from the USTA Communications Department

Columbus, OH — Limelight Beach entered the month of September winless in 11 starts this year, but left the month with three victories, including the Little Brown Jug, and has been named Horse of the Month by the United States Trotting Association.

Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, M1 Stable and Wingfield Brothers share ownership of Limelight Beach, a 3-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere out of the mare Benear. Ron Burke is the trainer and the pacing gelding was driven in his September starts by Yannick Gingras.

After opening up the month on Sept. 7 with a second place finish in the $260,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final at Harrah’s Philadelphia, Limelight Beach headed to the Delaware County Fair in Ohio for the $647,500 Little Brown Jug on Sept. 18.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Limelight Beach won the Little Brown Jug final in a time of 1:50.4.

Limelight Beach charged through the stretch and passed McWicked and Somewhere In L A as they battled for the lead, earning his first victory of the season in 1:51 in the second of two opening-round elimination heats for the Jug. Gingras tried to put Limelight Beach on the lead at the start, but McWicked held him off from post one. McWicked, who led through fractions of :27, :55.2 and 1:22.4, was challenged by first-over Somewhere In L A as they raced through the second half. The duo continued to battle into the stretch, but gave way to Limelight Beach.

Limelight Beach drew post No. 1 for the second heat and took advantage of the starting spot, blasting to the front and controlling the action from there. Let’s Drink On It and driver Tyler Smith, who won the Jug’s other first-round elimination, got away second from post two but would get no closer the rest of the way. Let’s Drink On It ended up second in the 1:50.4 mile. Somewhere In L A — who tried to collar Limelight Beach with a first-over move on the backstretch — finished third and At Press Time was fourth.

Next up for Limelight Beach was a $92,600 Bluegrass division on Sept. 27 at The Red Mile. The gelding looked simply stunning as he paced to a lifetime best 1:49.1 victory. 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 got up for second, while Big Boy Dreams closed strongly for third.

The victory, Limelight Beach’s ninth of his career, pushed his career earnings to $725,230.