanover Shoe Farms to prepare for his mare book), so Blueridge Western went to post as the prohibitive favorite and did not disappoint, winning in a relaxed 1.51.1, with Proper Respect in second, Jo Pa's Wild Card third, and Mystery Chase fourth.

Tom's Toy won the $100,000 final of the Delaware Breeders Stakes for 2 year Old Fillies in 1.54.4

Full results from Delaware Breeders and Matron Stakes Races at Dover Downs

NOTE for Harness Horse Breeders: Four of the big names in this year's sensational 3 year old pacing crop are grandsons of Matts Scooter. Somebeachsomewhere is by Matts' son Mach Three, while Shadow Play, Santanna Blue Chip and Dali are all out of Matts Scooter mares.

Somebeachsomewhere draws post 4 for Matron Stakes elimination at Dover Downs Monday

Here are the two elimination fields for Monday December 8th, 2008 Matron Stakes at Dover Downs in Delaware.


Race 10


PP Horse Med 2008 Year to Date Driver Trainer ML Base
Sts W P S Time Earnings Stable Odds Claim

1 Santanna Blue Chip L 14 2 4 4 Q1:53.1M $666502 Jody Jamieson Carl Jamieson

2 Trade Editor 21 5 1 4 1:51.1S $143354 Andy Miller Julie Miller

3 Lisfinny 24 5 3 3 1:50.1F $198543 David Miller Robert Mc Intosh

4 Dali 17 2 2 4 1:50.1F $453941 Ron Pierce Duane Marfisi

5 First Rate 21 4 3 3 1:49.0Z $91862 Tim Curtin Samuel Beegle

6 Dina`s Gamble 9 2 4 1 1:53.3F $56675 Brandon Givens Wayne Givens



Somebeachsomewhere's in the Race 12 elimination for the Matron Stakes; Beach drew post four, and Blueridge Western looks like his main competition, leaving from the 3 hole. Other challengers include Mystery Chase, a winner of over $380,000, and Proper Respect with 9 wins and over 150k on the card.

Race 12


1 Jo Pa`s Wild Card L 21 4 7 2 1:51.3F $81056 Corey Callahan Jim Campbell




2 Dragon King L 21 6 1 4 1:51.2F $141444 David Miller Roy Williams




3 Blueridge Western L 21 3 9 2 1:50.1M $513716 Dave Palone Kevin Mc Dermott




4 Somebeachsomewhere 15 14 1 0 1:46.4M $2448003 Paul Mac Donell Brent Mac Grath




5 Proper Respect L 22 9 5 3 1:49.3M $153996 Ron Pierce Carlo Poliseno




6 Mystery Chase L 22 5 4 4 1:49.2M $382246 Donnie Russell Donnie Russell

Beach to Race in Matron Stakes at Dover!!!

That McGrath's quite a kidder. "I feel badly that I didn't say anything before now, but if he'd shown the least little bit of tiredness tonight, it would have been his last race," the trainer said. "But we decided to show him off a little bit more."

I've loved everything about the way Somebeachsomewhere's career has been handled, and this latest surprise is a truly unexpected dessert. The eliminations if necessary will be a week from tonight on Monday, December 8th, with the Matron Stakes Final going to post December 15, 2008.

Congatulations on an amazing season that just keeps rolling on to Brent McGrath, Jean-Louis Arsenault, Paul Macdonnell, co-owners James Bagnell, Pamela Dean, Reg Pettipas, Garry Pye, Stuart Rath and breeder Stephanie Smith-Rothaug.

Somebeachsomewhere edges Shadow Play to win Breeders Crown in 1.48.3

Beach was sensational as usual, and the comparisons to Cam Fella and Niatross will be made for decades. With 4 world records and the greatest 3 year old campaign ever for a pacer under his belt, Somebeachsomewhere made believers of all with his convincing victory in this evening's Breeders Crown Pace for 3 Year Old Colts and Geldings.


Watch Online Video of Somebeachsomewhere winning Breeders Crown

Right behind Paul Macdonnell and Beach at the wire were Shadow Play with David Miller, while Blueridge Western with Dave Palone driving was a close third. For standardbred racing fans from Atlantic Canada, it was a 1-2 Maritimes harness racing triumph as Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick shared ownership in the two awesome pacers Somebeachsomewhere (NS, NB) and Shadow Play (PEI, NB, QUE).

Somebeachsomewhere trainer Brent Mcgrath is among the many who belive that Beach is the Horse of the Year.

He had four world records before he came here tonight. He’s never went a bad race, he has a single season's earning record. How is the door (to Horse of the Year) not open before tonight? It’s about zero degrees (Celsius) in Canada and it was 75 in Lexington and he was every bit as impressive as Lexington.

I think that he is the Horse of the Decade, the pacer who will be remembered as the fastest of the first decade of the twentieth century, and the fastest 3 year old ever on the racetrack at the time he raced.

Complete 2008 Breeders Crown results online

Somebeachsomewhere SENSATIONAL in OSS Super Final

Thousands of Beach fans came out to see the final Canadian race of Somebeachsomewhere at Woodbine in Toronto last night and the brilliant sophomore pacer thrilled the crowd yet again. "Beach" and driver Paul Macdonnell went to the front from the gate and gradually pulled away from the field, reaching an eight length lead by the 3/4 and pacing ahead by twelve lengths at the top of the stretch. It seemed that driver Paul was saving something for New Jersey, as he took Beach home in a leisurely 29.3 for a stellar 1.50.3 on a cold and rainy Ontario evening.

Beach is now off to the Meadowlands for the Breeders Crown (finals Nov 29) before heading over to Hanover Show Farms where he will stand as one of the premier stallions in harness racing.

Horse PP 1/4 1/2 3/4 Stretch Finish Time 1/4 Driver Odds Trainer

Woodbine 7th Race 15NOV08 - OSS Super Final 3 Year Colts and Geldings

Somebeachsomewhere 3 1/1T 1/3 1/8H 1/12T 1/11T 1:50.3 29.3 P Mac 0.05* B Macgrath

Keystone Horatio 7 5/6H 5/12 4@/13H 2/12T 2/11T 1:53 29.2 Ra Wap 17.30 J Kopas

Trade Editor 4 3/3Q 3/4T 3/10T 4/15H 3/17 1:54 30.4 J Jamieson 48.90 B Burgess