On June 5 in Thoroughbred racing was the Belmont Stakes. It was a thrilling edition of the final jewel in the Triple Crown that spurred a great deal of debate on social media. The reason for that debate was the sensational performance of the runner-up, Hot Rod Charlie. He was sent immediately to the lead and clicked off the fastest opening quarter in Belmont Stakes history (a race that is 1 1/2 miles) and the fastest half-mile since Secretariat. Despite that, he ran second, beaten just over one length, while it was a dozen lengths back to the Preakness winner in third. Even more noteworthy, the horses that pressed his pace finished a combined 103 lengths behind him. That performance and the debate that followed reminded me of two historic Standardbred races, in which many people, myself included, believed the winner was not the best horse in the race. Ironically both of those races were in the Meadowlands Pace. First, the 2008 edition of the Meadowlands Pace, which is considered by many as the greatest Meadowlands Pace in the history of the race and one of the greatest races in harness racing history. In that race Somebeachsomewhere was undefeated, untested and seemingly invincible. Despite leaving from post position two, the undefeated champion would not see the pylons for almost the first minute of that race. Mucho Sleazy was intent on securing good early position and Ron Pierce (driving Art Official) was going to pace right with Mucho Sleazy and they hooked up through a fast 26-second opening quarter. Paul Macdonell could have sat fourth with Somebeachsomewhere for literally the entire backstretch and just draft behind what became a wild speed duel between Mucho Sleazy, Art Official and a parked-out Bullville Powerful. Instead, Macdonell elected to move three wide well before the half-mile pole and challenge for the lead through what was at the time an unheard of half-mile time of 51 4/5 seconds. A lesser horse would have never even made it to the lead, but Somebeachsomewhere did. If not for Art Official, he would have powered away from the field in the greatest performance in Meadowlands Pace history, but Ron Pierce put forth an all-time great performance, piloting Art Official to a world-record upset as he chased down the undefeated champion, catching him in the shadow of the wire. The best driver on that night was Ron Pierce. The best horse was Somebeachsomewhere. Very few, if any, debated that fact. The fact that Somebeachsomewhere nearly won that race was remarkable. The effort was so unreal that people were concerned he may never be the same again, which proved to be unfounded because Somebeachsomewhere never lost again. Fast forward to the 2014 Meadowlands Pace. The race would go down as an historic event for more than one reason. First of all, the winner, He's Watching, established a track record for 3-year-olds, pacing the mile in 1:46 4/5, equaling the all-age world record at that time. But He's Watching also had a perfect trip. He sat fifth early through fast fractions, moved off the pylons into the two-path down the backstretch, eventually fishing out the cover of the race favorite, JK Endofanera. He followed that cover into the stretch, awaiting Sometime Said, who was three-wide, to tire, and then exploded home for the victory. It was a great effort, without question, but there was a horse in the race whose performance would be a foreshadowing of future greatness. Always B Miki would be the runner-up in that edition of The Meadowlands Pace. How he got there was simply amazing. Simply put, Always B Miki was never closer to the pylons than the three-path. He was three wide the entire way. On the first turn, Tellitlikeitis and Jet Airway made the decision to remain in the two-path awaiting the outer-flow to develop, which forced Always B Miki into the three path. He would remain there throughout the first three-quarters of a mile. Dave Miller seemingly decided to follow Sometimes Said, who was also three wide down the backstretch, and was desperately trying to get in front of Tellitlikeitis and slide into the two-path, but before he could get to that spot, He's Watching vacated the cones and got there first. Realizing that Sometimes Said was never making it closer to the pylons, Dave Miller grabbed a hold of Always B Miki to try and take back and find a spot, but that wasn't going to work either as the field approached the half-mile pole. So once again, Miller asked 'Miki' to pace on. He remained three-wide on the far turn behind Sometimes Said and would then tip four wide past the three-quarter pole, practically on the New Jersey Turnpike, and somehow he outpaced Tellitlikeitis, who had a much easier trip tracking live cover from the two-path, and nosed-out that rival for the runner-up spot. When we began to analyze the race, many of us in the press box at The Meadowlands realized who the best horse in the race may have been. Despite being three-wide from the start to the half-mile pole, Always B Miki paced a back-half mile in 52 4/5 seconds with a 25 3/5 final quarter mile. It bordered on the absurd. Sure, the record books show that He's Watching was a Meadowlands Pace champion, setting a world record in the process. But Always B Miki was the best horse that night and would prove to be one of the greatest of all time over the next two years. As the stakes season is upon us in harness racing, there will be many scintillating victories, probably a few world records and certainly some major milestones. But there may also be another tremendous effort that shines a light on a horse that doesn't win and foreshadows another future superstar.