Harness: Harrisburg heavy in Somebeachsomewhere, Bettor's Delight bloodlines

There's a strong stallion theme surrounding this year's Harrisburg yearling sale. On the pacing side the dominance of two male lines has been noticeable, and the presence of colts and fillies from sires by Somebeachsomewhere and Bettor's Delight will get plenty of attention once in the ring.

The numbers are glaring, with more than 30 percent of the total horses in the sale and about 60 percent of the pacers hailing from either the Somebeachsomewhere or Bettor's Delight family tree.

While the Somebeachsomewheres are next generational, with the stallion's last crop now 3-year-olds, those in attendance at Harrisburg will be presented perhaps one of the best crops the great Bettor's Delight has sent to auction in his long and storied career as a leading pacing sire. That Bettor's Delight has sons doing notable work won't be lost as young studs like Lazarus N, Betting Line, Betterthancheddar and All Bets Off do their best to try to emulate the potency and brilliance that has become an annual fixture in major stakes events in Ontario and well beyond.

Somebeachsomewhere's stallion line has been kept strong with the emergence of his greatest son Captaintreacherous, who has more than followed in his father's footsteps with generational talent showing up yearly in major stakes races. Whether colt or filly, Captaintreacherous has proven himself time and again to produce not just fast horses but ones that can take a hit and keep on ticking.

Myron Bell selected Captaintreacherous as a yearling and formed a group to purchase him. Bell's years of studying the breed and the breeding business is perhaps more valuable now that Captaintreacherous is a stallion.

"There was Adios, then Hal Dale through Meadow Skipper, and then Most Happy Fella through Cam Fella and Oil Burner that led to the Western Hanover line," said Bell. "Now there's Somebeachsomewhere."

Somebeachsomewhere descends from Mach Three, a son of Matt's Scooter, himself a son of Direct Scooter. Bell believes the strength in the Somebeachsomewhere line will likely not end with his passing.

"I expect his sons to be able to follow him with more studs," Bell said.

While acknowledging what Captaintreacherous has already done, Bell recognized that Somebeachsomewhere was far from a one-stud wonder. "I think there are many of his sons that have been successful," said Bell. "Downbytheseaside is off to a good start. Huntsville and So Surreal have done well in New York."

Stay Hungry is another first-year stallion that has shown promise in 2022.

As for Bettor's Delight, Bell is quite impressed with the veteran stallion who he believes may finally have found a more permanent home in Ontario.

"He's gone from New York to Ontario to Pennsylvania and then back to Ontario," Bell said. "He's the go-to horse in Ontario right now."

In Ontario the extremely potent stallion has been well-received annually, and that has led to strong results on the racetrack and certainly leading to well-bred fillies and colts, many that will surface in the auction ring on Monday, November 7.

HIP 7 on the opening day of the Harrisburg auction is of note in that the filly Amethyst Hanover is the seventh foal of world champion American Jewel, a 1:48 2/5 performer and Dan Patch Award winner. With the mare previously bred exclusively to the Somebeachsomewhere line through the stallion, as well as his son Captaintreacherous, Amethyst Hanover is an Ontario-sired Bettor's Delight. While American Jewel's maternal line would seem a perfect fit for the Somebeachsomewhere line, Hanover Shoe Farms followed up by breeding her to Bettors Delight's son Tall Dark Stranger and have a colt by him that will sell in 2023.

Bettor's Wish is another son of Bettor's Delight looking for a second career in the stallion barn and won't have the numbers in his first crop that sells this year but may have the quality nonetheless to jumpstart his stud career. Just 13 will sell at Harrisburg, with HIP 9 Arbitrage Hanover one of a limited supply of colts up for auction. Arbitrage Hanover is out of a Somebeachsomewhere-sired dam, and that's a trend we're likely to see in many of the sport's coming stars in years to come.

While we expect the Bettor's Delight stallion cross to Somebeachsomewhere mares to help pave the way towards future stars, it would seem more than probable that Somebeachsomewhere line stallions should achieve success with Bettor's Delight-sired mares. It's with that in mind that HIP 39, a filly by the name of Mint Condition, strikes a chord. The filly is the first foal from the 1:47 3/5 performer Double A Mint, a daughter of Bettor's Delight, and she's by Captaintreacherous.

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Crisscrossing that stallion pairing once again, buyers will certainly want to pay attention to the pedigree and likely appeal of HIP 58, a filly named Twin B Roulette who happens to be a Bettor's Delight-sired sister in blood to this year's fastest freshman Twin B Joe Fresh. While it may be too early to tell, Twin B Joe Fresh is out of a Captaintreacherous-sired dam in Fresh Breeze, and perhaps that next generation has added a boost of speed to an already explosive pedigree.

Captain Crunch was Captaintreacherous's richest son when he retired, and his first crop of yearlings will see 34 colts and fillies under the block at Harrisburg. HIP 94 is perhaps the most interesting of the Captain Crunch offerings on opening day at Harrisburg. Timeisonmyside is a colt by Captain Crunch from a Mach Three-sired mare, giving him a 4 x 2 cross to Mach Three. The breeders are obviously exploring the Somebeachsomewhere stallion line with a mare that produced one of 2022's best 3-year-old pacers in Fourever Boy, by Sweet Lou.

Bettor's Delight could have another potential champion in HIP 122, a colt named Best Day. This is a half-brother to one of this year's leading 2-year-olds Save America (Captaintreacherous), as well as a full brother to the O'Brien Award-winning Stag Party. From a limited number of foals, the dam My Lady Day has also produced the $594K winning Hen Party, a daughter of Bettor's Delight's full brother Roll With Joe.

While the Somebeachsomewhere line has been consistent and fruitful since its inception, the Bettor's Delight stallion tree has taken some time to take any shape, but in recent years there have been more additions that have given it obvious life.

No doubt those combing the pedigrees for this year's Harrisburg auction will have a lot to choose from, but those looking for pacing blood will have a hard time finding any that doesn't have a decent percentage of Somebeachsomewhere or Bettor's Delight blood in it.