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

2 December 2008 - 4:35 pm

As one who spent more than a decade as a radio sportscaster in Calgary and joined my colleagues in much banter about Lou Marsh awards, I would heartly support "the beach" not only as a nominee, but a serious contender to win the award

Keith Nethery
London, Ontario

2 December 2008 - 4:35 pm

Canada's Number One Athlete!

There's no doubt that Somebeachsomewhere is one of the greatest Standardbreds, maybe the greatest, to ever grace our planet. He deserves to be named Canada's Athlete of the Year.

2 December 2008 - 4:33 pm

I traveled to Toronto & Lexington to see SBSW race , I have never done that in 40 yrs!
This horse is something VERY special.

2 December 2008 - 4:27 pm

Fred Haskell, Strathroy, Ontario- Great horse, great for Harness racing industry.

2 December 2008 - 4:25 pm

Daniel Crouse
Hanwell, New Brunswick

This is an amazing animal, he deserves this. It will be heart breaking if he doesn't.

Dan Crouse

2 December 2008 - 4:21 pm

Canada's Athlete of the Year! Somebeachsomewhere definately deserves this.
Wonderful job writing the letter to the nominee committee.

Megan Baird
Cornwall, PEI

2 December 2008 - 4:12 pm

Jim Harcourt
Innerkip, Ontario

Somebeachsomewhere is truly deserving of this award.He is by far the best athelete
in Canada and one who has made us proud to be a Canadian.

Beach,Brent,Paul and all involved THANK YOU for a life time of memories.

2 December 2008 - 3:53 pm

We think the Beach rocks and should be athlete of the year. He is giving Harness Racing the boost it needs and deserves. A dream come true for sure. All the best for continued success!

Paul & Barb Morrison
Coxheath, Cape Breton

2 December 2008 - 3:52 pm

Somebeach is an amazing horse and more then deserves this award.

Melissa Murphy
Ottawa, Ontario

2 December 2008 - 3:49 pm

The Beach should be athlete of the year.Unbelievable animal and filled the grandstands
when he was on the program. Go Beach Go

2 December 2008 - 3:46 pm

righton. fortunate to have watched this incredible athlete "live" twice and almost every other start either on tv or the internet.
add my voice to those who think the "Beach" deserves the honor, would be the best thing for harness racing since Ronnie Waples won the awrd.

2 December 2008 - 3:41 pm

SomeBeachSomeWhere is a beautiful animal,well deserving of the award.

Joe Richard
2 December 2008 - 3:41 pm

There couldn't be a most deserving winner of Canadian athlete of the year....what a phenomanal athlete....Good luck in Dover Paul and Brent and of course the monster Somebeachsomewhere

2 December 2008 - 3:40 pm

This is a NO-BRAINER--a wonderfun idea- lets go for it

Blaine Gregan,
Moncton, NB.

2 December 2008 - 3:31 pm

Can't think of a more deserving winner. Beach has done more for harness racing in the past two years than anyone else.

2 December 2008 - 3:27 pm

Go Beach, you deserve it.
Love Pam
Stewiacke, Nova Scotia

2 December 2008 - 3:17 pm

Jen Gillan
Guelph, Ontario

AWESOME ATHLETE and well deserving

2 December 2008 - 3:09 pm

Lisa LeFort
Waterdown, Ontario

Well deserved - supporting SBSW all the way!

2 December 2008 - 3:09 pm

One of the merits a Lou Marsh recipient should possess is to transcend their chosen field. Somebeachsomewhere has turned the harness racing world and the casual sport fan "on it's ear" His accomplishments have been well documented and when a horse gets media coverage in The New York Post and is loudly cheered by people on both sides of the Canada /US border you know you have arrived. He has thoroughly dominated every race he has ever had been in and carries himself with such dignity and class that all of Canada can be truly proud.

2 December 2008 - 3:04 pm

The Beach and Paul have brought people like myself back to the racetrack. Thank you its been a blast.

2 December 2008 - 3:02 pm

I traveled from my home in Scotland to Toronto for the weekend,just to see this horse race in The North America Cup,well worth the trip,
Ryan O`Neil
Ayr
Scotland

2 December 2008 - 3:02 pm

This is one amazing horse, he deserves the title of Athelete of the Year. We have travelled from Ottawa to Toronto and New Jersey just to see this fantastic horse!!!

2 December 2008 - 2:51 pm

Dianna Secord-Hudon
Hillsburgh, On

2 December 2008 - 2:42 pm

A horse from a small town in Nova Scotia was featured in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/sports/othersports/17racing.html) and many other publications around the world. He is the most searched harness horse in google, past or present. He is the leading money winning three year old in the sports' 130 year history. He is the fastest three year old in that same storied history. He is an athlete that we should be proud to honour.

Dean Towers
Toronto

2 December 2008 - 2:28 pm

Andrew Carruthers, of St. Catharines, Ontario. Over the past year and a half, I have found myself paying more attention to Somebeachsomewhere as an equine athelete, then I have paid to any human athelete since my youth. I think the accomplishments of he and his connections are specatular. His consistancy against the best of the best in his sport is unheard of in this day and age. I think it would be a fitting tribute to him to be nominated for such recognition, and would vote for him, were I on any such panel.
Not since Secretariat, in thoroughbred racing, and Niatross in our industry has such a dominant animal, free of weakness or controversy been seen!

2 December 2008 - 2:27 pm

Karen Briggs
WEG Media
Puslinch, Ontario

Brittney Mayotte
2 December 2008 - 2:27 pm

Brittney Mayotte
Mississauga, Ont.

2 December 2008 - 2:23 pm

Ken Walker, Balgonie, Saskatchewan

A real super star honest performances everytime out just missed by a whisker going undeated. Can be mentioned in the same breath as Messenger, and the Great Dan Patch.

Done more for racing than any human over the past decade or two. Deserves the title.

2 December 2008 - 2:16 pm

Somebeachsomewhere is a truly humble and remarkable athlete, who gives his very best with each and every effort. No one is more deserved.
Sandy MacKenzie
Truro, Nova Scotia

2 December 2008 - 2:10 pm

Michael Horsman
Weldon, NB.
Should be a shoe in. (horse shoe that is)

2 December 2008 - 2:09 pm

Count me in. Because Americans, too, can recognize a once-in-a-lifetime champion when we see one. And this horse has done more to make the Maritimes familiar to Americans than any other figure, human or horse.

Andrew Cohen
Denver, Colorado

2 December 2008 - 2:08 pm

Darrell Butler
Shearstown,NL
My wife and I and our two friends visted Toronto this past summer to view SBSW, race in the North America Cup.I think SBSW would be the best athlete to receive the Lou Marsh Trophy and to become Canada's Athlete of the year for 2008.

2 December 2008 - 2:03 pm

Jan White
London, Ontario

Terrific idea - I hope this petition catches on and you are swamped with supporters!

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