Limelight Beach, Always B Miki win in Bluegrass 3-year-old colt pace
September 27, 2014,by Kimberly Rinker, USTA Web Newsroom Correspondent
Lexington, KY — A pair of Somebeachsomewhere Bluegrass divisions featured nine 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers in each event vying for $92,600 on Saturday (Sept. 27) at The Red Mile.
Limelight Beach won his Bluegrass division in a time of 1:49.1.
Limelight Beach and Yannick Gingras looked simply stunning as they paced to a 1:49.1 victory in the first division. The gold-hooded sophomore was harnessed by trainer Ronnie Burke fresh off his impressive double-heat victory in the Little Brown Jug just one week prior.
“He was coming into his own going into the Jug and he was super strong here tonight,” Gingras stressed. “When I was able to rate him going to a :56.1 half, I was very confident that it would take a horse going a half in :52 or so to beat him. He’s not eligible to race here next week, so I’m not quite sure what the plans are for him going forward.”
The son of Somebeachsomewhere-Benear gave Burke his second Grand Circuit victory of the night and Gingras his third winner of the night. Limelight Beach won in wire-to-wire fashion, clipping off fractions of :27.4, :56.1 and 1:23.1, without being seriously pressured anytime in the mile. He’s Watching (Tim Tetrick) got up for second, while Big Boy Dreams (Brian Sears) closed strongly for third.
The victory, Limelight Beach’s ninth of his career and third this season, pushed his career earnings to $725,230 for owners Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, M1 Stable and Wingfield Brothers.
Always B Miki blew the doors off his competition in the second division (race nine) for David Miller, holding off several serious challenges to win impressively in 1:47.4. Harnessed by Joe Holloway, the son of Always A Virgin-Artstopper is owned by the Bluewood Stable, Val D’Or Farms and Roll The Dice Stable.
After Melmerby Beach (Corey Callahan) led the field to a first quarter clocking of :26.3, Always B Miki stormed to the front in a “backstretch bull rush” as described by announcer Sam McKee, flying by the half-mile post in :54.4. The bay colt then paced to the three-quarter marker in 1:22.1, before unleashing an explosive :25.3 final kick to win by open lengths. The hard-trying Melmerby Beach finished second, while Capital Account (Brett Miller) paced evenly for third place honors.
“He gives me chills,” Miller said. “He goes along pretty easy and it’s hard to judge his speed because he does pace so easy. I took it easy on him the first quarter, but it was all good once he made the lead. I’ve never seen a horse be three-wide the whole way and still have pace on the end of it the way he did in the Meadowlands Pace, when he was second. That’s a rarity.”
Always B Miki capped his eighth win of the season and now has $432,332 in his bankroll this year. Lifetime, he’s amassed $567,716 from ten wins, eight seconds and a trio of thirds in 27 lifetime starts.