Any Limit, winner of this year’s Honorable Miss Handicap (gr.II) and First Flight Handicap (gr.II), will miss the Ballerina (gr.I) at Saratoga Aug. 24, because of a recurring injury.
After Any Limit won the Honorable Miss at Saratoga Aug. 1, trainer Allen Jerkens said he would point the 5-year-old daughter of Limit Out to the Ballerina, a “Win and You’re In” event for the Sentient Flight Group Filly and Mare Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Park Oct. 24.
However, a deep cut that surfaced last summer on Any Limit’s left front leg has “opened up again,” Jerkens said Aug. 16. The cut was so serious that, at the time of the injury, there was talk of retiring Any Limit, who is owned and was bred by Joseph Shields Jr.
“It happened last year and it opened up a little bit again after (the Honorable Miss),” Jerkens said. “She cut herself, maybe from a loose shoe on the track, last year in the morning. It looked like she ran down, but she didn’t. I have never seen anything like it before.
“My vet wanted to work on it, so that’s why we are missing the Ballerina and giving her some time. We hope to have her back for the Gallant Bloom (gr. II).”
The $150,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap will be run at Belmont Park Sept. 20.
Any Limit returned to the races after a 11-month layoff to win the First Flight Handicap at Belmont July 4, and then Saratoga’s Honorable Miss by 5 3/4 lengths.
Any Limit is a winner of $523,138, and has eight lifetime victories from 21 starts.
Jerkens, who has won three runnings of the Ballerina, will not have a starter in the race.
