Like father, like son: Nova Scotia horse Beach Glass is headed out to stud
CBC
A Nova Scotia racehorse who was sired by the legendary Somebeachsomewhere is following in his father's hoofprints and heading to a post-racing career at a stud farm.
Beach Glass did not race this year because of three failed surgeries to fix an entrapped epiglottis, which occurs when a piece of tissue in the horse's throat becomes inflamed and gets stuck over the top of the epiglottis. This narrows the horse's airway.
Last year, Beach Glass won nine of 13 races, earning more than $1 million.
While the first surgery was a failure, it was believed the second was a success, which made Beach Glass's final two wins of the season all the more remarkable.
Brent MacGrath, Beach Glass's owner and trainer, said the horse spent the year exercising and training while his future was mapped out for him.
He said Beach Glass's brains, looks, speed and gait make him an attractive stud, as well as his disposition.
"There's no drama with him," said MacGrath, who is from Truro, N.S.
"You walk him into a new barn and [while] lots of horses are hollering and screaming and announcing themselves and being aggressive, he just walks into a new barn like an old dog. 'Where's my stall? Put me in there. I'll have a drink of water and something to eat and leave me alone.'"
MacGrath also trained Somebeachsomewhere and was a part owner. The horse won 20 of 21 starts during his two-year racing career that ended in 2008.
The combined earnings of the roughly 1,100 horses Somebeachsomewhere sired before his sudden death in 2018 is now over $204 million, said MacGrath.
Somebeachsomewhere's success on the harness racing track, as well as his backstory, captured the public's attention. He was famously purchased for $40,000 — top horses often sell for more than $100,000 — with the cost being split six ways between his Maritime owners.
Somebeachsomewhere was trained in Truro, which was considered an unorthodox move.
Beach Glass was the last horse sired by Somebeachsomewhere.
MacGrath plans to get two foals sired by Beach Glass, with the breeding to take place in 2024 and their births happening the following year. By 2027, they should be ready to race.
This story is a collaboration between the Investigative Journalism Foundation and CBC Saskatchewan.
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