High Limit Raises Game, Wins

A 4-year-old who participated in the 2005 Kentucky Derby won the $300,000 Strub Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.

No, it wasn’t Giacomo. The 50-1 upsetter at Churchill Downs last May 7 had to settle for third in his first start since finishing seventh in the Belmont Stakes nearly eight months ago. It was the ninth loss in 11 starts for the Holy Bull colt.

Rather, High Limit, who was 20th and last in the Derby, was the impressive winner of the Strub and is unblemished in two starts in 2006 for owners Gary and Mary West and trainer Bobby Frankel.

Rated in the clear just off the pace of longshots Actexcutive and Ice Cole, the son of Maria’s Mon and 3-1 second choice kicked away into the stretch under jockey Patrick Valenzuela. He won by 4 1/2 lengths over 18-1 longshot Top This And That in 1:49.14 for the 1 1/8 miles.

After winning the Louisiana Derby by four lengths in his first start for Frankel last March 12 at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, High Limit went sour. He failed to win in six subsequent starts as a 3-year-old but has made no mistakes this year. On Jan. 7, he defeated Buckland Manor by a nose to win the San Pasqual Handicap, a Grade II at 1 1/16 miles.

Frankel had considered shortening High Limit to seven furlongs in the $150,000 San Carlos Handicap, which will be run Feb. 18, but decided to see if the colt could stay nine furlongs in the Strub.

He, like others, believed the horses exiting the San Fernando, the final prep for the Strub, which had been run Jan. 14, weren’t all that strong.

The Hall of Fame trainer was right.

Canteen, who was the 2-1 favorite Saturday after finishing a troubled second in the San Fernando, was 10th in the Strub. Greeley’s Galaxy and Distorted, who also ran in that race, were fourth and 11th.

“The only question I had was the distance, but now we know,” Frankel said. “It looked like he could get a mile and a quarter the way he ran today.”

That, of course, is the distance of the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap, which will be run March 4, and High Limit and Giacomo are likely to meet again in the track’s signature race.

Neither John Shirreffs, who trains Giacomo for owners Jerry and Ann Moss, nor regular rider Mike Smith was discouraged with the gray’s performance.

“I’m really happy with the way he ran on,” Smith said. “He should improve a lot off this race.”

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Bob And John, the 2-5 favorite, did the expected and won the $102,500 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita, beating 5-1 shot Hawkinsville by 4 1/2 lengths.

Bob Baffert, who trains the 3-year-old Seeking The Gold colt for owners Bob and Janice McNair’s Stonerside Stable, said Bob And John would make his next start in the Santa Catalina on March 4. That race is also expected to bring out Stevie Wonderboy and Brother Derek.

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Barbaro, the 8-5 favorite, remained unbeaten and proved he could handle the main track -- at least, a sloppy surface -- with a win in the $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes, one of six graded races on the Gulfstream Park card.

Perfect in four starts for Lael Stables and trainer Michael Matz, the 3-year-old Dynaformer colt ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.31 under jockey Edgar Prado.

In the day’s richest race, the $500,000 Donn Handicap, Brass Hat, an 8-1 shot, took advantage of a quick pace to rally from far back and win his third in a row and sixth in 13 starts.

One race before Barbaro’s win, Keyed Entry, the 5-2 second choice, also stayed unbeaten, winning for the third time as he upset First Samurai in track-record time in the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes.

The 3-year-old Honor And Glory colt, who is trained by Todd Pletcher for a partnership, ran the 7 1/2 furlongs in 1:27.12, easily eclipsing the mark of 1:28.42 set last April 2 by the Pletcher-trained Value Plus.

Pletcher and Velazquez also teamed to win the $150,000 Davona Dale with Wait A While, who was dominant against Teammate and five other 3-year-old fillies.

The day’s other two stakes, the $100,000 Old Hat and $100,000 Suwanee River, were won by Misty Rosette and Eyes On Eddy.