Somebeach and Dewey Legends in Their Time
Two Seasons Phenomenal for Pacing and Trotting Champions
Dec 17, 2008
Nicknames were inevitable as Somebeachsomewhere and Deweycheatumnhowe reached legendary status in Standardbred racing in two years of racing.
Abbreviated Name -- SBSW
Somebeachsomewhere quickly became Somebeach -- enough said to recognize the star harness racing pacer. Somebeach evolved to SBSW, an abbreviation that came easily to print journalism, but hardly a moniker of abbreviation for achievement in his sport -- 20 wins in 21 career starts.
SBSW is a champion of emotional and sentimental value in Standardbred circles, a career champ of the first degree, and the first Standardbred to attain over $3 million in career earnings.
SBSW won the Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt Pace November 29. SBSW was scheduled to appear in several more races before retiring to Hanover Shoe Farms.
Dewey's Legendary 2007
So to is the legend of Deweycheatumnhowe, who became, simply, Dewey, as natural an abbreviation as there could be. The trotter was ill-fated at the end, submitting the Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt Trot championship to In Focus, after a throat abscess had sidelined him for two weeks.
Dewey's illness cheated him out of a chance to avenge the only loss he suffered in 2007, which came in his first (baby) race -- to the same foe. After that first loss to In Focus, Dewey sped to 10 wins in 10 starts through the rest of last year's season.
In Focus ironically focused in on Dewey again in the Breeders Crown, Dewey's last track appearance.
Driver-trainer Ray Schnittker had thoughts of scratching Dewey from the Breeders Crown race. The colt already had a championship resume.
In the end, Schnittker gave Dewey his due farewell in the Crown and had to settle for third.
No Triple Crowns for SBSW and Dewey
It was almost an oddity of nature and a footnote to the 2008 season that neither SBSW, nor Dewey won his individual division's Triple Crown.
The Yonkers Trot was won by a colt named Napoleon, who was little heard of the remainder of the year.
SBSW didn't ship to the Little Brown Jug, won by his chief pacing rival this year, Shadow Play.
Top Ten Standardbreds by Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Poll
- Somebeachsomewhere --- (3) three-year-old (P) pace (C) colt --- 15 starts: (14) wins - (1) 2nd
- Deweycheatumnhowe --- (3) (T) trot (C) --- 15: 12 - 1 - 2
- Mister Big --- (5) (P) (H) horse --- 14: 11 - 2 - 0
- Shadow Play --- (3) (P) (C) --- 25: 14 - 3 - 1
- Art Official --- (3) (P) (C) --- 20: 13 - 4 - 1
- Muscle Hill --- (2) (T) (C) --- 9: 8 - 1 - 0
- Crazed --- (3) (T) (C) --- 14: 8 - 2 - 2
- Enough Talk --- (5) (T) (G) gelding --- 24: 8 - 5 - 5
- Honorable Daughter --- (2) (T) (F) filly --- 11: 9 - 1 - 0
- Lantern Kronos --- (3) (T) (F) --- 18: 12 - 2 - 1
It would be extremely odd not to see SBSW and Dewey crowned as 2008's Pacing-and Trotting Champion, respectively.
