Beckwith Memorial Pace attracts star studded field

Plainville, MA — Although the $300,000 G2 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot and $150,000 G3 Clara Barton Distaff Pace will draw the bulk of the attention on Sunday (July 19) afternoon at Plainridge Park, the annual $75,000 Bert Beckwith Memorial Pace is sure to provide one of the better Open paces found at any harness racing track this entire weekend and offers great value for the betting dollar.

The probable post-time favorite is going to be For Once Inmy Life (Bruce Ranger/Cory Stratton), who has yet to be challenged at The Ridge this year. He has raced in the Open five times so far and five times he came away a convincing winner with a combined 12 length total margin of victory and 1:48.4 mark, that also happens to be his lifetime best.

For Once Inmy Life is a perfect example of horses for courses, but how much more could he go here if he was really pushed?

The answer may lie in his two recent Grand Circuit starts at The Meadowlands where he was race timed in 1:47.4 and 1:47.1 respectively and finished third, only 1-1/4 lengths behind double millionaire Bythemissal’s 1:47 win in the third fastest mile of the year in North America in the William Haughton Memorial.

This may not be the Haughton, however the Beckwith is stacked this year and wouldn’t be an easy win for any horse.

Soho Spectre A (Tim Tetrick/Enrico Robinson) came to Plainridge in June and ripped off a career best 1:48.2 mile and re-wrote the record book for aged pacing geldings in the process. He has since come right back to win again a week later in 1:51 over an off-track and in very inclement weather conditions.

Jackson Cooper (Brett Beckwith/Matty Medieros) cut the mile in Soho Spectre A’s record mile while finishing second, only a neck behind, and pacing as fast as the winner. He too has come back to win again in 1:50.3 in a 4-year-old Open and looks primed to flaunt his speed once again here.

Catalpa Rescue A (Dexter Dunn/Scott Blackler) has been living at Yonkers, but he made his way to the Cape two weeks ago and chased For Once Inmy Life around The Ridge oval in his lifetime effort, before finishing second in 1:49.2. After getting stretched out over the big track once already, he may very well be more aclimated for this start than he was in the first.

Binge On Yankee (Yannick Gingras/Mark Eaton) is more than capable of upsetting the order of finish. Coming off a year that saw him pace in 1:49 flat at Scioto Downs and earn over one-quarter million dollars before coming to Massachusetts in September. This year he has already won at Plainridge in 1:49.4 by over three lengths and now picks up a Hall of Fame driver this outing.

Mydadsaid A (Drew Monti/Jackie Greene) and Two Fold Cold (Dave Ingraham/Kelly Case) have been chasing For Once Inmy Life whenever he has visited Plainridge, and have finished close on a couple occasions. They have both been raced timed in 1:49 and change this year and both drew inside posts for this race, along with Still Rollin N (Todd McCarthy/Amanda Kelley), who comes in off an impressive first North American win and lifetime mark of 1:50. He too paced in 1:49.2 in a third place finish three weeks ago behind Soho Spectre A’s record mile.

This race has a lot of early speed and features several excellent closers. That means action throughout the entire mile, giving the horse that’s in the best position coming home the best shot of making the winning move.

The Bert Beckwith Memorial is the first leg of the Spirit Pick-3 wager that includes the Clara Barton Distaff Pace and the Spirit of Massachusetts Trot and takes place in races six, seven and eight.

Post time for the first race on Spirit Sunday is 2 p.m.

by Tim Bojarski, for Plainridge Park