Horse of the Year on the line in Breeders Crown. November 29th, 2008
Deweycheatumnhowe and Somebeachsomewhere, the dominant 3-year-olds in harness racing and leading contenders for Harness Horse of the Year, make their final appearances Saturday night in the Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Both retire to stud after one last race, having already compiled amazing career records.
Hambletonian winner Deweycheatumnhowe has captured 22 of 24 starts. He bids for one more win as the 6-5 favorite in 3-year-old Colt Trot.
Dewey has been battling a mouth and throat infection that developed last week. He recovered enough this week for co-owner, trainer and driver Ray Schnittker to keep him in the race.
With a victory, Deweycheatumnhowe would join Mack Lobell (1987) and Malabar Man (1997) as the only trotting colts to capture Breeders Crowns at 2 and 3. He is the first trotter to have earned over $3 million before the conclusion of his 3-year-old season.
Schnittker realizes this is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Id like to get another one like him, but I dont see it in the future, Schnittker said. Its been a great experience. I never dreamed Id have a horse this good.
Somebeachsomewhere has an even more impressive record at 19-for-20. The lone loss came here in July, a neck defeat in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace. The Beach is 3-5 to capture the 3-year-old Colt Pace and extend his winning streak to 10.
Its a big race, said co-owner and trainer Brian MacGrath. This horse is coming into this good.
Somebeachsomewhere is the fastest 3-year-old ever in harness racing, having paced a mile 1:46 4/5 in the Bluegrass Stakes at the Red Mile in Lexington, Ky., on Sept. 27.
With little separating the two standout colts, the Horse of the Year will come down to which one performs best in the Breeders Crown.
The 3-year-old Colt stakes are the top attractions among the eight Breeders Crowns worth a combined $4.9 million.