Whether fans weigh in on the side of Somebeachsomewhere, Niatross or Cam Fella, one thing they all agree on is that the son of Mach Three and Wheres The Beach represents the pinnacle of the Ontario Sires Stakes program.

"There isn't any question about that," asserts trainer Brent MacGrath. "The question is; is he the best horse ever?

"Niatross won 35 races, Beach has gone 21, Niatross was able to get a lot of 1:55 miles, and Beach got none, so it's hard to compare. Is Gretzky better than Gordie Howe? Nobody can compare that, in my opinion," adds the Truro, NS resident. "Of course I'm a bit biased, I'd have to say he's certainly the greatest horse I've ever had make $3 million."

Purchased by MacGrath and his partners in the Schooner Stables of Bible Hill, NS for $40,000 at the 2006 Lexington Select Sale, Somebeachsomewhere has won 19 races in 20 starts (finishing second in the Meadowlands Pace) and earned $3,078,755.

When the founders of the Ontario Sires Stakes program were drumming up support for their vision more than 35 years ago, this is the kind of horse they dreamed of producing. A horse that stands shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world, whose name can be mentioned in the same breath as the sport's all time greats.

In the late 1960's breeders like Lloyd Chisholm, Wib White, and Ed Boland became convinced that the future success of Standardbred breeding in Ontario hinged on the creation of a Sires Stakes program similar to the one in New York State. The trio worked tirelessly for half a decade before the OSS came to fruition in 1973, causing the average yearling price at that fall's sales to more than double.

Robra Glider and Ron Feagan won the first ever Ontario Sires Stakes event at Garden City Raceway on June 1, 1974, and since then Ontario-sired horses have gone on to win most of the sport's major titles at least once. Building on the vision of its founders, the Ontario program has evolved into the premier Sires Stakes program in North America.

Without the Ontario Sires Stakes program, $2.3 million winner Mach Three would never have come to stand at Tara Hills Stud in Port Perry. Without the Ontario Sires Stakes program Ohio resident Stephanie Smith would never have booked WheresTheBeach to be bred to an Ontario stallion. Without the Ontario Sires Stakes program, MacGrath would never have invested his fellow Maritimers' money in a horse to race in Ontario.

"The Super Final is a big race for me because I like the Sires Stakes program," said MacGrath before The Beach's nineteenth win. "I went looking for a Sires Stakes horse and ended up with a world champion. It's been fun."

Ontario Sires Stakes