A big colt with a big future, Out of Bounds, denied Secret Circle to win the Sham Stakes
Eoin G. Hart trained newly turned three-year-old colt, Out of Bounds, and Garrett Gomez, posted a serious upset over the favoured Bob Baffert’s trainee, Secret Circle, in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park over a distance of 1 mile, going on dirt.
All broke well in the Sham Stakes, a field that had 5 newly turned 3-year-olds that were serious derby contenders, meeting for the first time in their long sophomore season.
The Kentucky bred son of Eddington, out of mare Ragtime Hope by Dixieland Band, Secret Circle jumped on to the lead right from the outset.
He gave way to Longview Drive, who cut through the lead from the inside and managed to set solid fractions of 22.66 seconds for the quarter mile, 45.89 seconds for the half mile and 1 minute and 9.78 seconds for the 6 furlong marker.
Handsome Mike and Hierro held up the rear, as Out of Bounds looked to track the leaders in third, patiently waiting for his opening, and closely watching Secret Circle to make his eventual move for the winner.
The spectators were watching just two colts, the Bob Baffert trained winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint, who went off as the 1 to 2 favourite, and the Steve Asmussen trained Hierro, coming off his impressive maiden win at Churchill Downs, sent off at 2 to 1 odds.
However, the race shaped out differently as Hierro was left at the rear to be solely dependent on a devastating stretch run, while Secret Circle was beautifully set up by Rafael Bejarano, a length off the leader, Longview Overdrive.
The field of five swung off the turn towards the wire, and Secret Circle began his power run, but he got shot out completely by a big colt called Out of Bounds, who bolted past the unbeaten colt and went through and through to win the Grade 3 Sham Stakes.
"He did everything really professional for a horse that’s only run a couple of times," said Gomez.
"I was excited by his last couple races. He’s such a good-sized colt and I thought the two turns would really help him because he’s such a long-striding horse. It’s just a matter of getting him to understand how to do it the right way. I think he’s got enough ability to do it."
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