The Living Horse Hall of Fame nominating committee of the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame has announced the results of recent balloting to determine the 2015 inductees into the Harness Racing Living Horse Hall of Fame.
Annual members (in good standing) voted for the two horses they felt best exemplified greatness. Their choices are racehorses Deweycheatumnhowe and Somebeachsomewhere.
The other nominees were Mr Muscleman, Real Desire and Fools Goal.
Deweycheatumnhowe and Somebeachsomewhere will be inducted on Hall of Fame Day, Sunday, July 5. The ceremonies honouring these extraordinary Standardbred horses will take place during the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame’s annual dinner. For information on the Hall of Fame weekend and other festivities surrounding this important occasion, visit harnessmuseum.com from April 2015 onward or call or write the museum at 240 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924. The museum can be contacted by phone at 845-294-6330.
Standardbreds are eligible for nomination to harness racing’s highest accolade only if they comply with the following strict criteria:
They must be retired from racing for five years and had a drug-free career. In addition, racehorses must have won 75 per cent of their lifetime starts, or gone undefeated in a single season campaign of 12 or more races, or been the winner of $3 million lifetime or named Harness Horse of the Year (U.S. and/or Canada).
Stallions must rank among the 10 all-time leading money-winning sires at their gait or have sired at least 100 $200,000 winners or been a leading money-winning sire at his gait in three or more seasons.
BROODMARES are automatically elected if they have produced a $1 million winner and two other winners of $500,000 OR produced a Harness Horse of the Year (US and/or Canada) and another $500,000 winner.
The 2015 LIVING HORSE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
SOMEBEACHSOMEWHERE
(Nominated as Racehorse)
p,2,1:49.3; 3,1:46.4 ($3,221,299) Bay Horse, 2005
(Mach Three – Wheres The Beach – Beach Towel)
No Standardbred has ever raced a faster mile, and no pacer has ever earned more in a single season than world champion 2008 Horse of the Year Somebeachsomewhere. He holds a lifetime record of 21-20-1-0.
As a two-year-old in 2007, Somebeachsomewhere won all six of his starts, earning $773,296. Major victories included the Battle of Waterloo, Metro Pace (in the fastest mile ever by a freshman pacer – 1:49.3s), Champlain Stakes (in stakes record time) and Nassagaweya. Somebeachsomewhere was voted Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year in both the U.S. and Canada, and voted O’Brien Award Horse of the Year in a tie with Tell All.
In his 2008 season, three-year-old Somebeachsomewhere won 14 of 15 starts with one second (Meadowlands Pace), while earning $2,448,003, more than any Standardbred in a single season up to that time. Major victories included the North America Cup, Confederation Cup, Tattersalls, Messenger, Ontario Sire Stakes Super Final and Breeders Crown. Somebeachsomewhere was voted 2008 Dan Patch and O’Brien Horse of the Year (the only Standardbred to win the O’Brien title twice), Dan Patch Pacer of the Year, and Dan Patch and O’Brien Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year.
At the time of his retirement, Somebeachsomewhere held or shared eight world records, and he continues to be the top-ranked single-season moneywinning pacer. In 2009, Somebeachsomewhere was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
With three crops of racing age, Somebeachsomewhere has sired winners of over $27 million, including two-time Dan Patch Pacer of the Year Captaintreacherous p,3,1:47.1 ($3,148,657), Breeders Crown winner Somwherovrarainbow p,4,1:48f ($1,326,348) and 2014 Little Brown Jug winner Limelight Beach p,3,1:49.1 ($830,560).
DEWEYCHEATUMNHOWE
(Nominated as Racehorse)
2,1:54.2; 3,1:50.4 ($3,155,178) Bay Horse, 2005
(Muscles Yankee – Trolley Square – Speedy Somolli)
Deweycheatumnhowe was the first North American trotter in history to amass lifetime earnings of over $3 million in just two seasons of racing. ‘Dewey’ never finished off the board, winning 22 of 25 lifetime starts. As a three-year-old, he won two legs of the trotting Triple Crown (the Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity). When he retired from racing he was the second-leading single-season moneywinning trotter of all time. He is currently ranked third.
As a two-year-old in 2007, Deweycheatumnhowe was undefeated in ten starts with a record of 2,1:54.2. Major victories included the Valley Victory, Breeders Crown, New Jersey Sire Stakes final, Bluegrass (tying the stakes record 1:55.3 for his division), International Stallion Stakes (again equalling the stakes record 1:54.2) and Harriman Cup. In nearly unanimous balloting, Dewey was voted Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year, and his earnings of $936,191 are still the most ever in a single season by a freshman trotting colt.
During his 2008 sophomore season, Deweycheatumnhowe continued to dazzle the trotting world. In addition to his Hambletonian win, Dewey triumphed in the Canadian Trotting Classic, World Trotting Derby (setting his record 1:50.4), Stanley Dancer Memorial, Kentucky Futurity, Bluegrass and the Dickerson Cup. By far the leading moneywinning trotter of the year with $2,218,987 in earnings, Deweycheatumnhowe was voted 2008 Trotter of the Year, garnering nearly every ballot, and Three-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year unanimously.
With three crops of racing age, Deweycheatumnhowe has sired winners of over $7 million, including Ma Chere Hall 3,1:52.3 ($689,641) winner of the Matron Stakes, Bluegrass, and Kentucky Sires Stakes Final, and Yonkers Trot winner Dewycolorintheline 4,1:53.3 ($544,269).
(Living Horse Hall of Fame)