NEWS
Any Limit soars to front-running First Flight score
Posted: Friday, July 04, 2008 8:02 PM
ANY LIMIT
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
by Ron Parker
Joseph V. Shields Jr.’s homebred Any Limit went right to the lead and gamely held off a late charge from Wild Gams by a neck to win the $150,000 First Flight Handicap (G2) on Friday at Belmont Park.
Seven horses contested the seven-furlong First Flight for fillies and mares and Any Limit easily took the lead under Cornelio Velasquez, carving out fractions of :22.58 and :45.40 through a half-mile on a sealed muddy track.
The five-year-old Limit Out mare was still full of run as she sped down the stretch but Wild Gams, who was last early and was sixth through a half-mile, made a sweeping move outside of horses entering the stretch under jockey Alan Garcia and steadily closed in on Any Limit.
As the gap narrowed, Any Limit hit the wire first for a victory in 1:23.86. An equally determined Wild Gams finished 1 1/2 lengths clear of 1.90-to-1 favorite Rite Moment.
“Today, she was nice and relaxed,” Velasquez said. “Turning for home, I still had a lot of horse.”
The First Flight was the third graded stakes victory for Any Limit, who won both the Hurricane Bertie (G3) and First Lady (G3) Handicaps last year at Gulfstream Park.
Racing Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens felt believed last year’s inaugural Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint might be a possibility for Any Limit but in she suffered a foot injury during a workout that was slow to heal and sidelined her for 11 months. She returned on May 17 at Belmont Park with a third-place finish in the Upper Noosh Stakes.
Any Limit's win in the First Flight was satisfying for Jerkens.
“That really made me feel good,” Jerkens said after the First Flight. “She could have been retired. Mr. Shields said, ‘It’s fun to have a horse running.’ ”
Jerkens said Any Limit would probably race next at the Saratoga Race Course meet.
Out of the winning Forty Niner mare Clandestinely, Any Limit increased her earnings to $433,138 with seven wins in 20 starts.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer
