When driver Brett Beckwith steered Side Piece ($5.40) to victory in a new lifetime mark of 1:50.2 in the featured $27,397 Fillies & Mares Winners Over Pace at Plainridge Park on Tuesday afternoon (April 16), he registered the 1,000th win of his young career in his typical front-end style.
The Janie Kellogg-owned and Jackie Greene-trained Side Piece took the lead past the quarter and held off a fast-closing Arizona (Bruce Ranger) in the shadow of the wire.
After the race, the happy Beckwith said, “I'm very grateful for all the opportunities I've been given and for being able to drive so many good horses. I just want to keep working hard and improving week to week to be the best driver I can be every time I go behind the gate.”
Beckwith got off to a fast start in 2024 and is currently second for dash wins among all drivers in North America with 198, and is quickly closing in on perennial dash leader Aaron Merriman. He is only 16 wins behind Merriman after this last win and with 133 less starts.
Beckwith is also the fifth leading percentage driver in North America, boasting a gaudy .349 UDR. Beckwith has banked over $1.8 million in purses so far in 2024 and is on course to break all his personal single season numbers this year.
The 21-year-old Beckwith is also the leading dash driver at two current meets: first at Saratoga Raceway with 115 wins and a UDR of .420 and, after two days, also at Plainridge Park with six wins and a UDR of .567.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Thursday, April 18 with post time at 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)