Canada's Athlete Of The Year?

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Published: December 2, 2008 10:34 am EST

Standardbred Canada has launched a campaign for sports writers to vote for harness racing phenom Somebeachsomewhere as the 2008 Lou Marsh Trophy recipient for Canada's athlete of the year.

Below is the open letter penned by Trot Magazine editor and Standardbred Canada's Manager of Industry Communications Darryl Kaplan to the country's sports journalists.

Not only is Somebeachsomewhere one of the greatest pacers to ever look through a bridle, his dominance transcends horse racing and places him among Canada's elite athletes.

SC invites everyone to add their name to the petition by entering their name, city and province in the comments box at the bottom of the page and then hitting the Post Comment button, making this page the online petition to be signed by racing fans from coast-to-coast.

Standardbred Canada Bids to Have Somebeachsomewhere named Lou Marsh Recipient

Horse to follow in the footsteps of 1973 U.S. Athlete of the Year - Secretariat

The following is an open letter to the Committee considering nominees for Canada's Athlete of the Year.

Dear distinguished members of the Lou Marsh Trophy Committee:

In 2008, only one Canadian athlete set three world records, posted a 93.3% win average and earned $2.5 million (more than any other horse in history) in competition.

Only one Canadian athlete was considered by many international observers to have posted the most spectacular season ever accomplished in his respective field.

Only one Canadian athlete forever changed the landscape of his sport.

That athlete is Somebeachsomewhere.

Does a horse qualify to be named Athlete of the Year? If you doubt it, simply look to 1973 – when Sports Illustrated bravely named Secretariat the United States Athlete of the Year.

Secretariat raced 12 times that season but was beaten in three of those starts. His nine wins did include the prestigious Triple Crown, though he faced only five rivals in the Preakness and four in the Belmont. Over his career, Secretariat was 16 for 21.

Somebeachsomewhere, sired in Ontario and owned and based in Truro, Nova Scotia, won 14 of his 15 races in 2008, 13 of which were stakes events. Over his career, he's 20 for 21 and is among the richest horses ever to take to a racetrack.

After an undefeated two-year-old campaign in 2007, this highly charismatic performer brought thousands of spectators out to watch him every time he raced.

In the $1.5 million North America Cup at Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville, Ont., he demolished the best nine pacers in the world as an adoring crowd stood on their feet to cheer him past the wire.

At the $493,000 Confederation Cup over Flamboro Downs in Dundas, Ont., he competed in two heats held just hours apart, winning in 1:51 3/5 and then 1:49 2/5 -- the fastest time a three-year-old has ever paced over a half-mile track.

At the Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky, he greeted fans in horse racing's heartland with a heart-stopping 1:46 4/5 mile, a world record for the fastest time a three-year-old has ever paced. The mark remarkably tied the world record paced by any horse of any age.

He won the Messenger Stakes in New York and the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final in Toronto through torrential rainstorms. He faced arguably the best group of horses ever assembled as even his rivals paced what would have previously been World Record times.

He won harness racing's three-year-old championship race -- the Breeders Crown -- with ease. Despite the grueling campaign, he is still scheduled to race twice more in December at Dover Downs in Delaware.

Somebeachsomewhere battled from May to December over deep and muddy surfaces and through horrendous conditions. He turned bettors and casual race-goers into true fanatics, and he spawned online fan clubs exceeding a thousand members.

His only loss, a neck defeat in the Meadowlands Pace, arguably became the best mile in history after he was forced to travel wide for much of the race, including a three-wide battle during the backstretch portion of the event.

Somebeachsomewhere has become a harness racing superstar – and there is no doubt that his sport is of sufficient stature to warrant consideration.

Harness racing in Canada values its participants like few other sports in the country. With an annual purse account of more than $240 million, Canadian standardbred racing ranks well above the CFL and the Canadian franchises in the NBA and Major League Baseball in terms of compensation. In all likelihood, only Canada's NHL interests will offer its athletes a higher total pay structure in 2008.

Wagering on Canadian standardbred racing, the only fair measure of attendance since tracks phased out admissions, will likely reach just shy of $500 million in 2008 – a gross revenue number matched by few in the sports world.

It wouldn't be the first time harness racing came to the forefront of Canadian athleticism. In 1971, driver Herve Filion was the recipient of the Lou Marsh Trophy.

Even in thoroughbred racing, Canada has never produced a horse quite like Somebeachsomewhere. Even the great Northern Dancer, a legend in the racing history of our country, was ranked just 43rd in Bloodhorse Magazine's list of the all-time best thoroughbreds.

Some standardbred historians place Somebeachsomewhere on the top of the all-time list, quite an accomplishment considering that long before leagues like the NBA, NHL and NFL existed, harness racing was, in the early 1900s, North America's number one spectator sport.

On Tuesday, December 2, Standardbred Canada will post an online petition at www.standardbredcanada.ca to garner support in naming Somebeachsomewhere the recipient of the 2008 Lou Marsh Award. In under a day, it will have upward of 1,000 signatures.

It is with great pride that we can call Somebeachsomewhere Canada's own. And we are very hopeful he will be named Canada's next Lou Marsh Trophy recipient as he is, without a doubt, Canada's top athlete of 2008.

With sincerest regards,

Darryl Kaplan

Manager of Industry Communications, Standardbred Canada

Editor of Trot Magazine

905-858-3077, ext.241

[email protected]

Somebeachsomewhere Sets 1:46.4 World Record

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Comments

5 December 2008 - 4:48 pm

Somebeachsomewhere deserves to be Athlete of the Year. He has done everything that has been asked of him. My congratulations to Brent, Paul and associates for a job well done, What else can I say, WOW, he is very deserving of this honor.

5 December 2008 - 4:28 pm

No question that this "athlete" qualifies. C'mon sportswriters......let's do it right !!!!

5 December 2008 - 3:59 pm

This majestic horse is the best thing that has happened to the industry ever! Hands down athlete of the year.

Thanks
Steve Jewitt

5 December 2008 - 3:40 pm

I would find it very hard to believe, if he doesn't get athlete of the year. Good luck Beach.

5 December 2008 - 3:17 pm

Please put my name down. Could not wait to see the Beach run. A real machine in motion. The Best Ever.

5 December 2008 - 3:05 pm

If a race car driver can be named athlete of the year.When he has a machine doing most of the work.Then the machine like pacer (the Beach) should definately be named athlete.Arguably the greatest horse the racing industry has ever seen.Throughbred included.

5 December 2008 - 2:25 pm

Larry Drysdale
83 Zina St.
Orangeville Onatrio

This is the greatest race horse our country has ever witnessed Standardbred or thoroughbred .

5 December 2008 - 1:57 pm

Betty Strong, Toronto, Ontario

Please vote for Somebeachsomewhere for the Lou Marsh Trophy!

5 December 2008 - 1:56 pm

Karen English, Toronto, Ontario

Please vote for Somebeachsomewhere for the Lou Marsh Trophy!

5 December 2008 - 1:53 pm

Sign me up for "The Beach" as athlete of the year cause there is no one better deserving !

5 December 2008 - 1:53 pm

Go Beach Go!!! He deserves this award, no other Canadian athlete has sparked our love & imagination this or for a long time!!!

5 December 2008 - 1:38 pm

He's the greatest equine athlete that our country has every witnessed, includeing North America.

5 December 2008 - 1:31 pm

The champion of a generation.

Bill Hagerty
London, ON

5 December 2008 - 1:23 pm

I have really enjoyed watching this horse race all year he is a true champion and so is that driver as I ment him personally in Sarnia a couple of years ago.

5 December 2008 - 11:59 am

john bell 178 domville st. Arthur,Ont

Somebeachsomewhere is an awesome horse, a pacing machine. The best most people are ever going to see.

5 December 2008 - 11:49 am

Margaret and Mary Charlton
Sarnia, ON
With a horse like the Beach, who has brought so much interest to the harness racing community, he deserves the honour of being Athlete of the Year!

5 December 2008 - 11:41 am

In my opinion SBSW is the Tiger Woods of horse racing. His domination on the track including his 3 World Records should make him a "Slam Dunk" for Canada's Athlete of 2008. Thanks for the memories to Brent and Paul for a year not soon to be forgotten

5 December 2008 - 11:34 am

Amanda Gamester
Charlottetown, PEI

5 December 2008 - 11:23 am

HELLO SURE HOPE OUR VOTE COUNTS.....WE RACE AND BUY CANADA HORSES ALL OF THE TIME.THE BEACH IS THE GREAT TYPE OF ATHLETE FOR THE HONOR OF THE AWARD. THINK ABOUT IT...NO HUMAN ATHLETE HAS THE BEAUTY, GRACE, SPEED, POWER, AND THE WILL TO WIN AS THE BEACH. NATURE GAVE TO THE WORLD OF SPORTS AN EQUINE SO SUPERIOR THAT HE TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY TO WATCH THE SHEER ABILITY OF THIS GREAT ATHLETE. ROSALIND S PAUL M AND L OF DE. WILMINGTON, DELAWARE 19802

5 December 2008 - 11:12 am

He is truly an amazing horse......a class above all..
we went to Woodbine to see him race on Nov 15th and he was
spectacular especially given the weather conditions...
a superior candidate for Athlete of the Year....
Sam & Cheryl Hodgin
Bloomfield, NB

5 December 2008 - 11:05 am

Awesome, Awesome little horse, great for our breeding program, great for the sport, the connection to the maritimes, everything is positive, why not !!!!!!!

5 December 2008 - 10:52 am

The Beach is just like Gretzky. Simply the best for his time. Wish he was racing again next year, it's a shame not to see this super horse race anymore.

5 December 2008 - 10:36 am

The Beach deserves it!
Rosita Neal
Bethany, ON
L0A 1A0

5 December 2008 - 10:34 am

The obvious choice for Athlete of The Year!! Wayne Bonus, Detroit, MI, USA

5 December 2008 - 10:24 am

Brad Lichty Elmira Ont i have seen all of is races live or on tv he most certainly deserves this.

5 December 2008 - 10:21 am

The beach is the kind of horse that only comes along every few decades.He is a superstar and entitled to be canada`s athlete of the year. Awesome representation for Canada.

5 December 2008 - 10:20 am

Without question the top athlete of the year-the Tiger Woods of our sport and one that transcends breed, gait, sex, etc.

5 December 2008 - 10:18 am

This is a wonderfull tribute to a great horse and his connections

Klaas Degroot
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut

5 December 2008 - 10:10 am

Canada's true athelete
Dwayne Huxted
Orangeville On.

6 February 2009 - 12:49 pm

Are you any relations to a Brad Dwayne Huxted? If so this is an od girlfriend of His, My Name is Carolyn, And I live in the States. Florida to be exact. Any way if you do know him please send him my love, I miss him and think about him Every Day!! No Lie. I hope and pray that he is in good health and Happy. I had heard he was married,I hope he truely is Happy. Thank you,,, Carolyn

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