by Dean A. Hoffman

Dean Hoffman

Columbus, OH — Jim Simpson of Hanover Shoe Farms recently tossed his fishing line in the water and landed the big starfish in the Standardbred sea.

The announcement that Somebeachsomewhere will stand at Hanover came on Kentucky Futurity Day when the charismatic colt brushed home in :26.2 to finish up a 1:47.4 mile as if he were finishing a 2:12 training mile.

The aura surrounding this colt is just phenomenal. It certainly approaches the allure that Niatross commanded in his career more than a quarter-century ago. Perhaps the best example was how the stable area emptied the first week at The Red Mile when word spread that “Beach” was on the track to go a work mile. Everything was put on hold as people scurried to the track to get a glimpse of greatness.

A less visible but perhaps even more telling testimony to his popularity is the number of e-mails that I’ve received extolling the colt’s virtues and saying that Niatross is the only valid standard of comparison. I’ve always held that Niatross was the greatest horse I’ve ever seen, and Beach can’t yet displace him in my mind, but it’s a photo finish.

Of course, Beach isn’t the only starfish in the sea, but the stud career of Deweycheatumnhowe was decided last year when Walnut Hall Ltd. purchased an interest in the horse.

In fact, Dewey’s breeding career began earlier this year on Feb. 8 when he bred the mare Swank Hall, owned by Walnut Hall Ltd. He bred her once and she did not get in foal.

Somebeachsomewhere’s career isn’t over, but already he has:

• Equaled the fastest race mile in history, regardless of age, at 1:46.4.
• Paced the fastest mile ever by a 3-year-old on a mile track (1:46.4) or on a half-mile track (1:49.2).
• Won 17 of 18 starts and earned more than $2.5 million.
• Demonstrated ability on a half-mile track as well as a mile track.

Trainer Brent MacGrath has announced that he’s taking Beach to the Messenger at Yonkers. I applaud that decision because it shows that he’s not afraid to take his chances with a bad post or a bad trip on a half-mile track. Many of our greatest stars avoid half-mile tracks as if they cause leprosy. There is more risk that bad luck will beat a good horse on a twice-around, so owners and trainers often opt to manage their stars to avoid defeat instead of racing to win.

I like the versatility that a horse must display to win at the highest levels on a half-miler. We don’t often see horses display that in this era of bigger tracks, but it was automatic when half-mile tracks like Roosevelt and Yonkers lured the top stars with lucrative purses.

Now, back to the stud deal. Going to Hanover will be a real blessing to SBSW, as it is to any stallion. He’ll get showered with some of the choicest mares from Hanover’s resplendent broodmare band, and he’ll also welcome the crème de la crème from other breeders.

In fact, I wouldn’t like the job of sorting through all the breeding applications that Hanover will get for Beach. He will be limited to 160 mares, a limit that applies to any stallion that has not served a mare prior to 2009. Wonder how many applications Hanover will get?

Keep in mind that SBSW is an outcross to just about any mare to wear hobbles in the last few decades. If the sport is seeking genetic diversity, he has arrived.

Some people will perhaps point out that Beach doesn’t have a tony, uptown pedigree. His sire is a son of Matt’s Scooter and his dam is a daughter of Beach Towel. But that pedigree didn’t prevent him from being one of the most dazzling performers that the sport has seen. And a stallion must be judged on his performance first and foremost. Conformation and pedigree are lesser considerations.

I love the fact that Beach isn’t so junked up with a lot of boots so that it’s almost impossible to tell if there was a horse beneath all his gear. It speaks well for his gait and soundness that he was so plainly-rigged. It also speaks well for the job done by trainer Brent MacGrath.

Yes, Hanover has landed a starfish in this horse. Fast forward to the year 2011. Do I think SBSW’s first yearling crop will sell like hot chocolate in Alaska?

As Sarah Palin would say, “You betcha.”