Any Limit looks best every way

ELMONT, N.Y. - On paper, there appears to be enough speed in Sunday's Grade 2 Vagrancy Handicap to be a nuisance to probable favorite Any Limit. But it has looked that way on paper before and ultimately it was Any Limit's speed that proved annoying to her rivals.

With that in mind, play against Any Limit at your own risk in Sunday's $150,000 Vagrancy, run at 6 1/2 furlongs over Belmont Park's main track. Any Limit, the 118-pound highweight, faces five rivals in her first start since finishing fourth as the even-money choice in the Bed o' Roses Breeders' Cup at Aqueduct. The Vagrancy is the feature on a 10-race Father's Day card.

Any Limit had an excuse in the Bed o' Roses, as jockey Rafael Bejarano's saddle slipped and he was basically riding the filly from up on her neck. Trainer Allen Jerkens decided to give Any Limit a brief freshening leading up to the Vagrancy.

Prior to her run in the Bed o' Roses, Any Limit had run three times in south Florida, winning the First Lady and Hurricane Bertie handicaps, before losing by a length to Sweet Fervor in the Shirley Jones, a seven-furlong race.

"She worked sensational and she ran sensational down there," said Jerkens, a five-time Vagrancy winner. "She would work unbelievable over that track. She went forty-five there one day."

Actually, Any Limit went four furlongs in 45.40 seconds two weeks prior to her First Lady victory, which came off a 10-week layoff. On May 31, she worked four furlongs in 46.31 seconds over Belmont's main track and followed that on Monday with a five-furlong drill in 1:00.43.

Last spring, Any Limit won three races in a 40-day period and was pressed through rapid fractions in each race. On Sunday, Any Limit will break from post 2 under Eibar Coa.

Likely to attack Any Limit early are Magnolia Jackson, who dueled with Any Limit in the Bed o' Roses; Oprah Winney, the front-running victor of the Barbara Fritchie; and Mary Delaney, a Polytrack powerhouse. Even Indian Flare, who was beaten a neck by Any Limit at Belmont last June 30, could be forwardly placed.

Nothing But Fun, who makes her first start since finishing last behind stablemate Great Intentions in last October's Grade 2 Gallant Bloom, could benefit from a pace meltdown. Nothing But Fun won a maiden at first asking and took last year's Mil Kilates Stakes off a 6 1/2-month layoff.

"I think she's the type that can run well fresh," said trainer Mike Hushion, whose mare drew post 1.