Somebeachsomewhere - Fastest Harness Horse Ever?

Considering that Beach raced against the best in the world and was only beaten once (by a rough trip), he is certainly a candidate for the best pacer ever. Here are some of the many online articles and web tributes:

Online tribute to and photos of pacer Somebeachsomewhere
Courtesy of www.HarnessHorses.info 11-30-2008

Somebeachsomewhere named Horse of the Year
Courtesy of USTA 2-5-2009

O'Brien Awards ceremony becomes a "Beach party"
Courtesy of USTA 01-31-2009

Somebeachsomewhere Voted 2008 Cam Fella Award Recipient
Courtesy of Stanadardbred Canada 01-05-2009

Somebeachsomewhere On CBC
Courtesy of Harness Edge 12-30-2008

Perkins Names 'Beach' Canada's Best Performer
Courtesy of Standardbred Canada 12-27-2008

Somebeachsomewhere Breaks Earnings Record
Courtesy of Standardbred Canada 11-29-2008

No spoiling the 'Beach' party in Breeders Crown
Courtesy of USTA 11-29-2008

Online Photographic Essay on Somebeachsomewhere
Courtesy of Harness Edge 11-19-2008

More Praise For 'The Beach'
Courtesy of Standardbred Canada 11-13-2008

Mainstream TV Features On 'The Beach'
Courtesy of Standardbred Canada 11-13-2008

Somebeachsomewhere wins Messenger Stakes
Courtesy of USTA 10-25-2008

Hanover Shoe Farms lands Somebeachsomewhere for stallion roster
Article about Somebeachsomewhere--Courtesy of USTA 10-8-2008

Somebeachsomewhere Best 6 Racelines, fastest harness horse ever:


27 September 2008 Red Mile Bluegrass $134 000 1/7H 1:46.4 27.2

World record mark, fastest time ever over any track by a 3 year old.



19 July 2008 Meadowlands M Pace F $1 100 000 2/NK 1:47.0 27.4

Tied for 2nd fastest race time ever (at the time, fastest ever) by a 3 year old with race winner Art Official. His over-long trip probably added three lengths or more to the journey, so this was one of if not the very best race of Beach's career. Ironic that it's considered his only "loss", when he set a world record and gave the greatest performance I've ever witnessed in harness racing.



4 October 2008 Red Mile Tattersalls $293 000 1/3H 1:47.4 26.2

Tied Stakes record with world record 3rd time under 1.48. One week after setting 3 year old world record.



29 November 2008 Meadowlands BC Final $500 000 1 1:48.3 26.3

Stakes Record (shattering the previous record by 1 1/5 seconds!) Breeders Crown 2008 Championship win by 1 3/4 lengths over Shadow Play capped a brilliant career record of 20 wins and one 2nd in 21 lifetime starts. 3 Year Old (All Ages??) World record FIFTH RACE in 1.48.3 or faster, and world record EIGHTH TIME in 1.49.0 or faster!!!



17 August 2008 Flamboro Confed F $493 000 1/4 1:49.2 26.3

2nd heat and same-day final Beach sets world record on half mile track of 1.49.2 over 4 turns!!!



1 September 2007 Mohawk D-Metro $1 000 000 1/2 1:49.3 27.4

In the Metro Pace final last year Somebeachsomewhere set a 2 year old pacing world record of 1.49.3, setting the stage for 2008's world-beating performance.


Beach as a 2 year old:

Somebeachsomewhere winning 2007 Metro Pace Final online video


Beach as a 3 year old:

5 minute video of Somebeachsomewhere winning 2008 North America Cup

6 min. video Somebeachsomewhere victory 2008 Pepsi North America Cup

Somebeachsomewhere video winning 2008 Confederation Cup 1.49.2

First heat elimination win 2008 Confederation Cup, Somebeachsomewhere video


2009 Fundraiser for Moncton Horsemen's Association:

Somebeachsomewhere's leather halter from Tattersalls / Bluegrass races in Kentucky auction on ebay

Birthday Tribute to Somebeachsomewhere videos of all his races online

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

Online Tribute: Somebeachsomewhere retires to stud as richest, fastest 3 year old pacer EVER

Pacing's Champion Somebeachsomewhere; A Tribute to the Fastest Harness Horse Ever

Somebeachsomewhere (Mach Three - Where's The Beach, by Beach Towel)

Beach has brought excitement and joy to many, and he raced his heart out every night he set foot on the track. I would suspect that I am not the only person to have the standardbred flame rekindled and stirred by this incredible racehorse.

Much respect to Brent Mcgrath, Paul Macdonnell and all the colt's connections, who were gracious and exemplary during Somebeachsomewhere's rise to prominence. Now standing at Hanover Shoe Farms in Pennsylvania for a stallion fee of US$20,000, he will be bred to the finest mares from the fastest families, and the sport moves forward yet again.











Somebeachsomewhere Best 6 Racelines, fastest pacing horse ever:


27 September 2008 Red Mile Bluegrass $134 000 1/7H 1:46.4 27.2

World record mark, fastest time ever over any track by a 3 year old.



19 July 2008 Meadowlands M Pace F $1 100 000 2/NK 1:47.0 27.4

Tied for 2nd fastest race time ever (at the time, fastest ever) by a 3 year old with race winner Art Official. His over-long trip probably added three lengths or more to the journey, so this was one of if not the very best race of Beach's career. Ironic that it's considered his only "loss", when he set a world record and gave the greatest performance I've ever witnessed in harness racing.



4 October 2008 Red Mile Tattersalls $293 000 1/3H 1:47.4 26.2

Tied Stakes record with world record 3rd time under 1.48. One week after setting 3 year old world record.



29 November 2008 Meadowlands BC Final $500 000 1 1:48.3 26.3

Stakes Record (shattering the previous record by 1 1/5 seconds!) Breeders Crown 2008 Championship win by 1 3/4 lengths over Shadow Play capped a brilliant career record of 20 wins and one 2nd in 21 lifetime starts. 3 Year Old (All Ages??) World record FIFTH RACE in 1.48.3 or faster, and world record EIGHTH TIME in 1.49.0 or faster!!!



17 August 2008 Flamboro Confed F $493 000 1/4 1:49.2 26.3

2nd heat and same-day final Beach sets world record on half mile track of 1.49.2 over 4 turns!!!












1 September 2007 Mohawk D-Metro $1 000 000 1/2 1:49.3 27.4

In the Metro Pace final last year Somebeachsomewhere set a 2 year old pacing world record of 1.49.3, setting the stage for 2008's world-beating performance.




Somebeachsomewhere Tributes and Links

Photographic Tribute to Somebeachsomewhere by Clive Cohen at MonsterFromTheMaritimes.com


Somebeachsomewhere page on Wikipedia


Website of Somebeachsomewhere's grandsire Matts Scooter

Sire of Somebeachsomewhere, info on Mach Three, webpage MachThree.net

Sire of Somebeachsomewhere's dam Where's The Beach, Beach Towel













Somebeachsomewhere Online Videos

Beach as a 2 year old:

Somebeachsomewhere video, 2007 Metro Pace Final


Beach as a 3 year old:

Online Video of Somebeachsomewhere 2008 Breeders Crown Victory


Watch Video of Somebeachsomewhere's 1.46.4 world record at The Red Mile


2008 Meadowlands Pace Final Art Official outlasts Somebeachsomewhere in world record time


Video of Somebeachsomewhere winning OSS Super Final at Woodbine Raceway Toronto


Beach winning 2008 Messenger Pace at Yonkers


Somebeachsomewhere video wins 2008 Pepsi North America Cup

Somebeachsomewhere victory 2008 Pepsi NA Cup, 6 minute video


Video of Somebeachsomewhere 2008 Confederation Cup 1.49.2 world record

First heat win 2008 Confederation Cup, Somebeachsomewhere online video



The fact that Somebeachsomewhere was able to dominate in a year that also featured Shadow Play and Art Official will just add to Beach's Legend.







Beach enjoying a snack of hay (Somebeachsomewhere photo by Raging Mike).











Shadow Play in a striking portrait by Raging Mike











Art Official was a tough competitor for Somebeachsomewhere and Shadow Play in 2008, and the night of the Meadowlands Pace Art Official was the fastest 3 year old ever, a record eclipsed by Beach a few months later in Kentucky.

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

USTrotting.com Honours Maritime Canada Racehorses

The year 2008 in standardbred horse racing will always be remembered as a treasure for harness racing fans from Atlantic Canada, for never in our lifetimes will we expect to see another crop as powerful and entertaining as Somebeachsomewhere, Shadow Play and Santanna Blue Chip.










With the Breeders Crown standardbred stakes championship this Saturday 29NOV08, many racing fans will be watching Deweycheatumnhowe, Muscle Hill and other 2008 trotting and pacing stars, but folks from the Canadian Maritimes provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island will be focused on Shadow Play (incl. Habs great Serge Savard along with PEI and NB owners) and "Beach" (owned by NS and NB people), the fastest pacer ever and a truly exciting athlete for the ages.











Here's an excerpt from the excellent UStrotting.com article on Maritime horses in the 2008 Breeders Crown:



East Rutherford, NJ --- A thousand miles away from the bright lights of Broadway and the incandescent oval that is the Meadowlands Racetrack sit the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, collectively known as The Maritimes.

The region's 1.8 million residents are blessed with abundant natural resources, including skilled horsemen and passionate harness racing fans who will have rooting interests in the nearly $6 million in purses distributed in eight Breeders Crown races that highlight the program on Saturday night, November 29, at the Meadowlands.

Some portion of those millions could well be returning to the Maritimes thanks to the pride of Nova Scotia and Horse of the Year contender Somebeachsomewhere and his prime competition, Shadow Play, who carries the hopes of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Additionally, Maritime-born trainers Greg Peck, Carl Jamieson, Jeffrey Gillis, and Angus MacDonald, as well as Hall of Fame driver Bill O'Donnell, will be among those seeking Breeders Crown trophies.

"Somebeachsomewhere has become a folk hero in the Maritimes," noted Doug Harkness, a journalist who has been chronicling the story for the paper he publishes, the Atlantic Post Calls, and other newspapers in the region, including The Guardian, Truro Daily News, New Glasgow News and the Summerside Journal Pioneer.

Somebeachsomewhere, who comes into the $500,000 Breeders Crown 3-year-old colt pace with 19 wins in 20 lifetime starts, will wrap up his racing career on Saturday night. He is trained by Brent MacGrath, who is also a member of the ownership, the Schooner Stables of Westchester Station, Nova Scotia.

"His connections are Nova Scotians, but the horse has a great following throughout the Maritime Provinces," said Harkness. "Brent MacGrath, a car salesman from Truro, has been a hobby horseman for years -- he once had a small stable at the old Greenwood Raceway in Truro, where he met and became great friends with Paul MacDonell, who has driven Somebeachsomewhere in all of his races."

Somebeachsomewhere is closing in on the $3 million mark in career earnings.
It was MacGrath who put together the partnership of six, each of whom invested $10,000, to head to the fall 2006 sales to buy a yearling. At the Lexington Selected Sale, he spotted Somebeachsomewhere, the son of Mach Three-Wheres The Beach, and paid $40,000. The 3-year-old has a bankroll of $2,971,299, thanks to his string of stakes victories, including the North America Cup.

"Brent and Reg Petitpas of Shediac Bridge, New Brunswick, are the only two members of the stable with a racing background," explained Harkness. "Petitpas has owned horses for about 30 years and co-owns the good invitational horse Silent Swing, a winner of more than $1 million and a solid third-place finisher in this year's William R. Haughton. He also co-owns the 3-year-old Giddy Up Lucky, who was fifth in the Little Brown Jug.


Full article on Somebeachsomewhere and Shadow Play in 2008 Breeders Crown pacing final

Somebeachsomewhere draws 3 in Tattersalls Pace; Art Official gets rail in other division

Somebeachsomewhere gets post 3 on Saturday October 4th in the first division of the Tattersalls Pace at The Red Mle in Lexington, Kentucky, as "The Beach" and pilot Paul Macdonnell attempt to break their own all-time race record of 1.46.4, a world-record set last Saturday in the Bluegrass Stakes. If weather conditions permit, they'll also be taking a run at the fastest mile ever paced, the 1.46.1 time trial of Cambest in 1993. Good luck to Somebeachsomewhere, his connections and all his fans in Maritime Canada and around the world of harness horse racing.

Inside horses Dali (1) and Lonester Legend (2) will likely try for a trip behind Beach, as will Upfront Hannahsboy driven by the superstar Tim Tetrick, but if Somebeachsomewhere paces like last weekend, it will be difficult for them to stay close, as last Saturday he was on his own and just flying through the fractions.

The hoped-for rematch between Beach and Art Official will have to wait a bit longer, as Art Official drew the rail in the second division. Driven by Ron Pierce, Art Official will be challenged by Share The Delight (2) with John Campbell driving, and Mystery Chase (7) with Brian Sears up.

Happy Pacing!

Somebeachsomewhere may face Shadow Play in $700,000 Tattersalls Pace; Maritime Showdown!

28SEP08 - After posting a world record for 3 year old pacers with his 146.4 victory in the Bluegrass Stakes in Kentucky yesterday, Somebeachsomewhere looks set to face off against Maritime rival (Beach has Nova Scotia ownership, Shadow Play has PEI owners) Shadow Play in next Saturday's $700,000 Tattersalls Pace at The Red Mile in Lexington Kentucky. Beach's connections likely welcome the enrtry, as any horse that can push Somebeachsomewhere to his best effort will aid in this attempt to break Cambest's 15 year old tme trial record of 146.1 in an actual race.

Bookmark this blog in your Add to Favorites section and check back here regularly as we'll be posting entries and post positions as soon as they are announced.

Watch video of Somebeachsomewhere posting world record of 146.4 at The Red Mile

SomeBeachSomewhere videos and links

I was alive when great pacers such as Niatross and Cam Fella were racing, but it was a different era and harder to follow the progress of a super horse. Somebeachsomewhere is a storybook racehorse and the plot is still unfolding.

Trainer Brent McGrath has said Somebeachsomewhere will race next in the Simcoe Stakes at Mohawk before traveling to Kentucky for races on Sept. 29 and Oct. 4. The Little Brown Jug on September 14th is not on the agenda, as the Beach is scheduled to try and break the 1993 world record time trial of Cambest (146.1) at The Red Mile later that same month, and they want the colt fresh.



Somebeachsomewhere Links and Info

Somebeachsomewhere page on Wikipedia

Beach's grandsire Matts Scooter

Somebeachsomewhere sire Mach Three info, on MachThree.net

Damsire of Somebeachsomewhere, Beach Towel

Beach as a 2 year old:

Video of Somebeachsomewhere winning 2007 Metro Pace Final


Beach as a 3 year old:

5 minute video of Somebeachsomewhere winning 2008 North America Cup

6 min. video Somebeachsomewhere victory 2008 Pepsi North America Cup

Somebeachsomewhere video winning 2008 Confederation Cup 1.49.2

First heat elimination win 2008 Confederation Cup, Somebeachsomewhere video