Two Item Limit

Two Item Limit (foaled in February 1998 in Illinois) is an American Thoroughbred filly racehorse. The granddaughter of Forty Niner will best be remembered for posting a 3-length score in the mile and an eighth Grade II $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2001.^[1]

Early career

Two Item Limit was born in February 1998 in the state of Illinois by breeders Hal Snowden Jr. & Raymond Simpson. She was sold as a two year old in training at the Ocala Breeders' Sale in March 2000 to her owner Joseph F. Graffeo.

That fall she raced in three stakes races all in New York. In her first graded stakes race she placed second in the grade two Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga Race Course at six and one half furlongs in late August. She went on to win the grade three Tempted Stakes at one mile at Aqueduct Racetrack in early October. Then in the November, Two Item Limit stepped up in class and won the grade two Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct run over the dirt at one mile.

Three year-old season

Two Item Limit showed up big in her first two stakes races back as a three year-old. She traveled cross country to run in the grade one Las Virgenes Stakes at one mile at Santa Anita Park in March and finished second. She then traveled back 3,000 miles back to her home base at Aqueduct Racetrack and won the grade two Comely Stakes at one mile in mid-April.

She ran so well that her connections decided to enter her in the second jewel of America's defacto Filly Triple Crown, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. Two Item Limit was the third choice at 3-1 on the morning line in a strong field of just five other stakes winners. Two Item Limit took a van ride from Belmont Park to Pimlico Race Course in the early hours of the morning that Friday of the race. She was jostled around repeatedly between horses at the start. Passing the stands for the first time Scoop set the early fractions, followed by Tap Dance, Vines of Justice, then Two Item Limit settled in fourth and Indy Glory. She placed herself just behind the favorite Tap Dance on the back stretch and let her carry her along right on her hind quarter just as long as she needed her to. Then at the top of the stretch, she pulled out wide, and then exploded out of a tight pack of five horses and breezed by the field including Scoop and Tap Dance to win the 77th running of the Grade II $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. She never batted an eyelash winning the 1-1/8-mile race for 3- year-old fillies in 1 minute 50 seconds.. When she hit the front she was tapped a couple times to keep her mind on her business, but she won with a little left in the tank. Her connections were really impressed with her performance, the fractions were :23, :47, 1:12 and 1:38.

Later that year she performed admirably with strong consistent runs in the grade one Gazelle Handicap at nine furlongs placing second and the grade one Alabama Stakes at one mile and a quarter at Saratoga Race Course where she placed third. Two Item Limit shot for the stars by running against the world's top fillies and mares in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (now the Ladies Classic) at one and one eighth mile in late October 2000.

Four year-old season

At age four, Two Item limit ran a decent third in the grade one Ogden Phipps Handicap at 8-1/2 furlongs. She followed that up with an identical third place finish in the $1,000,000 Delaware Handicap at one mile and a quarter at Delaware Park.

Retirement

In January 2003 Two Item Limit was retired and sent to Three Chimneys Farm to breed. In January 2008 she was sold at Keeneland Auction for $525,000.

References