by Robert Lieberman

Marlboro, MA — Post positions for the 15th edition of the Bert Beckwith Memorial Pace were drawn Thursday (Sept. 2) at Plainridge Racecourse.

The eight horse field will race for a purse of $25,000. The purse for New England’s prestigious race has been as high as $75,000, but a change was made this year to accomodate horsemen who have remained loyal to the track.

The memorial to Bert Beckwith began in 1994 at Foxboro Raceway. The inaugural race was won by Village Jiffy in 1:54.2 with driver Paul MacDonell.

The 2010 Beckwith post positions are as follows: 1. Shark Lookin; 2. Joey Hackett; 3. Hey Its Only Money; 4. Pembroke Deluxe; 5. Winslow Chill; 6. Camityourinmyway; 7. Spongbobsquarepans; 8. On His Way.

The first edition of the Beckwith at Plainridge Racecourse was in 1999, the year that the track opened. The race was won by Color Me Best for trainer Joe Anderson and driver Heath Campbell in a time of 1:52.3.

Bert Beckwith was born in Lowell, Mass., and maintained a remarkable level of consistency in a career that spanned for 30 years until his death in 1987. He scored 2,680 career wins, racing primarily on the New England circuit while earning $5 million in purses. He was part of a racing family that included his father Mel and brother Willard.

Through the efforts of C.O.O. Gary Piontkowski and with help from the late Joe Hartmann, the biggest purse in Massachusetts harness racing history began at Foxboro, now the home of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium.

The Beckwith Race, which goes to post Monday, September 6 (Labor Day), has been the track’s centerpiece which has brought fans together in a homecoming setting. How proud Bert would have been to know one of New England’s biggest races is named in his honor. He was a class act.