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Any Limit has now captured two graded races in a row
(Bill Roberts/Horsephotos.com) |
Joseph V. Shields Jr.'s homebred ANY LIMIT (Limit Out) shot straight to the
lead out of the gate in Friday's $147,000
Honorable Miss H. (G2) and never looked back. Sent off as the nearly 7-1
longest shot on the board, despite her front-running victory in the First Flight
H. (G2) last time out, the Allen Jerkens mare set splits of :22 and :45 while
racing well within herself. Any Limit skipped away from the nearly 2-1 favorite,
Miss Macy Sue (Trippi), turning for home and widened her advantage through the
Saratoga stretch. The five-year-old bay ultimately crossed the wire 5 3/4
lengths in front while completing six furlongs in 1:09 4/5 on the fast track.
Guided by Cornelio Velasquez, Any Limit rewarded her backers with mutuels of
$15.60, $7 and $3.10.
Although Any Limit had clear sailing on the front end, the same could not be
said for a couple of her pursuers. The 5-2 Zada Belle (Indian Charlie) was
forced to steady abruptly on the far turn, but she regrouped to finish second,
paying $4.50 and $2.80 while ending the $67.50 exacta. Graeme Six (Graeme Hall)
checked in another length back in third, returning $3 and concluding the $214.50
trifecta (5-3-6) at nearly 7-2. Miss Macy Sue, who steadied briefly before
looming on the turn, retreated thereafter and wound up fourth. Rite Moment
(Vicar) was never in contention after her slow start, while Akronism (Not for
Love) was scratched.
Any Limit's fifth career stakes victory advanced her record to 21-8-1-5 with
$523,138 in earnings. She was a hot commodity at the 2007 Gulfstream meeting,
capturing the First Lady H. (G3) and Hurricane Bertie H. (G3) before 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), but she rebounded
with her game score in the First Flight on July 4.
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