Woodbine Mohawk Park: Beaton brings Legendary Hanover, friends for Somebeachsomewhere

Saturday's Somebeachsomewhere stakes events for sophomore pacers at Woodbine Mohawk Park is the final prep for this year's C$1 million North America Cup and trainer Anthony Beaton has a strong hand with three entered in the two divisions, though most experts are looking towards Legendary Hanover, a son of Huntsville, to be the star attraction.

Legendary Hanover was the talk of the town last year, winning his first six starts as a freshman before running into Captains Quarters and being defeated for the first time in the Metro, Canada's premier event for 2-year-old pacers.

This year, Legendary Hanover has gotten better with each start, winning a qualifier on May 3 in 1:50 4/5 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and then capturing his first two races in 1:49 4/5 and 1:48 3/5 while preparing for his first stakes engagement.

"I'm looking forward to a nice summer with him," said Beaton of Legendary Hanover, who drew post six in the third race and first C$75,000 Somebeachsomewhere division. "He's matured over the winter and knows what to do when on the track."

Beaton suggested that Legendary Hanover has come out of each of his races fit and ready for future battles, and Saturday's contest could serve as a good measuring stick for where he ranks heading into the June 8 North America Cup eliminations.

James MacDonald will guide Legendary Hanover again, and he'll have a post advantage against one of last year's premier 2-year-olds in Ontario, Funtime Bayama. This year Funtime Bayama has won two of his first three starts, with a 1:49 4/5 effort coming on May 11 in an SBOA stakes event. Last week, in the first Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series tilt of the season, Funtime Bayama, a horse Beaton has the utmost respect for, cut the pace and was out-sprinted in the final strides of a 1:49 4/5 mile by his charge, Nijinsky.

"He's passed every test so far with flying colors," said MacDonald. "I look at him like he's the best horse in North America and I'll continue to look at him that way until some horse proves they are better. I know there are a lot of really great horses in his division, but I wouldn't trade Legendary Hanover for anyone. I think he's a special horse and he's going to do special things on the track."

Beaton sends out a pair in the sixth race and second C$75,000 Somebeachsomewhere stanza. He has the North America Cup eligible Nijinsky (post two) and Stonebridge Thrill (post seven) in the field of nine horses.

"He was a nice horse last year but was a bit immature and would make some mistakes," said Beaton of Nijinsky.

This year the Bettor's Delight-sired colt has shown a new dimension and with it has come a pair of wins, including the Ontario Gold victory in a career best 1:49 4/5 clocking.

"He could always sprint home fast," said Beaton. "This year you can leave with him and he'll relax."

In the Gold division on May 25, Nijinsky had the early lead and then allowed Funtime Bayama to get control in what looked to be a very soft 56-second opening half. Driver Louis-Philippe Roy waited until the final eighth of a mile to call on Nijinsky and got the response he was looking for with a 25 2/5 final fraction, enough to nail the favorite and give the colt his biggest career victory.

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This Somebeachsomewhere division appears to have a few more quality colts likely to be entered in next week's North America Cup trials. Chief among them is Captains Quarters, a lightly-raced 2-year-old that came to life in a major way with his 1:49 3/5 blowout victory in the C$970,000 Metro last September over the same track. A son of Captaintreacherous, Captains Quarters made his sophomore debut on May 18 with an impressive 1:50 1/5 victory for driver Jody Jamieson. Captains Quarters landed post five in his first major stakes action of 2024.

Trophy Takter (post one) overcame post eight and set a career-best 1:50 clocking while taking another Ontario Gold division on May 25. That earned him the right to face Grand Circuit company in the Somebeachsomewhere. Dave Menary trains Trophy Takter, a gelding from the first crop of All Bets Off who will be driven by James MacDonald.

"I only drove him the one time in the Gold last weekend and he won. It was a really gutsy effort, too. He left hard and came first-up to get the job done," said MacDonald. "Maybe with a trip he can take the next step and compete with some of these Grand Circuit horses."

Newsroom, one of last year's early standouts in New Jersey, makes his sophomore debut in the Somebeachsomewhere but drew post eight in this field and will have his work cut out. Trainer Joe Holloway prepped Newsroom for the race with three straight qualifiers at the Meadowlands, with the last (May 25), a sparkling 1:51 mile, his best effort.

Beaton may have a sleeper in this field as well with Stonebridge Thrill, a horse that may be better than he looks on paper.

"He's a horse that always finishes fast," said Beaton of the Bettor's Delight-sired colt that got mired behind a dull flow in the Ontario Gold division last week and had little chance of gaining traction into a 25 3/5 final quarter.

Others with potential to step up in this Somebeachsomewhere division are Do Better (post three) and Unrivaled Hanover (post four). The former earned $226K for trainer Bob McIntosh last year and has been saddled with outside draws in all four of his 2024 starts. Unrivaled Hanover was a solid second behind Funtime Bayama in the SBOA elimination and final races. He could be turning the corner for trainer Shawn Steacy.

Beaton sent out Redwood Hanover to victory in a 2023 Somebeachsomewhere event and hopes that the now-4-year-old is back on track for the C$66,500 Graduate leg carded as race eight on the 10-race Saturday night Woodbine Mohawk Park program.

"I was a little disappointed with his effort in the Juravinski [elimination at Flamboro on May 12]," said Beaton. "We took blood afterwards and there were some issues that we've been working on."

Redwood Hanover then finished fourth in a prep for the Graduate.

"He was better, but they were going a [1]:47 mile."

Given how fast the races have been this year at Woodbine Mohawk Park, it would not be a surprise to see that kind of speed in the Graduate, especially with last year's North America Cup champion It's My Show returning in the fourth race Graduate division.

Post time on Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park is 7:10 P.M. (EDT).