Shadow Play, the reigning World Record holder over a five-eighths mile track, will watch from the sidelines as Somebeachsomewhere heads to Dover Downs for the last major stakes event of the season, the $236,000 Matron Stakes.
"'Shadow' is at Blue Chip Farms right now in preparation for a fertility test today to solidify our deal," trainer and co-owner Dr. Ian Moore told Trot Insider. "We are going to shut him down now and if all goes well we'll give him two months off to prepare for next year."
Harness racing's World Record holder over the five-eighths mile (1:48.2) and two-heat World Record holder over the half-mile oval (3:40.1), Shadow Play finished a game second to Somebeachsomewhere in Saturday's Breeders Crown for three-year-old pacing colts to conclude his stellar season with 14 wins in 25 starts and nearly $1.2 million in purse earnings.
"He was hurting a bit on his right front hoof (the same one that needed patching between Little Brown Jug heats) on Saturday, but raced extremely well. I don't think we were beating Somebeachsomewhere anyway."
After the fertility test, Moore will truck his stable star back home to the Maritimes for a party at his home track.
"We should be taking him home Tuesday in his newly-bought trailer and Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre is having a Shadow Play Day on Saturday afternoon. We are pitching in purse money and tons of giveaways. It should be a great day."
Shadow Play stands as the fourth-fastest and fourth-richest sophomore pacing colt of 2008, an anomaly in racing as the sophomore pacing class witnessed four seasonal millionaires for the first time - Somebeachsomewhere ($2.5 million and counting), Art Official ($1.5 million) and Badlands Nitro ($1.4 million). With this kind of company, Moore is quick to state how much the experience with Shadow Play has affected him.
"We are all very thankful for the wonderful year that 'Shadow' has given us and will long relish the memories."