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East Pasco dons its finery and raises its pinky as the Little Everglades Steeplechase prances into town. Got any Grey Poupon?
By CHASE SQUIRES
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 7, 2001
DADE CITY -- An event that emerged from seemingly nowhere in the summer of 1999 is set to storm into prominence this weekend as the second Little Everglades Steeplechase emerges with full national sanctioning and one of the richest purses on the circuit.
This weekend's events will include not only steeplechase horse racing, but also a gala western-themed ball Saturday before Sunday's full day of lavish outdoor parties where lace tableclothes compete with picnic baskets and coolers on the 1,700-acre Little Everglades Ranch north of town.
"Our sales have just been phenomenal," race organizer Karen Streaker said. "We know it's going to be bigger than last year, not just because the races are bigger but because word has gotten out."
By early this week, 3,000 individual advance tickets had been sold, along with 45 of the swanky lawn boxes and dozens of tent spaces, she said.
Even before that word got out, the event drew 5,000 spectators last year to its inaugural event, a day of racing without sanctioning or prize money, and only a handful of horses racing on a makeshift course.
In steeplechase races, riders and horses leap over obstacles on a course of from 1 to 3 miles. The added challenge of jumping while racing tests a horse's endurance and ability as well as the jockey's.
This year's Little Everglades race charges ahead with $110,000 on the line, a brand new $750,000 custom-designed turf course, and a lot of buzz in the steeplechase industry.
"I think people in the industry are really going to get behind racing in Florida," said Joe Clancy Jr., co-founder of Steeplechase Times, an industry news magazine. "Five years ago, people were talking about where to expand, where to race next. In Virginia, there are races on top of each other, and somebody said there was no reason not to race in Florida. Well, it happened."
The race was created by a group of friends, including Tampa Bay Downs owner Stella Thayer, and equestrian sportsmen Jack Phethean and Rick Michaels and the South Creek Foxhounds club as well as Little Everglades owners Bob and Sharon Blanchard. It was unsanctioned last year, but quickly gained traction, as well as prestige, with its rich purse.
Racing in Florida extends the season a few weeks earlier in the spring and a few weeks later in the winter, Clancy said. The Little Everglades race may also encourage trainers and owners to consider Florida as a winter training ground, he said.
Clancy said he will be trying to make a visit to the Sunshine State this weekend from his Pennsylvania home.
"It's freezing here," he said.
The festivities actually began last month when Little Everglades banners appeared atop light poles in downtown Dade City. The connection continued last weekend when judges selected Crow Things as the winner of the equestrian window dressing contest.
Crow Things co-owner Barbara Luckie said she got up extra early Saturday morning to place fresh cheese, grapes and wine in the window display, which played on the fancy tailgating that goes on at steeplechase races.
Luckie and her partner, Cathlee Tomkow, are both planning to attend the race.
"It's just a real fun event for Dade City," Luckie said. "It's so nice that it brings all these new people into town."
Dade City Police Capt. David Duff said despite the crowds coming through on U.S. 301 and State Road 52, there were no problems last year with traffic and said the department is planning to treat Sunday as a regular day.
The weekend events get under way Saturday when the National Steeplechase Association offers a $25,000 race at Tampa Bay Downs as part of the track's regular afternoon card.
On Saturday night, the Pioneer Florida Museum hosts for the second time a pre-race night of dinner and dancing at the museum, with live music and a silent auction for a variety of items including a stay in a historic English inn.
Museum Curator Donna Swart said she hopes at least 150 couples, at $150 per couple, come to the event, which benefits the museum.
Then on Sunday, gates open at 9:30 a.m. and the vendor village opens at 10:30 a.m. Jack Russell terrier racing begins at 11 a.m., there's a carriage parade scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Horse racing begins at 12:15 p.m. with junior pony racing and the Jan Abell Memorial adult horse race. The first steeplechase race, a $15,000 maiden claiming race, begins at 1 p.m.
In all, four steeplechase races are scheduled, along with a training flat race and amateur events.
The event benefits the local YMCA and the Pioneer Florida Museum.
"Society has a lot of fun at the steeplechases," Clancy said. "But it's a great family outing or a college student outing, too. It's a great outing for a lot of different age groups. You can spend a lot getting ready and buying a tent and everything, or you can go with relatively little money and have a good time."
Tickets to Saturday's pre-race party at the Pioneer Florida Museum are available by calling (352) 567-0262. General admission tickets for Sunday's races are $10 per person or $40 for a carload at the gate. Advance tickets are available by calling (813) 909-2354 for $5 per person and $25 a carload. To get to the race, take U.S. 301 about a mile north of the Dade City city limits. General admission patrons are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch, sunscreen and a blanket or chairs.