The Beach and the Best

Published: November 14, 2008 02:56 pm EST

Recently a web poll showed that 78 percent of the respondents felt that Somebeachsomewhere was among the top five sophomore pacers of all time.

Deweycheatumnhowe is considered among the top five sophomore trotters in history by a smaller percentage, but he still gets plenty of support.

How do you rank Beach vs. the Best? Tell me your thoughts and tell me why.

Such debates are wonderful because there is no right and no wrong---only opinions. We won’t be racing Somebeachsomewhere against the heroes of the past, so it’s all a matter of conjecture.

Besides, Beach’s career is not over yet. He’s still racing and astonishing people with his graceful gait and speed. It’s a shame that his win in the Messenger wasn’t seen by more people because it was truly something special and demonstrated his grit and determination.

Comparing of current stars to past stars is difficult because so few people had the opportunity to see the historic heroes. Who among us today, for example, remembers that Titan Hanover came into the ’45 Hambletonian so dominant that he was barred in the betting? Who remembers how Nevele Pride crushed his rivals in race after race?

The yardsticks used for comparison don’t serve us well. Bret Hanover won 35 races in a row, more races that Beach will contest in his entire career. Bret raced two and three-heat races and raced on half-mile tracks and traveled all over the country. Ditto for Albatross.

Yet Bret retired with a mark of 1:53.3 and less than a million bucks in the bank. The fastest mile that Albatross was 1:54.3f and he earned just more than $1.2 million. Beach’s accomplishments make those look ordinary, but Bret Hanover and Albatross were, of course, anything but ordinary. Times change, and the times in harness racing certainly have changed.

I’ve always said that the best horse I’ve seen was Niatross and I’ve taken some heat for that. One person wrote me recently to say that the standard for excellence in harness racing is Bret Hanover, not Niatross. I disagree. It’s that simple. It’s just my opinion.

I’m not prepared to say that Beach is a better horse than Niatross. True, Niatross lost twice in his career and Beach was only nipped once. But keep in mind that Niatross lowered the world record by almost three seconds when he was asked for a maximum effort. That still staggers the imagination.

One consideration that raises Beach in my estimation is that he’s faced some real serious horses like Art Official and Shadow Play and dispatched them (with the exception of that Meadowlands Pace). Sometimes a horse can stand out in his class because he’s the best of an ordinary lot. With all due respect to the late Ralph Hanover, I never thought his contemporaries were major leaguers and that made his Triple Crown and other triumphs a bit easier.

Enough of my thoughts. What about you? Is Beach the best ever? If so, why? Or do you agree with me and give Niatross a slight edge? What about Cam Fella, Bret Hanover, Nihilator, Albatross, and others? I’d love to hear your comments.

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