RACING ROUNDUP : Beach Towel Is Retired by His Owner

Beach Towel, one of the favorites for harness Horse of the Year, was retired today, Seth Rosenfeld of Uptown Stables announced.

Beach Towel, 18-4-0 in 23 starts this year, became the first harness horse to win $2 million in a single season with $2,091,860 in earnings.

The 1990 Breeders Crown champion will stand at stud on a lease arrangement at Walnridge Farm in Cream Ridge, N.J.

The 24-year-old owner spurned the chance to syndicate the horse and will instead directly manage Beach Towel’s stallion career for the Uptown Stables.

“Both my mother and myself own some top mares and we hope to breed them to him,” Rosenfeld said.

Walnridge Farm, which purchased a small interest in the 3-year-old pacer, will stand six stallions in 1991, including the 1979-80 harness Horse of the Year, Niatross.

For his career, Beach Towel won 29 of 36 races for $2,570,357 in earnings.

A field of eight fillies and mares will go to the post in the $25,000 added Paul Ford Memorial Handicap on Thursday night at Los Alamitos. The Ford Memorial will be contested over 870 yards as the ninth race on the 11-race program.

Spring Carrot, fresh from an allowance victory at Los Alamitos Nov. 22, and the stakes winner Match Star look like the horses to beat in the Ford Memorial.

The Bob Gilbert-trained Spring Carrot has been assigned highweight of 123 pounds, one pound more than second highweight Match Star.

Spring Carrot has made all five of her lifetime starts at 870 or 1000 yards and has crossed the finish line first in four of those races. But she may have had her chances of winning compromised when she drew the outside post in the field of eight.

Match Star, who can be very quick away from the gates, may have picked up an advantage when she drew the four post. The Frank Monteleone-trained 4-year-old has won three of her 13 starts this year.

Crystal Effort and Miss Jo Drift both drew good inside post positions and may prove a factor.