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Any Limit returns to form in First Flight A little rain can cure any drought, and in the case of Joseph Shields Jr.'s ANY LIMIT (Limit Out), the moisture-ridden Belmont main track might have helped the Allen Jerkens-trained five-year-old mare snap a lengthy losing streak in Friday's $150,000 First Flight H. (G2). Though her skid covered just five starts, Any Limit's absence from the winner's circle stretched back to February 2007, to her score in the Hurricane Bertie H. (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Under Cornelio Velasquez, Any Limit assumed the early lead in the First Flight and repelled a late challenge from Wild Gams (Forest Wildcat) to register a neck victory in a time of 1:23 4/5 for seven furlongs over the muddy, sealed track. Any Limit returned $13.60, $7.70 and $3.90 as the near 6-1 fifth choice. Only leading by as much as a length through fractions of :22 2/5 and :45 2/5, Any Limit soon found herself under a serious drive as Wild Gams made a sweeping four-wide move around the turn under Alan Garcia. Any Limit held firm by a half-length through three-quarters in 1:10 1/5, and resolutely held off her grinding rival to win. Wild Gams, at 7-2, returned $5.20 and $3, completing the $72.50 exacta. Finishing 1 1/2 lengths farther back was Rite Moment (Vicar), the near 2-1 favorite who tracked Any Limit early but had little to offer in the stretch. She paid $2.40 and finished off the $264 trifecta (7-6-2). Following the top three were Windy (Wild Rush), Akronism (Not For Love), Baroness Thatcher (Johannesburg) and Ice Cool Kitty (Tomorrows Cat). Looky Yonder (Johannesburg) was scratched. "That really made me feel good," Jerkens exclaimed. "She could have been retired. I was a little concerned when it started raining, but it stopped in time. There wasn't a lot of mud flying -- it was perfect. "The six weeks off made her stronger. It worked out good, and we hope she'll be good for Saratoga." Possible races for Any Limit at Saratoga are the six-furlong Honorable Miss H. (G2) on August 1 and the seven-furlong Ballerina S. (G1) on August 24. Any Limit was a hot commodity at the 2007 Gulfstream meeting, capturing the First Lady H. (G3) prior to the Hurricane Bertie and then finishing second in the Shirley Jones H. (G2). She raced only twice more the rest of the year, and then was out of action for 11 months before returning on May 17 in the grassy Upper Noosh S., where she ran third. Eight days later, Any Limit was beaten 10 1/4 lengths into fourth in the Vagrancy H. (G2). Overall, the bay has a career mark of 20-7-1-5 with earnings of $433,138. Bred by her owner in Kentucky, Any Limit was produced from the winning Forty Niner mare Clandestinely, a half-sister to Grade 3 winner In Conference (Dayjur). Any Limit's fifth dam is the noted blue hen Somethingroyal (*Princequillo), who most famously produced the legendary Secretariat. Any Limit's fourth dam is The Bride, who the Phipps family "won" in the famous coin flip instead of Secretariat, and proceeded to go unplaced in four career starts.
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