BY BROCK SHERIDAN
MARCH 14, 2004—Coming off a two-and-a-half-length victory in the Grade 2 Hutcheson at Gulfstream Park a month earlier, Dogwood Stables’ Limehouse and jockey Pat Day narrowly won the $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby (Grade 3), putting them solidly on the road to the Kentucky Derby.
Breaking from the inside post one as the heavy favorites at 4-5 in the field of eight 3-year-olds going a mile-and-sixteenth, Limehouse was never more than a length-and-a-half back in the early stages. Very Formal and Patrick Husbands raced on a length lead through a half mile in :47.78 on the fast track before Day angled Limehouse off the rail to advance four-wide around the far turn. With a furlong to run, Very Formal was still a half-length in front of Swingforthefences between horses and Limehouse on the outside as Mustanfar began to rally on the inside. Limehouse hit the wire a neck in front of Mustanfar in second with Swingforthefences third.
Limehouse won in 1:43.99 and paid $3.80 to win.
It was the second Tampa Bay Derby victory for Day and the first of six for Pletcher.
Limehouse became the seventh Florida-bred winner of Tampa Bay Downs’ marquee event, joining Reinvested in 1982, Bold Southerner (1984), Phantom Jet (1987), Storm Predictions (1989), Careful Gesture (1992) and Marco Bay (1993). Florida-bred Watch Me Go won the Tampa Bay Derby in 2011.
Limehouse would next finish third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass won by The Cliff’s Edge at Keeneland on April 10 and fourth in Smarty Jones’ Kentucky Derby (G1). Limehouse would not win again until taking two straight in the $112,000 Alysheba in May of 2005 and the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap in his next start at Belmont Park that June.
Limehouse would not light the board in his next four starts, the last of his career, but ran well in his last two. He was just a length-and-a-quarter behind winner Funfair in his first start on the grass in the one-mile Kelso Breeders’ Cup Handicap and sixth, but just a length-and-a-quarter behind winner Artie Schiller in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), also on the turf at Belmont Park.
Limehouse retired sound with earnings of $1,110,433 from seven wins, two seconds and two thirds in 21 starts, all for Dogwood. He is by Grand Slam out of Dixieland Blues, by Dixieland Band was bred in Florida by Cheryl A. Curtin. Richard Curtin purchased Dixlieland Blues for $75,000 at the 1995 Keeneland September Yearling Sale where she was consigned by her breeder, Fares Farms.
Limehouse began his stud career at Vinery in Kentucky and his progeny include Delightful Mary, a graded stakes-winner and champion 2-year-old filly in Canada; Senor Acuna, a champion sprinter in Venezuela; Grade 2-winners Lockout and Split the Queens and Grade 3-winners Recount, Humble and Hungry, Lou Brissie and Travesura.
He is currently pensioned at O’Sullivan Farms in Charles Town, West Virginia.
Return to the March 14 issue of Wire to Wire
